A controversial study led by researchers from Harvard and the University of California, San Diego, concluded that behaviors such as overeating and cigarette smoking could be contagious within close social networks. The researchers came to this conclusion by analyzing data from the Framingham Heart Study, a long-running, detailed survey that examined over 12,000 participants. The Framingham Study included information about body weight and drug use habits, and also indicated which subjects were friends or family members. Thanks to this unique feature, researchers were able to take a look at rates of obesity and other health risks among friend groups.

Dr. Nicholas Christakis and Dr. James Fowler, the leaders of the study, found that if one spouse became obese, the other was 37 percent more likely to become obese as well. If a man became obese, his brother’s risk rose by 40 percent. And the risk was even higher among friends  – the doctors found that someone with an obese friend was between 51 and 171 percent more likely to become obese.

Dr. Christakis and Dr. Fowler provided three possible explanations for their findings. The first explanation was a natural human tendency to choose friends who are similar to ourselves. The second was the fact that friends may be similarly affected by the environments they share. The third explanation, which attracted the most attention, was called contagion – the possibility that a person’s ideas of acceptable weight and portion size might be influenced by how much their friends weigh or eat. This was the explanation that doctors Christakis and Fowler focused on as the cause of obesity.

But not all scientists agree with this theory. A recent paper attacked the findings of doctors Christakis and Fowler, saying that their study contained serious statistical errors. Other doctors don’t doubt the integrity of the study, but say that it is impossible to prove that contagion was the cause of high rates of obesity among friends and families. A more recent study that focused specifically on women did find that social relationships had an influence on bodyweight, but the influence was very small. The researchers were also unable to pinpoint one specific explanation for their findings.

So, the verdict is mixed: problems like obesity may or may not spread among friends. But even if behaviors like overeating and smoking aren’t contagious, the question of friends and behavior is an interesting one for college students. When we go away to college and have to make new friends, do they influence our behavior? Do we change and become more like our new friends? Or do we choose friends who are more like us to begin with? What do you think?

See? She smokes pot and she turned out OK! Oh wait....

According to the LA times, 1 in 3 high school seniors smoke pot. This news is not that shocking to most of us, but apparently surprising enough that Obama’s “Drug Czar” and the rest of the old people in this country are up in arms (and probably somehow blaming Miley). Look, I get it. Despite the recent research proving the many benefits of tokin’ a little green now and then, many people still only see the negative side of things.

Studies centered on long time marijuana use have shown impaired coordination, difficulty with thinking/problem solving, problems with memory and learning. Chronic users may even have learning and memory loss that can last for days or weeks. Even scarier, “Estimates from research suggest that about 9 percent of users become addicted to marijuana; this number increases among those who start young (to about 17 percent) and among daily users (25-50 percent)” (Drugabuse.gov).

Yes, those are some scary facts and most definitely should concern us all. But one thing many people (namely those people who are freaking out about the recent rise in marijuana use) don’t realize is that those results are based on participants who are long time and chronic pot smokers, not to mention people who might dabble in some other recreational drugs.

So instead of focusing on the negative, let’s find the silver lining, shall we?

First and foremost, this study shows not that more teens are smoking pot but that for the first time in a long time, high school students are smoking more pot than cigarettes. Isn’t that a good thing? Couldn’t that mean that less students are smoking harmful, unhealthy, disgusting cigarettes? And even though chronic weed use may have some pretty scary side affects, I think we can all agree that cigarettes cause far more harm: ease of addiction; yellow teeth and nails; thinning hair; wrinkles; bad breath; smelling gross in general; and lung, throat and mouth cancer.

Yes, learning your sweet, innocent child smokes pot may be a little (well a lot) concerning, but isn’t a little pot here and there way better than chain smoking Marlboro Lights between first and second period? And in the grand scheme of things, it’s just pot. Yes, just pot. There are far worse and more addictive drugs kids could be doing. And just because someone “smoked pot in the past 30 days” (which is what this particular study was asking), it doesn’t mean they are going to be some Phish-obsessed stoner with a bong collection in their college dorm room.

With all the other drugs out there, taking a hit of a blunt (or, as this study referred to it, a “marijuana cigarette”) sometimes isn’t such a big deal. Just because high school students are smoking it does not mean they are abusing it. This is really not that big a deal. Let them do their thang, eat their Fritos, realize it’s not that fun and be done with it.

I always knew I had an addictive personality. To be fair, though, for awhile I thought that meant that other people were addicted to my personality: my sense of humor, my charming ways, my gift giving skills… But then I got to college, smoked my first cigarette outside of a frat party and quickly learned that:

A) There are some people who don’t find me charming
B) Cigarettes are delightful when you’re drinking

But despite all the bad things about cigarettes and the fact that I now have to stand in the rain to smoke them because they’re illegal indoors, that addiction might actually be the least of my problems. So let me share my 10 worst addictions that might be worthy of an A&E Intervention.

10. The Real Housewives
It’s bad enough that I DVR every episode of every season and know more about these catty women than I do about foreign policy. But the real problem is that I hate them – every single one of them – and watching them makes me so angry I want to reach through my TV and throttle them. But since I can’t choke Ramona, I end up indulging in a row of Oreos to ease my anxiety. But do I stop watching? No. I can’t. And I also can’t curb my excitement for the newest cast in D.C.

9. Coffee
It’s gotten to the point that I can’t even go to the gym without having at least one Grande Americano first. I’ll even make a Starbucks run at 9 p.m. on a Thursday just to make it through my weekly dose of #10. And then I’ll pass out at 10 p.m.

8. Driving Fast
Three speeding tickets in 3 months, plus one situation where I got pulled over and flirted my way out of another? Yes, that’s me!

7. Email
The first thing I do when my alarm goes off in the morning is turn on my iPhone and check my email. And then I continue to check it obsessively throughout the day. It’s not like there’s anything really important coming through that requires me to check every 11 minutes (well, after I’ve read my RueLala specials), but I can’t stop. Not even when I’m doin’ a little #8 (don’t tell Oprah!) or a little #2 (in the bathroom…not the one on this list.)

6. Eyebrow waxing
Based on the way my eyebrows grow in, I’m pretty sure I’m a distant cousin of Chewbacca. I swear, if I think about it hard enough I can make my brows grow back in a minute. I’ve become addicted to keeping them perfect and my weekly appointments give me a high similar to the one I get after a really good workout.

5. Kashi Go Lean Crunch
It’s healthy and tasty and I’ll eat it with anything from cereal to ice cream. But it also has some foul smelling side effects. Needless to say, it’s my friends that have the biggest issue with this particular addiction.

4. Late night food
No matter how hard I try, I can’t come home from a night out without eating something greasy, disgusting and totally unhealthy. And trust me, I’ve tried. I once forced myself to go to bed without food, passed out for an hour, then got up and ordered a pizza.

3. Judging People
Not all people – just the ones that deserve it. Like men with mullets, girls who wear stripper shoes, the women who go on The Bachelor, the annoying kid who always asks a million questions in class and makes class run over every. single. week, frat boys who still pop their collars, girls who wear Bump Its…. OK, maybe everyone.

2. Making Lists
I’ve got a list for everything: homework, my sexual history, packing, phone calls to make, emails to send, things I want to buy, people I hate, this very article….

1. Making Out
Everyone loves a great makeout session, but I can’t seem to live without them. Good or bad. Or, in the case of last weekend, so bad I had to stop in the middle and chug another beer before I could even consider sucking face with that mustachioed creepy guy again.

Who or what inspires your style? Many of us use T.V characters (like Joan Holloway) or celebrities (like Courtney Love) as style inspiration, even though, most of the time, they are being dressed from head to toe by the best stylists. Which we don’t have. And sometimes it’s damn near impossible to work their Hollywood looks into our not-so-Hollywood lives. I’ve made it my mission to tap into the mind of a fashion stylist and show you how to take your style inspiration – whatever it may be – and make it more you!

The Royal Tenenbaums is one of Wes Anderson’s many dysfunctional-family masterpieces he is infamous for. Besides portraying one of the strangest and most awkward families known to humanity, the main characters in The Royal Tenenbaums each have an extremely specific style, much like cartoons, that they hardly ever drift from.

Exhibit A:  Margot Tenenbaum.

The adopted daughter of Royal Tenenbaum is a prodigy playwright at the tender age of 14… which happens to be two years AFTER she starts smoking cigarettes. She’s one messed up lady, but still, somehow, inspiring to me in more ways than one.

It wasn’t until meeting Margot that I wanted wear a slip-dress and sit on the edge of a tub, smoke a cigarette and paint my nails (but that can wait because I’m definitely not about to attempt in a dorm shower).  It wasn’t until Margot that I wanted to wear a striped shirt-dress with a fur-coat and Hermes bag.  It seems like a weird combo, yes, but Margot Tenenbaum’s style is the perfect combination of casual and luxury, innocence and glamour.  She combines pieces that no average person would ever put together to create her signature style and doesn’t give a sh*t what other people think.

And while I don’t want Margot’s family or lifestyle, I definitely love her look.

Product Info- Faux-fur jacket – Karmaloop, $156; Eyeliner – Rimmel, $3.49; Satchel – Karmaloop, $35.00; Shoes – Aldo, $54.98; Dress - Forever 21, $11.50

What I love most about Margot’s look is that it’s unique and totally stands out. What I hate about it is that it’s impossible to mimic without resembling a Halloween costume. So I went ahead and took a more real-world spin to make her style my own. I replaced the Polo dress with  a cute (…and short… and tight) striped dress and paired it with a leopard (faux) fur coat. It’s sexy, fun and unexpected. I mean, really, how many girls would wear a leopard jacket? But why not? It’s probably the most fun and chic way to stay warm. Plus, it sets you apart from everyone else in their black-top-dark-jeans-black-heels uniforms.

Adding a hot pair of pumps (instead of Margot’s loafers – who do you think I am? Definitely not someone who would recommend loafers.) will elongate those legs and go splendidly with the dress when you ditch the coat. Now add Margot’s signature structured bag (the juxtaposition of the fun leopard and the refined bag makes the look even more interesting), smudge on a little eyeliner and, if you really wanna channel Margot, start making out with every guy you meet (but I’m sure that’s what most of our college weekends consist of under certain drunken circumstances anyways).

Every Monday, CollegeCandy does a top ten countdown, Letterman style, about whatever everyone’s buzzing about. This week, we’ve decided to dissect the party animals we’ve all come to know and….well, just know.

We’ve all been at the sticky-floored keggers, so here’s a rundown of the ten types of dudes you’ll find at these parties. Every single party. Every single time.  Print this out and bring it to the next frat/house party to check these guys off as you see them. You can even turn it into a drinking game, taking shots as they pass. Although, on second thought, that might be a one-way ticket to alcohol poisoning.

10. The Loner Stoner
Sometimes accompanied by a few of their kind, this person will continually ask for weed (even when he has it the whole time) and the only goal of the night, despite the party going on around him, is to get baked, blast music and maybe flick on the TV to catch some “Planet Earth.” They want everyone to just “chill out” and usually get into arguments about why pot is so much better/healthier/just totally sweet compared to alcohol.

9. “NEEDS” to get laid guy
He’s only here for one reason: He. Wants. Ass. He’ll hit on you, all your friends and pretty much anyone with a set of boobs. If no one responds to this predator, he’ll complain loudly that all the girls at the party are ugly and lame and will proceed to text every female in his phone. Avoid like the plague. Pro? He’ll buy your drinks. Con? He won’t leave you alone until you go home with him. Where you’ll probably catch something.

8. Donnie Downer
Moping and clutching a microbrew. Just try and start a conversation with this guy that doesn’t turn into something about how terrible his week is or some awful tragedy in the news. He’s also most likely bitching about the music and secretly wishing someone would put on some Bright Eyes. Points if you get him to admit he likes Brand New.

7. Game Runner
This guy is super serial about beer bong, flip cup, or whatever card game is on. He is the self-proclaimed BEST at all games involving cheap beer and Solo cups. When he wins, everyone knows. When he loses, he’ll blame his teammates. He is el capitano and is definitely the one that started that absurd “beer pong sign up sheet.” Statements of note: “I play way better when I’m drunk,” “This one time, me and my buddy were playing pong,” “This one time, I was playing flip cup.” Yeah, you can see where this is going.

6. Booze Hound
He might be sneaky about it, but this kid will put away every drop of alcohol given the opportunity. It might not even show, but the twelve pack that you bought? Gone. The handle of vodka in the freezer? Disappeared. The keg? Empty. His thirst for booze is never quenched. Bonus? Always down for shots. Hell yeah!

5. Couch Potato
Anti social, pretending to text people when he’s really just checking baseball stats on his iPhone, permanently glued to the couch and only speaking when spoken to? Yup, that’s the party couch potato. He’ll drink his face off with the best of us, provided he doesn’t have to move. Even if he may or may not be interesting, his shyness and social ineptness is often mistaken for mystery.

4. The Douche
Drunk and disorderly, the Douche is usually spotted with his hand on some girl’s ass, brawling in the street, shouting obscenities at everyone who walks in, or simply breaking everything in sight. Usually not the best person to send a Facebook invite to when you’re hosting a luau, unless you want a knife fight in leis.

3. Chain smoker
“Does anyone want to go outside for a cigarette with me?” And then proceed to smoke two packs in under an hour? Blech.

2. Social whore
Immediately friends everyone he meets at a party on Facebook. Points if he adds you on his Blackberry the moment he meets you. He knows “EVERYONE” and the “entire hockey/lacrosse/football team are at his parties.” Generally harmless, but don’t be fooled – he is just as much your best friend as he is everyone else’s.

1. “That Guy”
Embodies all of the above and brings it to the most obnoxious level possible. Sweating through his polo and yelling profanities, “that guy” will manage to drink all the booze, get thrown out of multiple bars/parties, hit on every girl using ridiculous pick up lines, chain smoke someone else’s cigarettes, take huge bong hits, mess up the flip cup game, somehow control both the music and TV, break bottles and finally pass out in his own vomit after attempting to chug the contents of a ketchup bottle, believing it to be vodka. Props if you go home with “that guy.” Babysitting experience is a must.

Melanie currently interning in NYC, taking full advantage of all margarita specials and those blonde summer boys. Stalk her on Twitter: @tinkermellie

First of all, it’s nearly impossible for me to predict how much income I’ll rake in in a given week.  Second, there’s no way I can simply skip my monthly Metrocard (or other necessity) because I miscalculated.  So I charge it.  And then I charge five energy drinks because the grocer only accepts credit for purchases of $10 or more.  But the reality is, if I quit energy drinks (over $2 a pop), I would save hundreds of dollars a year.  What are you wasting your money on?

1.  The Bar

In New York City, you’re going to pay at least $10 for a Long Island Iced Tea.  For $10, you can buy a jug of Carlo Rossi or an 18-pack of Natty Ice, and you can nix the tip.  Even at cheap college bars, you’re bound to pay a cover charge to enjoy Nickel Nite, and even though you’re basically drinking for free, you have to tip on every round.  Instead of having a big bar night this week, have a liquor potluck, and invite all of your friends to come over with that random bottle that’s been collecting dust for months.  You’ll get drunk without spending a dime, and won’t have to wait 20 minutes for an overwhelmed bartender to take your order.

2. Gratuity

My roommate has EVERYTHING delivered.  Newsflash: Just because a restaurant advertises Free Delivery, you’re still going to spend 15-20% more than you would if you walked your ass down to Willy’s Wings.  This also falls in line with the bar thing, mentioned above, because if you think about it, a regular tip should be 15-20%.  So if your bar tab is $20, you should be tipping about $3-4.  But at the bar, patrons usually tip per round, and good tippers will tip per drink.  So even if you’re buying $2- or $3 pints, you could be tipping near 50% per round.  And hey, I’ve been a waitress forever, so I’m not advising anyone to save money by skimping on the tip; just cut out the services that require a tip in your life.

3.  Prepared Foods

That $5 sandwich you buy at the coffee shop every day will cost you about $25 a week (I’m not counting the weekends, when you’re not rushing from class to class).  That’s $1,300 a year.  Seriously.  For about $10, you can buy a loaf of bread, a half-pound of lunchmeat, and a quarter-pound of cheese, and make your own sandwiches for a week.  At an Italian restaurant, you’ll be paying around $15 for a pasta dish that you could make at home for less than five bucks.  Even your daily coffee is overpriced.  It’s okay to treat yourself to a full-service dinner sometimes, but before you go for that latte that’s been upcharged with Soy milk, flavored syrup, and a double shot of Espresso, ask yourself if the caffeine in a cup of Joe you brewed yourself would still do the trick.

4.  Cigarettes.

You don’t need them, they pollute your lungs, they yellow your teeth and make you smell like an ashtray, and they cost $5-$10 a pack, depending on your location.  Any questions?

5.  Gas.

Sure, gas prices have plummeted.  But you can save even more!  Do you and your friend always have to take separate cars on a rendezvous? Figure out a carpool schedule that’s fair for everyone.  Do you frequently start and stop your car? That wastes gas, so keep it running when you’re parked in your friend’s driveway for a minute while she finds her keys.  Obey the speed limits and traffic laws – braking hard and accelerating too quickly will eat gas like a pre-menstrual Ricki Lake at Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory.   Oh, and get your engine checked regularly.  A faulty car has to work twice as hard to get you where you’re going.

6.  Brand Names.

You can recreate just about any high-end look by having a watchful eye for clearance sales, discount department stores, and thrift store racks.  Likewise, Boar’s Head will cost you twice as much than your store brand deli meat, and when you’re buying macaroni and cheese in a freaking box, it doesn’t have to be Kraft.  That’s the point of Mac N Cheese.

7.  Your Gym Membership.

Just because you have one doesn’t mean it’s going to motivate you to go.  If you go to the gym sporadically, you probably don’t need the membership.  And if you are paying big bucks for an exclusive fitness center, you might consider checking out low-cost clubs like Planet Fitness ($20/month) or free rec services at your school.  Investing in a couple of weights, a medicine ball, or some DVDs might also save you money, and then there’s running, push-ups, and squats, which are always free.

8.  Your Friends.

It’s great if you and your pals don’t have to go strictly tit for tat, but the phrases, “Oh, I’ll get this, you can get the next time,” “I know you’ve had a rough week. Let me buy you a drink,” or “If I order a pizza, will you have some?” are going to get you into trouble.  So is saying you’ll put the bill on your credit card if everyone chips in– you’re bound to end up overcompensating for someone.  Sharing is great.  Just make sure you’re not getting the raw end of the deal.

9.  DVR or Tivo.

I’m pretty much obsessed with Lost, but I know if I miss it, I can catch up on ABC.com over the weekend.  So I also know that if you miss Nip/Tuck, The Office, or G’s to Gents, you aren’t going to die.  Say you spend $10 extra on your cable bill each month for DVR: that’s $120 a year, just to be able to fast-forward through commercials.

10.  The “Little Things”

An iTunes song for $1.  A magazine for $4. 75-cents for a bagel and 25-cents to add cream cheese. $20 to overnight your financial aid application because the deadline came out of nowhere. Saving money is like dieting.  If you try to restrict yourself too much, you’re bound to break, and splurge.  So that $1 iTunes song snowballs into Jimmy Buffet tickets, that coffee-shop bagel becomes routine because you don’t feel like you have the money to shell out a few bucks on storebought English muffins.  And you’ve been so disorganized that you’re always running late, which means you’re going to have to spend money on efficiancy.  It all adds up.

Before you buy something, ask yourself, is it worth it? Do you need it? If you didn’t buy that item, could you put the money towards something nice for yourself, like a new pair of shoes or a weekend vacay?  It is okay to spend money on superfluous things, but try to cut some of your expenitures out of your life first, and then plan a day to reward yourself.  Chances are you still won’t spend as much money.

Yes, colleges! Full of adults of legal age for purchasing tobacco.

Why? Well, to protect your health, the city claims. And to keep little kids from puffing down the cancer sticks. Anti-smoking advocates think this new ruling is just gravy: “Boston has taken another step that puts it in the forefront in the United States in protecting people against secondhand smoke.”

Personally, I think the ruling seems to be a little whack.

First of all, not selling cigarettes to 21-year-old college students will not prevent minors from getting their hands on them. And if second-hand-smoke is the issue here, how can the city stop the sale of all tobacco products? Sure, dipping isn’t sexy, but it also doesn’t harm me (unless you consider how visually offensive it is).

The officials in charge of this new ruling claim that it is their responsibility to keep the students safe and that, “the sale of tobacco products is also incompatible with the mission of educational institutions which educate the younger population about social, environmental and health risks and harms.”

I think the whole thing is ridiculous. The United States is a free country, people of Boston. If college students (who happen to be adults!) want to buy some Marlboro Lights on their way to a grafitti party, it is not up to you to stop them. Smoking may be harmful, but it is a personal decision, not one the government gets to make.

What do you think? Is Boston on the right track?

Here’s a recap of my progress this past week:

Monday: One smoke after a big lunch at the office

Tuesday: No smokes – go me!!!

Wednesday: Smoked only two during the day; not too shabby

Thursday: Smoked four when I went out for drinks after work.

Friday: One in the afternoon after a big lunch

Saturday: Lots and lots. After I had lots and lots of sake.

Apparently, my demise on quitting smoking is alcohol. I can’t refrain from chain smoking when I’ve had one too many vodka clubs. Therefore, I need to a) only allow myself one a night when I am out drinking or b) not drink anymore. What a fun little world of trying to quit smoking; first, no smokes and now, no booze?!I am not a big drinker, at all actually, but, from time to time, I enjoy a nice cocktail after a long week of work.

How do I learn to balance my non-ability to withhold smoking while drinking and my need for a normal nightlife?

This time I am asking you CC-ers…share some advice and help me.

I will say, however, that I have become increasingly disgusted with the way I smell after I smoke a cigarette, when I used to not be phased by it. That’s got to mean something, no? It is a long battle, one that I will keep trying to overcome, and report to you in the process. Thanks for your support and advice!

[Every week, CC and John will bring you some of the weirdest, funniest, saddest things he hears on his college campus. Join the Overheard revolution! Leave your own overheard convos in the comments.]Four guys talking over Saturday breakfast:

One guy: “Man, I’m f—ing hungry. I’m gonna slam so much sausage into my mouth.”

Second guy: “Yeah, dude. You do that.”

After a pause:

First guy: “What did I say?”

“RuPaul, singing Little Drummer Boy, on a 45? Worst record ever.”

“I made them a nipple-straw.”

“Listen. Next semester? I’m not kidding, we need to have some serious man cannon action.”

Beat. Pause. Awkward looks.

“I’m talking about Halo.”

A blonde girl to an equally blonde guy:

“Oh, I just can’t wait until we’re a bunch of old crackers!”

Everyone else:

“…What?”

In a crowded mall, one girl, while texting on her cell phone, walks directly into a non-automatic door.

“I don’t know much about him. He kept all his music in a folder labeled ‘horse porn’.”

Two construction guys working on a dormitory:

“Pack of cigarettes, full tank of gas, we’re on a mission from God.”

The problems with a ‘valley girl’ accent:

“What kind of soups do they ‘aaaave…”

“What… what did you just say?”

“Nothing. Gaaaahhd…”

Two men smoking outside a dorm:

“I don’t know. Would it be hot if a girl were lactating?”

“Yeah. You know, I think it’s great when women embrace their bovine tendencies.”

“My two thumbs conspired and said – ‘Let’s grow bumps!’”

“So, you know, I didn’t know how much time I had, so I decided to get started early.”

“And nobody caught you?”

“Nah, that teacher’s totally oblivious. I figured people would smell it before they saw it.”

“Wait, where do you get your stuff from?”

“Oh, some guy in Buckley. I have no idea what it is, but it gives you, like, the driest high ever.”

“… and so he opened the door and he was wearing the Robocop suit!”

Have you heard? The economy is in a downward spiral! People are losing their homes, their jobs, and all of the money they’ve been saving forever! And here we are, a bunch of wide-eyed, “the world is our oyster” college kids who can’t wait to get out into the real world!

Oh yeah, and we are poor.

Between those student loans we are gonna have to pay back and the fact that we may not be able to get a job upon graduating, we gotta start eating canned goods saving now. So, how are our writers handling this economic situation (A.K.A. sh*tstorm)? Here are their tips for saving money and stretching a dollar.

Elisabeth – UA Hunstville: I have dehydrated food!! My fiance got some MREs (Meal Ready to Eat for all you non military peeps out there) from a Marine friend of his. Now when the economy completely crashes we can live off of Pork Rib, instead of just Twinkies!

Sara – NYU: I’ve been thinking about which of my friends I’ll eat if push comes to shove.

Lauren – University of Michigan: I’m doing everything at home: manicure, pedicure, eyebrows… even my bikini line. God, I hope the economy turns soon; no one should have to inflict that kind of pain on themselves.

Megan – Brown University: I’m rocking the shaggy sheepdog hairstyle to avoid paying an absurd amount of money for a haircut.

Lyndsey – University of Michigan: Procuring an extremely generous Irish bartender loverboy. I know it’s working wonders for my unemployed ass.

Kathryn S.: I’m loading up on jobs that each have their own perk. My full-time job provides free coffee, so I drink about four cups a day because I can. Now I just need another job that will pay me AND give me free alcohol.

Erica – Kent State: Befriending or re-friending people I know who still live on campus with meal plans = FREE LUNCHES!

Suzanne – Tulane: 2 words – Dollar Menu

Marissa – High School Senior: Giving my parents those cute doe-eyes so they’ll buy me things. Works like a charm if you know how to work it!

K-NYU: Pregaming and sticking to a no-bars-with-cover policy. Also, going through my friends’ wardrobes saves tons on shopping…

Amber – Old Dominion: Before I buy that cute top at Forever 21 I ask myself, “Do I really need this, or do I already have 3 of these at home?” It only works 10% of the time, but I’m making progress.

Conan – Columbia College: Eat Oatmeal Every Day

Carly – Grinnell: I reuse Ziploc bags — I know that is pathetic, but they last forever that way.

Kelly – UMass: I have stopped buying packs of cigarettes and instead have resorted to becoming that annoying person who bums them off you – at 7 bucks a pack, I will go broke!

J-NYU: Give up smoking weed — you’ll save on grocery bills.

Kari – FSU: I took all of my money out of my personal savings account and put it into a MUCH higher interest credit union that my parents opened for me when I was little. And I changed the account access so that only my mom can get to it…because “emergency” for me qualifies a new pair of boots. Additionally, I sneak a flask into my purse for the bar and order water or tonic with lime (FREE!) and spike my fun juice surreptitiously.