Applicant #47: Kaylie Dame

Kaylie Dame is a 21-year-old from Kingsville.

Kaylie's video application:

Kaylie online:

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Kaylie's current situation:

Hey everyone, thanks for checking out my video.  Sixty seconds isn't a lot of time, so here's a little more to help you get to know me.

-- I'm entering my third year at the University of Windsor.  Through the school year I work as a waitress at Colasanti Tropical Gardens, and during the summer I work at the Kingsville Golf & Country Club.

-- I'm a big sis to two younger brothers and I also have an extremely large extended family.  
I love meeting new people and and I'm very easy to get along with-- a great combo for your representative!

-- I'm proud to be involved with a few causes-- mainly raising money for Breast Cancer Awareness and supporting animal rights with PETA2.

-- Being 21, I am relatable to the majority of the 25-and-under crowd, as I am in the same situation that most early 20-year-olds are in, while still remembering my years as a teenager like they were yesterday. 

-- I don't already have a blog or collection of videos to refer you to, but that means I have all the more stored up to talk with you about in the coming year!

-- I'm a music loving, concert going, road tripping, movie quoting, baseball playing, money saving machine! haha

I hope you can envision me as your Young & Free Ontario Spokesperson for 2010. 

Vote Kaylie!

Kaylie's blog post:

Ways to Maximize Your Summer Savings!

The moment we’ve been waiting for has finally arrived; exams are finished, school is out, and summer is here!  Along with enjoying fun in the sun, many of us are also working hard at summer jobs to pay off debt or prepare for next year—one common goal being to save the most money we can.  However, as weeks pass, the rising account balance can easily mislead us into thinking we have room to spend more than we should, causing us to stray from our ultimate savings target. 

As young people new to the workforce, it is important to meet with a financial advisor who can best help to set goals and organize money.  In the meantime, here are some pointers to help YOU maximize your dollar savings this summer.

CREATE A BUDGET
Similar to when your parents may have given you an allowance, it is extremely helpful to set a limit dollar amount for spending each week.  Costs for things like gas, food, cell phone, entertainment, and various extras should be included in this allowance, and do your best to stick to it!  This way, you know what spending you are able to do while the rest of your earnings are put towards your savings.

DIVIDE YOUR EARNINGS
Sticking to your budget will become much easier if you physically separate your spending money from your savings money.  This can be done in different ways depending on your job situation.

Your financial institution should be able to automatically deposit your allowance money into an accessible account, and the rest of your paycheque can be put directly into savings. 

If you have two summer jobs, consider one as your ‘spending’ job and the other your ‘savings’ job, and the earnings from each can be deposited into different accounts.  This way, there is no need to withdraw from the ‘savings’ job account and it can be left alone to accumulate.

If your job involves cash tips or bonuses, you can try to only use your cash for spending and let your wages build up in your account as savings, or vice versa depending on which is of greater value. Before you know it, your saving balance will flourish!

PACK A LUNCH
Now, this may feel like a childish thing to do, but bringing a lunch to work will save you millions on takeout (okay, not millions, but you catch my drift).  Believe it or not, 5 to 10 bucks a day can add up to $800 in lunches for the entire summer—you could buy a car with that!  Take the extra time at night or in the morning to pack up a lunch that’s both cost and calorie efficient—for double the benefits!

SAVE GAS, SAVE THE ENVIRONMENT
Gas prices and environmental awareness are both on the rise, so for the sake of our wallets and our world, save gas whenever you can!  Try to carpool, bus, bike, or walk the places you need to go, and you’ll feel good about yourself too!

AVOID CREDIT CARDS
Credit cards are important to have in case of emergency and are beneficial for the purposes of online purchasing and developing good credit history for the future.  This works best when you only credit items that you have available money to pay for—and ask anyone, this is much easier said than done. 

To avoid digging yourself into a hole that will ruin your history, hide the credit cards!  This way, you won’t use them for impulse purchases or ones you don’t have the money for—stick to your budget through cash and debit and keep your credit cards balanced!

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF POINTS CARDS, PROMOTIONS, COUPON DEALS
Instead of filling up your gas tank at various stations when you need it or buying your groceries at different stores, find a nearby company with a benefit points card and try to only buy your gas or groceries there.  Points will build up quickly and come in handy one day!

FILE YOUR INCOME TAX
So many students fail to file their income tax and miss out on a great amount of money each year.  Keep your receipts and find someone who can help you with your paperwork, this is a great way to get some money in your account as a base before you start working for the summer.  Think of it as free money!  

I hope these tips help you make the most from your summer job!  While saving money is important, don't forget to reward yourself for all your hard work!  It's good to treat yourself and have fun this summer, just be aware of where your hard earned money is going!

Kaylie