You already know money comes and goes. Holding on to it too much could prove hazardous for “the rest of your life” but not managing it to your own advantage would be an equally foolish thing to do.

In essence, everyone should try to "live cheap while looking rich" because it’s a lot of fun and makes life that much more exciting. There are countless guides on how to achieve this but for the busy readers of this blog, here’s a quick primer:

1. Volunteer to meet with the affluent “donors” – grow your influence network beyond your neighbors and your immediate family… it does wonders for your employment search too.
2. Schmooze with the rich crowd at local charity events – not only will you get free snacks but you’ll grow you social network with richer folks. Look for public calendars published online.
3. Never ever pay retail for anything of value – rediscover the art of negotiation. Shop online and at discount stores only. When you want to buy retail, stop and ask yourself if the same thing isn’t available online at half the price.
4. Look to acquire unique items – anything remotely useful that can’t be found elsewhere may eventually grow in value. Not only can you enjoy it for a while but when you come to selling it, chances are it’ll have gained value. Hunt public auctions, online and off, for a chance to own things that don’t lose their value over time.
5. Look like you’re already wealthy – rich people only network seriously with… well, other rich people. Exceptions have been documented but they remain just that, exceptions. Take the metro to the event but enter the room wearing you nicest clothes and then, enjoy more productive networking.
6. Travel to unexpected places – rich people always seem to be coming back from some remote location or preparing to leave. Now, it’s your turn to travel the world by using the last minute airfares or bidding at travel auctions. Dig up your expanded family address book and stay at their place, saving on hotel fees. As a bonus, you’ll have tons of interesting things to say after those trips (see point 2).
7. Don’t say too much about yourself and what you do for a living – if you serve cocktails for a living, say you’re in the catering business. Anything more will just prove useless to upgrading your social status. Entertain a certain aura of mystery. Most rich people do it for usually no good reason so you, as a rich-person-wannabe, should do it too.
8. Buy long-lasting quality items whenever possible – there’s a reason some things cost a little or a lot more, it’s usually because they’re better and last a lot longer. Use your judgement and buy wisely. You’re better off having two pairs of shoes you’ll wear five years than 3 pairs of shoes continuously ruined year after year. The first alternative costs a little more but you a lot more comfortable and in the end, you save a bundle. Rich people will tell you, quality has its price.
9. Find a stable life partner… but be sure to choose the right one – wether you get married or simply decide to live together with your loved one makes no difference as long as you commit for the long term. This will bring stability in your life, financially and otherwise. Even if rich people generally ship their kids to boarding school, you should consider having kids. Even if they’re somewhat expensive, in the end, they’re destined to become the only true justification for your life on this Earth, or something along that line. Love should flow abundantly in your home.
10. Let harmony flow into your life – Feng Shui lovers know the value of moving things around the house so everything just feels better. Add a few plants, clean up the place and immediately, your thoughts will seem more aligned and precise. Harmony is as much a state of mind as a resolve to invest whatever amount of elbow grease it takes to make your environment as satisfying as possible.

Rich people already know affluence is basically a mindset. It’s all a big game in which you work towards getting more for whatever you can trade, that includes money but perhaps you could pitch in some valuable social networking influence or anything else you have that "they" don’t. Think a little and you should come up with tradable offerings.

Don’t wait until you get a fat wallet to enjoy some of life’s pleasures that are free or very affordable. Get in shape, physically, mentally and in your life in general.

The more you follow these pointers, the richer you’ll get but remember, life is about much more than money.

For many people, going somewhere for a vacation without taking back any pictures home is normal.

For the members of the TrekEarth photography web site, it wouldn’t be conceivable!

Back in October 2002, Adam Silverman brought his web site online and the pictures from all over the world have been pouring in since, for your viewing pleasure. Why would you spend time watching other people’s pictures? Because for the majority of people who can’t afford to travel the world, this may be the only way to see what it looks like.

The intent for this online community is really engaging, even for non-members who can view all the pictures for free, without the need for registration (kind of like blogs but with pictures instead of words). Anyone with a taste for adventure will love the fact many photos are taken by photo amateurs who sometimes unwittingly picture something more important than the picture itself. It feels more exciting when you never know exactly what the next photo will include. Ah! Adventure… online version.

In TrekEarth’s own words, here’s an overview of their web site:

“The underlying theme of TrekEarth is learning more about the world through photography.

TrekEarth fosters this by allowing photographers to display their work grouped by regions in a supportive and orderly environment. This is accomplished by an easy-to-use system which encourages people to critique each other’s work.

Integrated with this system are forums designed to encourage discussion about specific photos, countries, and general topics. Since TrekEarth is globally oriented, it is completely multilingual capable, allowing for the widest audience possible.

Ultimately, TrekEarth depends on the civility, honesty and participation of its members.”

Designed to have easy access to photos, this photographic community can only grow bigger over the years. Digital cameras are getting better all the time so it’s realitic to expect even better photo portfolios in the coming years. This is great news for all those who love to travel but for whatever reason, can’t. It’s kind of “Amateur National Geographic” so yes, the cool factor is steady with this web site.

I recommend you browse the site’s many sections, including those picturing your country. It’s always amazing how different our neighboring cities can look different seen through the eyes of tourists!

New York City has yet another landmark and it’s going to be quite the destination for the Big Apple’s in-crowd, wether it’s 2 PM or 2 AM. That’s right, Apple’s brand new store, located on 5th Avenue, is open 24 hours a day!

So you’re asking yourself, why can’t Apple open a 24h store in my neighborhood?

Well, that’s a good question but perhaps the reason lies in the general knowledge that NYC is a “city that never sleeps”. From now on, it’ll be even easier to click a mouse while you’re NOT sleeping.

If you’re in NYC today, be sure to head for Apple’s new store to be one of the 2500 first lucky people who will visit this architectural marvel and get a free tee-shirt in the process. Furthermore, a new MacBook will be given away at each hour, for 24 hours straight.

Now, that’s quite an opening!

The Apple Store, Fifth Avenue is located at 767 Fifth Avenue at 59th Street, as you see on this little map. If you know New York, you know the place!

So, what will you find at this store? The usual Apple line of computers and software presented in a modern setting where the glass cube let’s sunlight pour into part of the store, which is pretty nice assuming the store is underground.

You’ll also find “The Studio” which is the creative hub of the Apple Store, Fifth Avenue. It’s a place where your ideas and the sales people’s help come together to enhance your Mac projects. If you have questions about merging a FileMaker mailing list with a Pages design, this is the place to ask about it.

In Apple’s own words: “Whether your interest is photography, moviemaking, music or everyday use of your Mac, our team of Creatives can help you. They‚Äôll teach you one-on-one how to re-touch photos, compose music and make Hollywood-style movies. To save time, use the Apple Store Concierge to Make a reservation.”

Okay, did you get that?

A “Concierge” will take your reservation for the studio?

This alone sets this Apple Store apart from all others.

Awesome is a word that comes to mind when you think about such an exciting store but like all stores, you’ll just have to visit it to see, for yourself, all it has to offer.

If you own a Bluetooth headset for your phone, you’re already saving yourself from allegedly dangerous microwaves emitted by your cellular phone but is your headset really that good?

Current Bluetooth headset users report poor sound when surrounded by noise, high battery consumption and somewhat incomfortable wear. All that is about to change with Motorola’s H5 Miniblue headset that’s probably going to lead a new generation of an impressively functional technology mix.

Wearing one of these tiny headsets makes you look a little weird when you talk in public, until the people around you realize you have a little blue LED light pulsing near one of your ears. Then, you’re just another business person conducting matters wirelessly… and yes, this qualifies you as “normal”.

Now, imagine the earpiece is so small that it’s basically impossible to see when just walking by. This is what you’ll have to get used to because the H5 Miniblue is lodged within your ear and even uses bone vibrations between your jaw and ear canal to sustain your conversations. This makes your voice clear, even when you’re in the middle of crowd. Wow.

The device has a range of 30 feet but few people ever wander so far away from their phone. If this wasn’t enough, the battery life has been dramatically improved, thanks to the new technology which consumes a lot less energy. Of course, it’s smaller so it’ll last about an hour and a half of continuous talk.

Here’s a quick summary of the H5 Miniblue’s features:

• Revolutionary technology designed around the way your body works;
• Built-in speaker and microphone routes voices through the ear canal, reducing outside noise;
• Tiny size at only 33 x 41 millimeters;
• Talk Time: headset up to approximately 1.5 hours, system up to approximately 7.5 hours using the included portable charging base;
• Works up to 30 feet (10 meters) away from a compatible Bluetooth-enabled phone;
• Comptible with any brand of Bluetooth-enabled phone that supports headset and handsfree profiles;
• Comes with a chic, metal portable charging base.

The Motorola H5 MINIBLUE is expected to be available in the first half of 2006.

Do you own an iPod? Do you know about Digital Lifestyle Outfitters? Do you want to enjoy a new level of convenience in your busy digital life?

Wether you’re already an iPodder or not doesn’t change the fact the cool factor on the DLO HomeDock Deluxe is huge. It’s allegedly the world’s first iPod dock that lets you view and select your iPod’s music on your TV screen.

This added living room bliss that could change the way you experience your iPod and your music. Convenience, accessibility and great sound quality. At only 149$, it’s an interesting addition to your current gear.

Technically, the HomeDock Deluxe adds a new twist to the iPod by displaying your iPod’s music content onto a TV, thus allowing you to navigate, select and play your songs using the included 18-button remote control.

Painlessly browse through extensive playlists, artists, albums, songs, genres and more from the comfort of sofa with this nifty dock.

A lot of people use their iMac’s remote control to play music and videos on their big screen TV. This is a major plus when you get visitors at home and you want to show your latest photo album to everybody. This well thought dock just adds to this logic.

Let’s face it, if you always secretly wished you could fuse an iPod with a TV, this is the clear answer to those prayers!