[College kids are notorious for being poor. And why shouldn’t we be? We take out student loans to pay for private universities, can barely balance a part-time job with our full-time courseload, and the only “balance” we’re familiar with refers to the number of points left on our dining hall cards. Oh, did I mention many of us tend to splurge every extra penny on PBR’s at the campus bar?

If you disagree with everything I just said, you probably don’t need this column. But if you’re nodding along because you’re officially an adult and still don’t know how to manage your money, then you might want to pay attention every week, because I’m going to (try to) get you through this, and make you a successful saver and a wise spender.]

I’ve been writing a lot about how to manage your money in bank accounts and with credit and debit cards. That’s the tricky stuff. As poor students, we are good at finding bargains and at least trying to make our money go a long way. That said, it’s easy to fall into certain traps when what we think is a good “deal” comes our way…and we end up paying dearly. Here are some scams to avoid in order to really save some dough.

1. Gym Memberships.

Beware of whatever type of deal a gym is trying to pitch to finagle you into joining. Why? Because they are probably lying. Okay, I’m bitter about this one. I needed to join a new gym at home for a couple of months, so I signed up for free guest passes at all the gyms in my area so I could work out for free and not buy anything. Next thing I knew, a Bally’s rep was selling me a special offer: $25 a month for a membership that I could transfer anywhere. He told me that if I got back to school and didn’t want to make the trek to the nearest Bally’s, I could freeze my membership for $4 a month, and when i started using their clubs again, I could continue to pay the dirt cheap fee.

The reality? Only the first transfer would be free, so I’d be paying in the future for every new Bally’s I tried to switch to; the “freeze” thing didn’t exist, and I was forced to pay the monthly fee even though I wasn’t working out; I’m stuck in a year contract, and now I have an express hatred for Bally Total Fitness Clubs. Needless to say: gyms are definitely places to read the fine print. Read More »

When I moved to college, the first thing I did after unpacking my shower caddy and twin extra long sheets was buy a parking spot. I had to have my car. Had to. It gets cold in Colorado, obviously, so walking all over campus in the winter was not an option. Plus, I got so used to having a car for errands, Costco runs, etc., that I just couldn’t bear to be without one.

I am sure most students feel the same way, especially since I can never find anywhere to park on campus these days. Ugh. Why do I even have a car if I can’t use it to drive to class?!

But I digress.

All of this campus street congestion that is no doubt a problem on college campuses nationwide has led many schools to start a revolution…with bikes.

The University of New England is one of a few schools (that will soon be many) that is offering free bikes to any student who leaves their car at home. Other schools are setting up bike share programs, which entice students to pedal around campus instead of hopping in the car. These schools are hoping that by giving students a real alternative, they will not feel the need to bring their car to campus.

And it looks like it’s all working – for more than just the parking sitch:

“We did it as a means of reducing the need for parking, but as we looked at it from the standpoint of fitness, health and sustainability, we realized we have the opportunity to create a change.”

The whole idea is really quite smart. By opting for a bike instead of a car you could help the environment, save money on parking (and parking tickets…), get healthy, and free up some of those parking spots for the rest of us reduce the number of cars clogging your campus streets. And all for free!

This looks like a total win/win.

So you’re going through recruitment! You’re excited, nervous, anxious and you can’t stop trying on your new wardrobe for the week and having pretend conversations with yourself in your mirror.

Oh…that was just me.

Whatever your feelings are towards the process of Greek recruitment, uncertainty is almost bound to be one of them. Your recruitment staff will help guide you through this tumultuous week (I say tumultuous only because I go to a school with an ENORMOUS and therefore competitive sorority recruitment period). Your Mom will be there to listen to how your days were. Your boyfriend will be absolutely baffled by the entire process so don’t count on much more than foot rubs. All these people all well and good, but who can you talk to about what’s really pressing you? How do you carry on a conversation with a complete stranger for 20 minutes?

Never fear lovely potential new members, I’ve got your back on what to say (and what definitely NOT to say). A simple Rule of Thumb is to Avoid (at all costs) the 5 B’s.

5. Boys.

Don’t talk about your boyfriend. You don’t want to be that obnoxious girl who only has one interest: her Snuggle McWonderful Honey Bear. Do not go on for hours about your last date night, his favorite foods or colors, or what the names of your future children are if you are seeking an invitation back to that house.

Do NOT name drop the names of your all time favorite Frat Boys. It may seem impressive to you that you can name all the older guys at XYZ house, but to the woman rushing you it might come off as desperate or weird. Some of the boys will most likely be her friends, and you don’t want any of your indiscretions from your wild Freshman Summer coming back to haunt you. Even worse, she may have dated any one of said studs and it might irk her to learn that her ex-boo has been gettin’ jiggy with the freshmen population. Just don’t talk about boys. This week is about sisterhood and finding the right house for you…not the men in your life. Read More »

The top 10 moments of the Olympics (though ours include more Speedo).

OMFG! Gossip Girl returns next week! If only we were invited to the party…

A post-workout Starbucks run could be good for your body.

In an effort to Go Green, colleges dump the lunch trays.

Dear Heidi Montag: You are NOT Olivia Newton-John. Love, CC.

Considering a student loan? Think long and hard.

A 4th judge for American Idol?

What does Madonna think of John McCain?

A surprising benefit to the sky-high gas prices.

The endorsements Michael Phelps didn’t choose…

Is Biden the right choice? Let’s see what frat boys have to say…

Christian Bale was merely defending his wife? Awwwww!

Wanna work in politics? Just have an affair!

Sick of Facebook yet? Yeah, me either. But it just got even better.

Viagra may work for women?

Apparently, some dudes agreed that women in skinny jeans could not be raped because removing them would require consent? Yeah…took awhile, but that’s been reversed.

The Jo-Bros are probably pissing off a lot of Dallas homeowners right now….

Porta-Potty art! (Doesn’t make the smell go away, though.)

Earth-friendly junk mail? Hot granny panties? Declining gas prices? Impossible!

An old favorite to get you through the day. Weeeeeeeeeee!

The summer of 2008. A summer drowning in recession, debt, ridiculous gas prices, and boring, trashy television (I mean, Greatest American Dog??). Lots of things seem to be going wrong…or at least…discussed to the point of having us all believe they’re going wrong…and many teens and twenty-somethings are turning to the web to air their grievances.

Because 2008 isn’t just the summer of expensive corn and Obama-rama, it’s also the summer of TMI. Over-sharing has become a form of communication for our generation; from blogging about bad dates, to blogging about our self-indulgent issues, to blogging purely to become famous. No matter who we are, we can become stars overnight by uploading naked photos, name-dropping about a wild party, or simply having an ounce of literary ability and a snarky way with words.

By late July, 2008, the percent of people in the US who haven’t seen a celebrity vajayjay flash or heard someone say, “dude, I’m gonna blog about this!” is monumentally small, and it seems like every day a new gossip or 24 hour news site pops up. However, amidst the clattering of fingers on keyboards and snapping of flashbulbs, I can’t help but wonder if this constant need to be seen and heard is actually doing us any good. Read More »

Everybody knows college is expensive, but did you know that for a growing majority of college students — gas is trumping tuition?

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. Read More »

“Dude—what is up with gas prices??”

This is the question on all of our lips in one form or another. Different people will give you different answers. – “It’s the damn OPEC countries!” “It’s the evil oil execs!” “Stop the speculators!” And so on.

At the end of May, the Bigwig Execs of all major American oil companies attended a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on price gouging in the oil market.

Oil Exec J. Stephen Simon had this to say:

In 2007, the average price per gallon of regular gas was $2.80. About 58% of this price reflects the cost of crude oil. 15% of the price reflected taxes, the remaining 27% goes to refining, marketing and transportation translating to “earnings of only about 10 cents per gallon of product sold”.“Since last year, the increase in gasoline price – and more – can be attributed to the rise in the cost of crude oil.” Other product prices have not risen as much therefore Exxon’s margins have been reduced. Current earnings are down to only 4 cents a gallon.

According to Simons, therefore, we should feel sorry for the poor oil companies—and should see them not as immoral pocket liners but rather as brave American businessmen, competing in a tough international market for the good of the country.

If his take seems a tad bit skewed—congratulations—it is! In February 2008, Exxon Mobil made history by reporting the highest quarterly and annual profits ever for a U.S. company—$11.66 billion during the fourth quarter of 2007. It also set an annual profit record of $40.61 billion.

Apparently Mr. Simon and his Exxon buddies inhabit a world in which billions and billions of profits can still represent a loss. What a world. Read More »

Diablo Cody: She stripped…and no one wants to forget that

Gas has almost doubled in a year. I smell the fumes of a conspiracy…

Blohan is poor and boring.

The Pentagon wanted Guantanamo Bay interrogation notes destroyed. Conspiracy #2?

Rupert Everett isn’t a fan of America. That’s okay. I can’t remember ever being a fan of him.

The dreaded College Wait List just got more confusing.

Midwesterners are drenched. But if you live there…your basement has already told you this.

Man, do I love the Golden Girls

This is pretty much the scariest picture that has ever been burned into my rentas

“I know you don’t drive in New York…but haven’t you at least noticed the increase in food prices?” my dad asked me. I licked the peanut butter off of the knife in my hand. “Hmm….yeah…come to think about it, my peanut butter WAS more expensive today.”

For my own sanity, I find it necessary to pay as little attention to finances as possible. Money was always at the core of the stress in my family growing up and to combat that irrationally frugal gene in me, I try to swing as far into the ever-indulging and financially irresponsible realm as possible. But that doesn’t mean I haven’t noticed.

The recession HAS affected me. I lost my steady job two months ago. While it was disgustingly easy for me to find new jobs to replace that job, I was still a bit shaken. The supposed millionaires I once relied on for my income no longer could afford me…or most of their staff, for that matter. It seems as though the recession affected them, too, and their ability to buy their dog $30 steaks for lunch (I wish I were kidding about that one).

So I found other jobs and kept on trucking. Metaphorically, of course. If I were actually trucking these days, I’d be even poorer. Read More »