You don't need their big bucks to live like a rock star.

Maybe you’re a fresh college grad shooting resumes into the black hole that employers call an “inbox,” or maybe you’ve been working for a few years but haven’t quite given up your milk crate bookshelf and neighbors’ house party keggers.

Don’t let these economic times tempt you into sticking to the starving college student lifestyle – you can still live like a rock star without obliterating your savings account.

1. Happy hours can be classy affairs. And a good place for dinner, too. McCormick and Schmick’s dinner menu may boast the pricey surf and turf, but go during their happy hour and you can get Kobe beef sliders or salmon cakes for less than $5 (and a cheeseburger and fries for only $2.95). Swanky restaurants of all stripes are embracing happy hours now, often with heavily discounted entrees and half-off drinks.

2. Two words: Free. Samples. There are free samples for everything. EVERYTHING. Not least of all, cosmetics. While most people can’t afford to stock their makeup drawer with goodies solely from Lush or Sephora, the sales representatives there will gladly dole out samples of Love Lettuce Face Mask or Philosophy Microdelivery Exfoliating Wash, if you ask nicely. (The generous sample portions will last a while, too.) The best part: when you’re done paying off student loans and have enough disposable income to buy out the entire Macy’s cosmetics counter, you’ll know exactly what you want. Read More »

It’s sex week for New York Magazine, which means each and every day they’re posting a “sex diary” of a New Yorker. Like a food diary, but for sex! So far, the diaries have been funny, raunchy, poignant and sad, elucidating the plight of a dad who isn’t getting any, a pathetic single gal pondering match.com and a rowdy bachelor, among others. Today’s diary might be of special interest to many of you, for it is that of the “The Crazy Co-ed,” aka you and me… kind of. The diary-writer really can’t keep her hands out of her pants, which has me ask: who has that kind of time in college? Plus, she claims to be sleeping with her 64-year old prof. Everyone knows emeriti aren’t too keen on office hours. I smell a rat. Regardless, it’s a novel idea to keep a sex diary, but mainly only works for those who aren’t having any (real) sex.

Check it out:

Although I’m happy for my friend Abigail who will be graduating in a month, I must speak for those of us in the opposite position. I will NOT be graduating in a month. I will not be graduating in one year, when I was scheduled to graduate. In fact, I have no idea when I will graduate from college.

Granted, I transferred, so I have some excuses– my credits got totally chewed up in the transition from college to college. I also dropped a class here and there and neglected to fulfill my gen-ed requirements in favor of taking poetry workshops. Hey, I was trying to find myself! And as a result, graduation has become a far-off dream.

College is no longer a staunch four-year endeavor; I know people here who are 25 and 26 and still consider themselves sophomores. All the more power to them. I’ve always been pretty ambitious and dedicated to the pursuit of achieving a quality education in exactly four years. So the thought– er– the reality of my becoming a super-senior is a bit frightening. Read More »