Fourth of July is almost here. Can you smell the BBQ and fireworks?  Well if you're planning a few things, try to do without your wallet blowing up.  Here's a few tips from the Bargainist, that'll make sure you don't go crazy spending money on unnecessary things:

Hit the Dollar Store - Before the big day, head to your local dollar store. You can pick up sparklers, paper plates and party supplies for a buck each.

Stick to the Basics - The 4th of July isn’t known for crème brulee or caviar. For this holiday it’s all about the basics-- hot dogs, potato salad and ice cream. Thankfully these summer staples are among the cheapest at your grocery store so stick to the basics. Use this coupon to get a free Steaz ice tea ice tea when you buy one bottle. That will help you cheaply quench your summer thirst. More Here...

A lot of you might've read my entry about me getting a job a few weeks ago, as it was posted on Dollarish. So, the first couple of weeks were really good. I especially was relieved on the first day, when I met the people I was working with, and they turned out to be really nice and helpful. I even (naively, now I see) went as far as to tell my boss that she was really nice. And, so far she was mostly because we've had minimal interaction (she doesn't come in until the very end of the day).

This week however, she's been a complete and horrible bitch. She's been yelling at me and picking on me for three days straight, and it scares me. Especially, the yelling part because sometimes I'm afraid she's going to hit me - I'm not even joking. I had to literally remind myself that hitting me was illegal, and therefore she couldn't do it. I know it may sound to some of you like I'm exaggerating, but I'm not. I have never met anyone so rude, disrespectful, self-absorbed, and self-important as she is. Here's a list of things she does that makes me want to smash something heavy on her head and slap a few times so she'll stop being such an effing bitch:  More Here...

Mobile marketing is on the cusp of moving markets and deserves consideration as part of the marketing mix for a wide variety of products and services.
Mr. Spock as Dick Tracy?

No longer the province of teenagers or a gadget only perpetrated by nerdy early adopters, mobile media is gaining widespread use as new phones and new software make the Internet accessible everywhere. In no time we'll all be tethered to the digital grid; connected by a single multi-functional device.

Consider several recent developments:

1) Almost two-thirds (63%) of cell phone users have received e-mail, used text messaging or obtained news and sports information on their phones.

2) More than one-third (38%) of mobile phone users access the Internet from their phone.

3) There are 40 million smart phones in use, closing in on 20 percent of the cell phones in use and the market is growing driven by iPhones and Blackberry Pearls and Curves.

4) 130 million phones have "highly capable Internet browsers" and the IBM Institute for Business Value survey recently found that 40% of those surveyed had Internet data plans in-use and that a third of those had already watched a video on their phones.

Once you start watching video on your phone, 45% begin to do it regularly which according to Black Arrow comes up to 800 million hours of mobile video viewing, still a tiny slice of the 389 billion hours of broadcast TV watched, but a bell weather nonetheless. More Here...

So, my husband and I have been thinking about getting our first credit card--we're 23, married, living on our own, and have stable jobs.  Oh, and our only debt is student loans (which we're paying on).

That being said, I'm sure many of you already have credit cards--what's your best advice for first-timers?  What should we accept/avoid?  Is it better to go with a company (i.e. Visa, Mastercard) or through your bank?

Any and all advice is appreciated!

I don't have a Wal-Mart near me at home, but when I'm at school, it's the best place to do my shopping. They have such cheap prices and have almost anything a college student could possibly need. One of my favorite things to buy are boxes of cereal for like $3 each. 

Though Wal-Mart has unbeatable prices, the thing is, I hate going there. It's very overwhelming and too big to easily do your shopping. There are lots of trashy people with annoying little kids, and I find it to be an overall depressing experience. I think it's a love/hate relationship. I feel that people either love it or hate it. I guess I can't decide which way I feel.

How do you feel about Wal-Mart?