What’s the fundamental lesson they teach you in Econ? Why, supply and demand of course. More of a product, means less of a demand, while less of that exact same product causes people to want it like whoa. Now apply that to dating. It’s pure genius: limit your supply, and the guys will be sure to demand. These guys seem to think this is the perfect formula for them in achieving absolute success in the dating world. But hello, not to be obvious but I think Beyoncé said it best: Who runs the world? GIRLS!

So ladies, this is for you, your Intro to Supply & Demand.

Lesson 1: Sex

For the new guy in your life, here’s a way to keep things exciting. When it comes to sex, play hard to get (not too hard though. Guys like a chase, but they don’t want to feel like it’s never going to happen between the two of you.) When you finally do give up the goods, switch it up each time. Showers, couches, parks and movie theaters make for great spur-of-the-moment sex.  Each time you make him wait, he’ll come begging even harder. Remember, spontaneity is sexy!

For the longtime love: uh, if you suddenly begin to deny him the goods, he might suspect something’s wrong. Or worse, he might ditch you for that new spontaneous girl (see above).

Lesson 2: Availability

For the new guy in your life: Don’t make yourself too available. You’re a busy girl with a life of your own, now’s not the time to begin clearing your schedule for a guy you just met. You know how guys love leaving us girls waiting by the phone? It’s time for you to play that role. If you seem like your time is high in demand, he’ll be eager to get his share of your time.

For the longtime lover: You’ve been available enough to maintain this relationship for this long, don’t mess that up now by making yourself less available. Spending time together is key to maintaining a successful relationship, so keep it up.

Lesson 3: Social Life

For the new guy in your life: Here’s another “limit your supply and the guys will come demanding” guideline. You have your own friends and you have your own social life. The new guy needs to know that. Just like he’s not expecting you to tag along with him and his friends, you’re also anticipating that he’ll be understanding when you just want to have some girl time. When you do finally decide to hang around each other’s friends, it’ll be refreshing. And when you finally come back together after having been apart for some time, it’ll be all the more worthwhile.

For the longtime lover: Same rules apply. Bringing your signif other to hang out with your friends every now and again is totally fine, but you don’t want to end up being that girl that doesn’t get invited anywhere because your friends know your boyfriend will be attached at your hip.

Here’s a quick review:

You (minus) your supply (plus) some sex appeal = an increase in guy’s demand.

Easy huh? Limit your supply and the guy’s demand will increase. It’s almost like tricking him into thinking you’re some sort of hot commodity, LOL!

This is probably the simplest sort of economics, ever. I wish they would’ve taught us this back in…I don’t know, high school?

I know what you’re thinking: Why would I want to read a book about paying for college when I’m already in college and I’m getting by with student loans/ my parents’ generously footing the bill /or a scholarship?

Well listen up, pretty lady – whatever your situation is you will absolutely get some insight about paying for college that will, without a doubt, help you make better decisions when it comes to financially making it through four years, as well as helping you protect your future post-grad life.

Throughout history, paying for college has been a major issue on everyone’s minds. But although it’s something everyone always seems to talk (and worry) about, it is one thing that usually gets pushed to the side in the application process. Students send their applications out, they get their acceptance letters back, and then – and only then – the question of paying for that highly accredited university to which they’ve been accepted pops up. But with the cost of a college education rising at a pace in polar opposition to our economy, financial disaster is almost inevitable.

Without a lot of financial planning, people turn to student loans, which, as any college student who has taken them out knows, are a major stress-factor that can impact the rest of your life. Not only do students feel like they have to take out more and more loans to supplement an income during college, they feel utterly lost, especially in a world where financial aid offices will tell you anything. In Debt-Free, Zac explains “The role of the financial aid office to make sure that the students the school has admitted are financially able to attend – through whatever means necessary.” Because colleges don’t work as financial advocates for students, more and more students are falling down the rabbit hole of student debt. However, consider Debt-Free as a personal guide that will walk you through all things financial in the college world, by whatever means necessary.

What makes Debt-Free so rich is that in a world where colleges and universities will blatantly lie to prospective and current students about financial options, Zac is here to dispel every rumor, every faulty piece of advice, and to actually help you out. While many financial books promise to get their readers on the right track to becoming millionaires, Debt-Free looks out for its audience by giving the cold, hard facts and a dose of reality with a bit of humor and a lot of helpful tips peppered in.

Especially in this recession, it’s hard for students not to become emotional or enraged about their college financial situations. While some students feel incredibly strongly about student loans (how else would they have gone to college without them?) and others are more indifferent, a growing number of students interested in having more financial autonomy, especially in college, is growing. Regardless of your opinion on student loans or the means to paying for a college education, Zac’s advice will cover everything you need to know to make good decisions with your money (or lack thereof).

Debt-Free covers everything and anything related to paying for college. From the beginning of the application process and how colleges reel students in with promises of scholarship money and financial aid, all the way through the hidden facts regarding student loans. Not only does he offer advice on how to pay for college without making your parents go bankrupt or ruining your financial future with monthly loan payments, Zac offers clarity about whether paying for a private college instead of big public university is worth it. He even addresses the financial situation as a whole – and offers his personal take on how they should improve and what needs to change. Instead of complaining about financial aid issues such as FASFA, Zac is outspoken about the system and how it can be more effective and fair.

All in all, what makes this book refreshing is that Zac practices what he preaches. He’s not some spoiled rich kid with parents paying his way at the University of Massachusetts – Amherst while spouting fake advice. He’s putting his money where his mouth is, and he’s advocating for students across the nation.

And considering the hundreds of thousands of dollars we’re spending on our college educations, it might be a good idea to listen.

[Debt-Free U: How I Paid For An Outstanding College Educaiton Without Loans, Scholarships, or Mooching Off My Parents hits bookstores on August 31^st. A special thanks to Maureen Cole at Portfolio/Penguin Publishing for providing a press copy.]

This money's all mine now, bank!

When I got to college, my parents and I debated between giving me a credit card or a debit card. With my propensity for shopping and dining out, my parents had enough foresight to realize I’d be $20 million in debt by the end of the first semester with a credit card at my fingertips. Debit card it was. But that didn’t come without its own share of problems.

Before I discovered the wonders of online banking, I was always petrified to use my debit card when I feared my funds were nearing depletion. The curse of the overdraft fee haunted my nightmares. There’s nothing worse than overspending by 30 cents and being charged $30 for your mistake. Then being charged another $30 for the automatic withdrawal from the bank to cover the overdraft.

WTF? How do they expect you to pay off the charge of overdrawing when having no money was the very thing that put you in this place to begin with?

But all of this may be coming to end. And hopefully, on my tight budget, it will be sooner rather than later. There is proposed legislation on the table that will force banks to ask the customer whether or not they would like the “protection” of the overdraft program instead of automatically enrolling debit card users in this plan. (Basically, we will have the option of being able to withdraw more money than we have in the account [with a fee] or only use what we got [without a fee].)

I love how they think the overdraft fees they impose on me are protecting me. Protecting me from what? The humiliation of getting my card rejected when I’m trying to purchase a box of tampons? Well, they’re right. I would be embarrassed. But that’s why I always go through the self-check out aisle when I’m buying feminine products. But in all honesty, I’d rather be turned down and tampon-less than $30 in the hole. Not even the Tampax Pearl is worth that much.

So, fingers crossed on this one.  Assuming all goes well with this bill, you can now purchase that 30-pack of beer/late night take-out/economy size bottle of Midol without fear…and use that extra $30 you saved from those overdrafts for something more important.

Like the perfect fall dress.

The word just rolls of your tongue ever so smoothly. What does the combination of the two words, women and economics, get you? Well, a working economy for one.

According to at least half a dozen studies, including those from Columbia University, Goldman Sachs, and Ernst & Young, “women can make the difference between economic success and failure in the developing world, between good and bad decision-making in the industrialized world, and between profit and loss in the corporate world.”

WHAT NOW, boys of AskMen.com? You want to go up against some of the biggest firms in the world on this one? Want to argue with the handy charts and graphs Ernst & Young whipped up proving that “companies with more women in senior management roles make more money”?

Not that anyone (well, anyone who really knows women) was surprised by these results. Diversity of any kind strengthens society and business. Obviously men and women think differently, so it’s important that there are always a variety of viewpoints to achieve a successful outcome. A business meeting with 100 % testosterone isn’t going to achieve the same effect as one with the voice of females present. (And will also probably involve some sort of push up contest…)  We’re not saying a whole table of women is the greatest idea either, but the female presence clearly does make a difference. In fact, McKinsey & Co’s study produced results that found that “great diversity in management led to higher-than-average stock performance.”

So to all those people who think women can’t be leaders, take THAT. It looks like it’s the boys who got us into the giant pickle we’re in now. A pickle that we’d never be chewing if, according to economists, women had a bit more control of the financial world: “The presence of more women on Wall Street might have averted the downturn.”

Looks like the boys need us a bit more than they’d like to admit.

Maybe it’s time we got some more estrogen in the office; it may be our only chance at economic recovery.  We’re here to clean up this mess – and, no, we’re not referring to the dirty sloppy mess you left in the sink over the weekend -  we’re talkin’ business now.

Ladies, let’s get to work.

For the last ten years of her life, Ledbetter has fought for equal pay rights in the work place for women. After experiencing pay-based discrimination because of her sex (and learning about it through anonymous letters in her work mailbox), Ledbetter filed a complaint of gender discrimination with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Making a long story short (however, you should read the whole story over at CNN), President Obama stepped in and signed the Lilly Ledbetter Equal Pay Restoration Act this past week making the fight for women’s rights and equality better upheld through the law.

While I feel gratitude for Ledbetter’s ongoing battle with the Supreme Court and Congress to pass this act that will give women the rights they warrant and money that is rightfully theirs, I know that work is still left to be done.

It may seem hard to believe, but to this day, full-time working women get paid “on average, only 77 cents for each dollar full-time working men get paid,” according to the Wage Project. This happens in every occupation across the nation, and while it impacts women in different ways, the reality of it is that hardworking women with outstanding college degrees lose money in their pockets simply because of their sex.

Think about it. Imagine working at the same place, doing the same job as a man (who has the same degree and amount of experience as you), putting in the same hours, only to find out he is, in fact, making more money than you on an annual basis. How is that fair? It’s not, at all.

But it is reality.

Amazing women across the nation have been fighting for women’s rights for equal pay for decades now. In 1963, the Equal Pay Act (EPA) was signed by John F. Kennedy in hopes to help stop the divide within the work place. While it drew attention to issues involving work discrimination because of sex, it did not necessarily revolutionize the issue over night. Nearly 50 years ago, when the EPA was signed, women were only making 55 cents to the male dollar. In the last four and a half decades, only 22 more cents have gone into making up for those earnings.

As a young woman about to enter the workplace after college, I am outraged to know that I won’t make what my fellow male peers will. However, while it is scary to know that such discrimination still exists, I do feel some relief knowing that laws are out there to protect us, and a President looking out for us, too.

What up, ladies? It’s Tuesday, which means 2 things:

1. You got a lot to do before the weekend.

2. It’s College Blogger Shout Out day!

Yay! Just what you need to get you through those long days at the library. You can’t write 3 papers back to back with no breaks, can you? These sites are perfect for the time between the papers when you have to stop or your brain is going to melt/you are going to go crazy.

We found some great ones for you this week, so check em out and enjoy. Just don’t enjoy them too much; you still have a class or two to pass before break.

That’s So Fetch: Addicting, hilarious and the best way to avoid the stacks of notes on your desk.

Driving on the Sidewalk: A pop culture blog written by a hilarious and fabulous college coed. If we knew who she was, we’d make her be our friend on Facebook (and in real life).

Where Is Wall Street: Finance is boring, but not on this site. Money and all that jazz is all broken down for you in an interesting, entertaining and relateable way. Who knew economics would be so fun?

But, there are just some things out there that are worth a little splurge. Sure, you may not be able to buy corn products next week, but who cares? You have yourself one of these babies:

1. An iPod.

I’m sure half of you already have iPods, but I’m also sure there are a few of you out there who are like me… unwilling to fork over the dough because you’re cheap and/or poor. Well, let me tell you, investing in an iPod is the way to go. After forking over the dough for something REALLY huge (a new computer), I got a free iPod touch, and wow. Just wow. The future is here. I can’t even fathom getting to access the Internet for free on a device that also plays music and lets me take notes, get the weather, and watch movies… it’s so awesome.

2. A new computer.

After eight years (serious) of lugging around an outdated Mac laptop, I took a deep breath and hit the “purchase” button last week for a new MacBook Pro. My old computer was still working… it was like a tortoise in terms of speed, though, and it wasn’t really capable of streaming video. Oh, yeah, and the total hard drive capacity was 9 GB. My new computer, I am already convinced, is the best investment I’ve ever made. I can Skype! I can load Web pages in under the amount of time it takes me to make a sandwich! I can listen to podcasts! With my old Mac, podcasts were something strange and exotic that I had heard about but never experienced. If you too are toiling away on an ancient computer, GET A NEW ONE! It is sooooo worth it!

3. A really nice, romantic dinner.

If you have a sugar sugar, treat that person to dinner at an unbearably fancy restaurant. If you’re rocking the single life, get your friends to go out for an amazing dinner with you. It can be painful to look at the tab after you’ve gone all out with appetizers, drinks, main course, and dessert—but if you go to a super-nice place, you’ll later remember how much fun it was rather than how much it cost.

4. An excellent haircut.

For poor college and grad school ladies, the temptation to trim the locks at Master Cuts (or, even classier, over your bathroom sink) is strong—believe me, I feel you. But if you haven’t indulged in a while by having your hair cut and styled (!!!) at a place that’s a little more upscale than your bathtub, you really should treat yourself and go for it. Unless your friend with the scissors is a professional stylist, the difference is unbelievable, and you’ll get the kind of cut that you want to stare at and play with in the mirror for hours.

5. Organics!

I am talking organic clothes and other products as well as food here. Not only are they high-quality, but they’re good for the Earth and good for YOU! You don’t want to chow down on pesticides every time you take a bite of an apple, so spring for the organics. In many places, they’re equally priced or just a little more expensive than the non-organics, and your body will thank you for eating and wearing such lovely things.

[Photo courtesy of promarketing.com]

According to the always lovable and informative New York Times, the numbers of students enrolling in online college courses — so they won’t have to spend all their extra dolla dolla bills driving to and from campus — has drastically increased.

“The vast majority of the nation’s 15 million college students — at least 79 percent — live off campus, and with gas prices above $4 a gallon, many are seeking to cut commuting costs by studying online” claims the article, which goes on to say that certain colleges are experiencing a 50 to 100% increase in enrollment for their online courses.

As if plunking ourselves down in front of a computer (where there’s every distraction from bad reality TV to that f*cking amazing turkey sandwich waiting for you in the fridge) in an attempt to learn wasn’t spelling enough trouble for our education, certain people (like the president of Brevard Community College, as interviewed by the NYT) fear that our sh*tty economy, combined with the price of gas, might cause certain college students to drop out of school completely.

I mean, I’ve had about enough of this gas ridiculousness. I know my rage isn’t going to change anything, but maybe if enough of us stop ignoring our anger and frustration and start telling our leaders that this bullsh*t has got to stop…maybe something will happen? Speculation should not be able to control whether or not my generation goes to college.

[Is today's economy scaring you when it comes to tuition? Let us know...]

Why is everyone talking about taxes?

Taxes are a way that the government can inject money back into the economy.

A way of reversing the chain—you buy something at a store= store owner buys something at another store= etc.

President Bush and Senator McCain believe that continuing the current economic trajectory with regards to taxes is the proper response. They feel that this is all merely an economic downturn, — not the R-word.

Both Senators Obama and Clinton call for tax reform in the form of restructuring the system – placing the burden of taxes upon the upper echelon of people and giving more breaks to the middle and lower classes.

While the politicians continue their debate over tax cuts/ breaks/ rebates/ and whether the term recession should be employed, you and I are daily facing the economic reality—whatever you choose to call it.

Recessions really hurt us twenty-somethings: that part-time job you were going to get to cover your car loans suddenly disappears because the store that was going to hire you decided to stick with it’s current staff; a creative project which you, a freelance artist, were going to contract suddenly gets indefinitely postponed as the company realizes it really doesn’t need a 20 ft mural in its entryway… etc.

So, while dealing with tax reform and providing economic stimulus packages will potentially help the situation, it is important for us to take measures to protect ourselves against this economic downturn.

How can I protect myself?

I’m glad you asked!

1. Cut up your credit cards!

No seriously—this could save your butt for two reasons:

→ First of all, as I mentioned in the first part of this article through the text-book buy back example, in a recession, the economic slow-down means that the money you thought you were guaranteed suddenly is not there—for example, you may have expected to work 40 hrs a week and planned your finances around that inevitability but now, thanks to job cuts, you’re only working 35 hrs/ week. Therefore, in a recession don’t spend money you don’t currently have no matter how certain you are that you’ll have it by the time the bill rolls around.

→ Second, credit rates tend to increase during a recession, especially if you are late paying a bill. This means that if you miss a payment, you may end up owing far more than you thought you did.

2. Cut back on your spending

Wait! Before you tune out—this doesn’t mean eating just rice or shopping at thrift stores! Here are some basic ideas:

→ Try walking to the corner store rather than driving or taking public transportation. Even if it’s only a dollar or so you save, multiplied out over a month, you’ll find you save a fairly significant amount.

→ Go shopping in your closet. You’ll be surprised how many shirts and sweaters you forgot you owned. Try making new outfits using the old stuff with some of your newer stuff for a totally different look. Take your well-worn shoes to your local shoemaker—for a comparably small sum they can dye, re-sole, and renovate until you won’t even realize they’re the same pair you wore all last fall (meaning your co-workers won’t either).

→ Instead of ordering a pizza, buy a frozen one and heat it up. Seriously—and I speak from personal experience now, you’ll be amazed at the price comparison.

3. Start your own business

Diversify your income:

Check out the gigs section at craigslist– from writing to housekeeping, from modeling to printing up 250 labels– there are people willing to pay you to do jobs they don’t have time to do themselves

Mary Kay Cosmetics offers a great chance to bring in a few spare bucks

Like pets? Have a few hours to spare in between classes? Become a dog-walker!

Become a professional babysitter– seriously– Check out babysitting opportunities in your area.

So, to sum up:

Bad News: We are in a recession/economic downturn which sucks and may hurt you financially.

Good News: Now you know what you’re talking about and, in addition to meeting hot economists (let me know if you find one– they’re an endangered species) you can take steps to protect yourself.

Good Luck!!

Half-way through dinner, she was feeling pretty good when suddenly, out of nowhere popped the R-word. During a lull in conversation a pompous 30-something guy suddenly said to the guy next to him “So, Tom, are we really heading for a recession?”

Her mind froze in terror: would her dirty secret be revealed? The fact that despite three econ courses she still had no clue what a recession actually was… luckily, she was able to pull of the role of the politely-interested-looking-yet-silent-nodder until the topic once again changed…

Her story got me thinking—how many of us are clueless when it comes to the word recession, knowing nothing except that mentioning it in politics is akin to yelling fire in a crowed theater?

With this in mind, I present, (drum roll if you please), A Girl’s Guide to Recessions

What’s the definition?

A recession simply refers to a greater than normal decline in economic activity throughout a certain economy (in this case, the US), occurring for more than a few months.

How did it happen?

Ok now it gets a bit complex so brace yourself:

A. The overall ratio of how much the average American owes to how much he or she’s makes is %130. Sadly, as most of us found out with our first post-shopping spree credit card bill, when you owe more than you make, things tend to get a bit stressful. You might cut back on eating out or restrain yourself from buying that amazingly cute Coach bag.

B. You may have heard on the news a huge fuss over the downturn in the housing market last summer. What happened was that the amount a house was worth (think of intro econ supply and demand) dropped suddenly by 8%..

So what’s the relation between the two?

→ Say it’s the end of the semester. You are looking forward to getting some spare money by selling your textbooks back. Your roommate, who’s in your math class, sells her book back for $100—you get excited and plan to sell yours back tomorrow. That evening you go to the mall and treat yourself to $100 cashmere sweater that under normal circumstances you wouldn’t have been able to afford but you know you’ll get the $100 tomorrow so it doesn’t matter. BUT the next day when you go to sell back your book, the price has fallen by %8 and you only get $92 back.

In this example $8 is not really a big deal. But imagine what would happen if you were selling a house you thought was worth $100,000 and suddenly drops by %8. Not Good! Especially if you are one of those Americans who owe more than they make.

C. Imagine this happening to a whole bunch of people all at once. What happens? They stop spending superfluous money= stores get less money= the owners of the stores spend less money= other stores get less money= You get the point right? This pattern represents an overall decline in economic activity and if it continues for more than a few months it is called a Recession.

Stay tuned for Part 2: I’ll talk about the various political reactions to the current recession and if you should be worried!