Okay, so I guess I’m a gym rat. I am the one who loves to get to my campus fitness center when it opens at 6:30 in the morning (and who was infuriated when the opening was delayed from 6:00 a.m.). And I have tried just about every class and machine offered on the commercial market. At various times in my life, I have been the yoga class-clown who slips out of downward dog — and eventually the student fellow classmates look to as a model.

I like to say I’ve seen a lot of different ways of exercising and done a lot of different exercises, which means I’ve made every mistake imaginable along the way. So, whether you are prepping to take advantage of your school’s gym in the fall or you want to work off some summer puff while the sun is still shining, I offer you a few suggestions to make your return to the gym a great success: Read More »

Ahh summer time. The heat is blistering, the Natty Lite is chilled and the pool beckons. For those of us not taking summer classes, these three months are a glorious break from homework, studying and fluorescent lighting. Yes, the whole summer yawns out blue skies and cut-offs until late August and it’s hard to imagine ever going back to school.

Except, I do imagine it. I catch myself worrying about non-existent assignments and responsibilities that won’t resume until September. But even more, I constantly find myself spacing out at work, reminiscing about all the good stuff that comes along with college. Mostly the whole not-bored-at-work-9-to-5 thing.

And I miss it!

Meal Plans: While I’m lucky enough not to be taking classes this summer, I do have to work — which means I’m stuck in a college town all summer long without the benefit of visiting home, and therefore the benefit of home cookin’. My freshman year, I ate dining hall food. My sophomore year, my sorority dues included a meal plan. This summer, with my sorority house closed and the dining halls freshmen-infested, I’m armed only with my apartment’s kitchen and whatever the hell I find when I Google “easy, cheap, healthy recipes” and pudding. Do I enjoy learning to cook? Absolutely. Would I prefer a cook to prepare my meals? Uh, hell yes. Plus, there’s no clean up if you’re not the one using all the dishes… Read More »

Week two at X magazine has commenced, and I’m happy to report that I’ve only had two coffees today and am feeling pretty awake!

Now that the first couple of days are over, I feel a lot more settled – still need some decorations for my cubicle, but definitely know my way around the office and feel more comfortable talking to editors and asking for help. I’ve conducted two interviews and written two tiny pieces (more like blurbs than articles, but hey, you gotta start somewhere!) I’ve even discovered a great lunch restaurant! If you work in midtown east, you must check out the Amish Market on 240 45th street between 2nd and 3rd avenue. Really good sandwiches and salad bars and fresh sushi, which I, for one, can never pass up!

All you critical readers out there (last week I made some people VERY outraged by complaining about my faxing, copying, and general slave labor duties) will be pleased to know that I have been staying away from excess cab rides and mojitos, and instead making my boyfriend pay for me.

JUST KIDDING!

I have definitely been trying to control the cash flow, and I’ve come up with a few tips for my fellow interns out there in cyber space. Read More »

We all know the economy is terrible and that money is tight. And most can agree that not having money really, really sucks. I’m here to show you, however, that saving money doesn’t have to be all that bad. In fact, it can actually be a good thing. Just combine getting cheap with getting off, and you’ve got a recipe for success.

Shower with a friend (or lover) – I’ve recently discovered the joys of showering with a significant other. Not only do you lower your water bill by cutting shower time in half, you can also save money by going halvesies on soap and shampoo. Nothing better than smelling like Old Spice body wash while you’re boyfriend’s hair smells like your coconut conditioner. Plus, you get to save money just by being naked. A win-win, if you ask me.

Turn out the lights – Spend more time with the lights off. You can slash your electricity bill while boosting your sex life. Light some cheap-o Dollar Tree candles for mood lighting and you’re in business.

Wear your boyfriend’s clothes – Or just spend most of the weekend naked in bed. If you spend one day a week not wearing your clothes, you can save a lot of money. Think about it – one outfit can cost anywhere from $50 (if you’re SUPER cheap like me) to $300+ dollars. That could add up to savings to over $1,000 per month!

**Disclaimer: Above statistics are most likely complete bulls**t Read More »

[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 »

Are you an animal lover?

Or perhaps an animal lover with commitment issues stemming from your relationship with your mother that you’re working out in therapy right now?

Well lucky for you, now pets—like most things in life (cars, homes, a warm body to spend the night with)—can be rented.

Of course, the owners of pet-rental services, prefer to call it “shared pet ownership.” According to Marlena Cervantes, founder of FlexPetz, the concept is more akin to a vacation time share or a gym membership than a trip to the video store (though if you’re like me, you’re probably more committed to your Blockbuster membership card than your gym card).

FlexPetz is currently available in Los Angeles and San Diego, where commitment-phobe dog lovers pay an annual fee of $99.95, a monthly payment of $49.95 and a per-visit charge of $39.95 a day for some animal companionship.

This fee apparently covers the expense of training the dogs, boarding them at a cage-free kennel, home or office delivery, collar-sized global positioning devices, veterinary bills, liability insurance, and “care kits” that accompany each dog on its visits. Read More »