APPLICANT #2: Joel Vaillancourt

Joel Vaillancourt is a 19-year-old from Edmonton.

Here is Joel's video application:

Here is Joel's current situation:

At the moment, I’m busy working towards my marketing diploma in my second and final year at NAIT. Midterms are next week! I'm also in the process of casting and planning my video entry for the Doritos Viralocity Video Contest (my entry will be filmed on Saturday, March 13th).

I work part-time as a self-employed videographer. My main clients are event planners and promoters looking to get videos of their parties made. I work under the name "Jo Thrillz Productions."

Like Madison, I run a YouTube channel where I post video logs, updates, skits, rants, and random occurrences. Finally, I'm preparing for a short, but fun filled trip to Las Vegas. Well, I hope that's a solid introduction, let's get into this blog post.

P.S. You can catch me tonight (Friday, March 5th) at Play Nightclub in Edmonton, as I host the Tokyoh Records Launch Party.

Here is Joel's blog post:

"Can I, Ughh, Pay On Debit?"

Hey! How's it going Alberta youth? Am I the only one who find themselves draining money on things that can never be accounted for?

The main "money drainers" attacking me are ATM's and the transaction fees accumulated from using them. How many times have you been out at a restaurant with friends and find yourself low on cash? You refuse to be that person who asks to pay on debit, so instead you chip out two to three dollars at the ATM. Was it worth it? Well maybe, if being the "No-cash-having debit person" is a title that you cannot bear, but for me any ATM transaction that's costs me money is a regrettable one. I've sat down and thought about how to conquer this financial feasting animal multiple times and in the process; I have developed a few strategies.

First and probably the most obvious is: Keep Some Cash On Hand! If you know you're going out and you're going to be spending money, stop at the bank and withdraw. I know some people think that if they never take out any money, they won't end up spending it. Well I tried that and still do at times, trust me, it doesn't work. Aside from cash, if you have other ways of spending money, YOU WILL.

Next: Set Some Limits. This is probably the only time ATM fees can be used to your advantage. I commonly take out as much I want to spend that day or night, or even for the weekend. When you find yourself draining money on that outing and nearing the end of your on-hand cash supply, think to yourself, "Do I really want to spend 3 dollars so I can spend more of my savings on most likely a regrettable purchase such as more wings or fries?" The answer will be probably be no.

Finally: Track and Record Your Buying and Spending Habits, See Where Your Money Is Going. Whether you do this on paper or mentally, it's a worthwhile process. If you know that every-time you go to a movie you end up spending 10 dollars on snacks and 12 dollars on a ticket, and at the current moment you're very low funds, maybe spending 20+ dollars in two hours isn't wise. Or maybe you find yourself stuffing quarters into a vending machine for the smallest bag of chips ever during your last class of the day. Ok, that last one was about me, but you get the point!

I'm not saying I have never spent my money poorly or don't anymore because that would be an outright lie. Ex. Buying another fire-wire cord for $14.99, instead of opening a drawer and finding the one I already own. I'm just saying being proactive and conscious about spending never hurts and these are a few strategies that work for me.

Joel Thrillz Vaillancourt