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:

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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…

The Gym: As any lady knows, summer is either the best time to flaunt your hard earned bikini-bod, or to berate yourself for spending more of Spring watching The Office than a yoga instructor. So naturally, gym time is a necessary evil (unless you enjoy working out, which I sadly do not). Imagine my disappointment when I arrived at my campus gym early for kickboxing, only to have my student I.D. DENIED at the turnstile. It was almost as embarrassing as having a credit card declined, weirdly enough. Apparently, if you don’t take summer classes at FSU, you can’t use the gym (I guess the tuition I pay during fall and spring doesn’t cut it). Every day as I run outside (instead of on a treadmill with AC and Daisy of Love repeats) I count the days until I’ll be back at the student gym.

The Bar Scene: Never in my life did I think I’d find myself wishing for the bar to be more crowded. There are no lines for the bathroom, the bartenders are almost overly attentive, and I have enough room to extend my arms. All of these are seemingly good things, but when there are no people to watch, no strangers to mingle with, and no one standing between me and unlimited mojitos, things at the bar just don’t end well. When it takes me 20 minutes to fight my way through the crowd to the bar in Fall, I will look back at this time lovingly, but for now, the bar scene just seems kinda boring.

“Academic Expenses”: As I mentioned before, I’m a working woman. But when my parents offer to help out with any school related costs, I definitely don’t turn it down. The beauty of this is that there is always some way to explain a purchase as necessary to my academic career. “Supplies” at Walmart, “Business attire” for those in-class presentations, and my personal favorite “Whatever they sell at the bookstore” because Mom’s credit card is on file there. A random charge on her statement is easily explained during the semester, but trying to convince her that I need money for “road trip supplies” doesn’t go as smoothly.

Overall, I’m not complaining about a long, hot and relaxing summer—but there are definitely a few things I miss about Fall and Spring. What about you guys?

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.

1. Take advantage of the company coffee machine, and say adios to the Starbucks lattes. Many offices offer their employee’s free coffee (and water, so you can save money and the environment by staying away from plastic bottles), and you can drink as many cups a day as you want without breaking the bank!

2. Ask your manager if there’s a gym in your building (I know most publishing company buildings have one), and if so, if you can use it. You’ll save tons of money on a gym membership, especially if you’re living in NYC like I am. If you are, you know that all your after dinner drinks, late night pizza runs (hey, it’s the city that never sleeps, right?), and hours spent sedentary in front of the computer screen have the potential to add a few inches to your waistline. In bikini season, that’s bad news.

3. Limit the number of times you eat out a week. My parents are graciously giving me money for food, but if you’re paying for lunch out of your own pocket it can get really expensive. Give yourself two or three “eat out” days a week, and you’ll have more money to spend on dinners and drinks or the occasional weekend getaway. And know what the cash culprits are – anything that gets weighed before you pay (i.e. everything from the Whole Foods hot/cold food bar) is bound to get pretty pricey.

4. See if your transportation provider has a weekly or monthly ticket pass. I’ve discovered that buying the monthly NYC subway pass (for 81 dollars… and get it while it’s hot, because the fee’s about to jump up to $100!) is more cost effective than paying as you go, and it allows you to move through the station more quickly. Many companies will reimburse you for these transportation costs as well, and all you have to do is ask.

Remember that people aren’t always going to throw offers out there (especially in this economic climate), and that it’s up to you to put yourself out there and ask for what you think you deserve. The worst that can happen is that they’ll say no!

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

Stay in for dinner – Instead of going for a romantic night on the town, get a little wild in bed. Sure, you could stay in and make an intricate meal, but I say just whip out the whipped cream and get right down to it. It’s not the most nutritious meal, but 3 dollars a can really can’t be beat. For more…exotic ideas, you may want to check out my previous article on Food Sex. (Shameless plug, I know.)

Get hot and heavy – According to calorie-count.com, a 150 pound person burns 102 calories per hour of active sexual activity. Do it enough, and you may be able to substitute the expensive gym membership for a midday romp instead. Sounds like my kinda workout plan.

**FYI: Sexual activity requires “vigorous effort” in order to be considered active, so get into it!

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.

2. Anything That’s “Buy More and Save.”

Ultimately, you’re going to spend more money on things you don’t need. Shopping for a tank top and got suckered in by a “Buy nine and get one free” deal? Sure, you got a free top out of it, but you had to pay for NINE to get there. Even BOGO can sucker punch you, because if you think about it, you’re still spending 25% more than you initially hoped to spend. If you wanted a $20 pair of heels from Payless, and buy a second $20 pair just for the bargain, you’re still only saving $10, but spending $10 more than you wanted to. It’s a “is the glass half-full or half-empty” type of scenario.

3. Those Crazy “8 CDs for a Penny Each” Companies

This one might be outdated, now that we have iTunes and millions of way to pirate music off the internet. But with Christmas just around the corner, you might think you can do all of your holiday shopping for 8 cents. Of course, once you’ve collected your next-to-free discs, you’re going to have to pay full price plus shipping and handling for like eight more CD’s over the next year. When you forget about it because you’re busy sharing music with your roommate, you’ll get slapped with a bill for the cost of those CDs… you know, the ones you never actually bought but still have to pay for.

4. Top Shelf Booze.

If you’re a real liquor connoisseur, then you probably don’t need to read these articles, because you can afford $10 and up for a shot of Cabo Wabo or Grey Goose. But if you’re like the rest of the Keystone-chugging collegiate world, you know that you’ll sacrifice quality for quantity. Of course, your food and beverage servers want your tab to be higher so that you’ll tip them more. If they ask if you want top shelf, say no. In a few drinks you’ll be so drunk you don’t even know what you’re tasting. If they don’t ask, specify house. If house wine is $5 a glass and you just order a Chardonnay, the waitress can always bring you the $9 glass and say “Oh, it’s our featured wine, I thought you’d like it.” To put things in perspective: If you buy 3 glasses of $9 wine, it’s $27, and you should be tipping about $5. If you buy 3 glasses of $5 house wine, however, it’s only $15, you tip 3, and you save over $10- which could buy you a bottle at the liquor store.

5. Gas at Gas Stations Right Off the Highway.

Everyone knows the prices are jacked up. It’s because if you’re roadtripping and on empty, you’ll pull over, no matter what the cost. An easy solution? Fill up your tank whenever you pass a station with a good deal. The way gas prices fluctuate these days, you’ll save a fortune. And you’ll never go below half a tank, so you’ll get better mileage per gallon, and avoid having to get ripped off in times of need. Besides, you’ll be spending gas money in smaller intervals, rather than $50 or more in one stop to fill your whole tank.

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.

Maybe it’s just me, but don’t people usually get paid to pet-sit, not the other way around?