Mother Earth Says: No balloons!

As 2009 winds down and 2010 looms ahead, we all begin thinking about the important things in life.  I think most of us can agree that at the top of our list would be one of the most important things of all – throwing an epic NYE bash!

As always, I will be the one to 1) ruin your fun by saying that your party is killing the earth and 2) make it even better by replacing your old faves with your soon-to-be new ones.  Here are some of the most crucial aspects to throwing an eco-friendly, yet equally bitchin’ New Year’s shindig.

1) Choose eco-friendly champagnes.  This article on TreeHugger.com has a great list of organic sparkling wines at all price ranges.   If you’re like me and still too poor to afford a bottle of anything over $7.99 then you can still opt for the favorites as long as they’re grown and bottled as close to you as possible.  For example, if you’re a California girl, such as myself, you have the pleasure of sippin’ on BevMo’s finest.  That’s right, I’m talking about Cook’s and Andre.  You’re welcome.

2)  Use real champagne glasses. I know you are all classy ladies out there, so kick the red cup habit and get something real stylish.  If you can’t afford the cost and the injuries that result from broken glass, opt for acrylic or plastic champagne flutes.  Just be sure to recollect them at the end of the night so you can use them for your party next year (or next week).

3)  Skip the streamers and confetti. Seriously, who decorates their party with streamers past the age of 6 anyway?  If your party is not complete without the midnight confetti toss and next day incessant vacuuming, then be my guest.  But please, please, please don’t waste your money and our precious resources at an overpriced party goods store.  All you have to do is look in your recycle bin, dig out that old newspaper and start ripping it to shreds.

4)  Ditch the Fritos and get your a** in the kitchen! By whipping something up on your own, your food will be yummier, cheaper, and healthier for you than those nasty processed foods.  Plus, there’s really no way to know exactly how much the Earth died (tiny overstatement) just to get you your frozen spinach dip.  If you’re ready to get your hands dirty but you don’t know how, just follow the recipe of your favorite party foods and then substitute the ingredients for organic, fresher, and less processed alternatives.  Eat up!

5)  Spend your money on booze. And not on your NYE party dress.  Get real, you know you’re only going to wear it once anyways!  Be resourceful and utilize all your resources before heading to the mall.  Borrow clothes from your friends and match them with those shoes that you haven’t worn in a year.  (I promise, nobody will notice.)  If absolutely cannot live without a new party ‘fit, hit your local thrift and consignment stores today!  Not only will you spare the earth’s resources, but you also have a higher chance of buying a designer label that’s actually within your price range.

There are only a few weeks left of the Spring 2009 semester, so how are you going to spend your summer? If you’re like many poor students across the country, you’re going to waste at least the first month of summer vacay working (and sweating) your ass off in the grueling heat in order to pay off the debt you racked up this term.

This past weekend was the first summery weekend in New York (and the Tri-State area), and as I walked through Manhattan, giving my pasty arms their first taste of real sunshine in months, I was infinitely jealous of all of the people in shorts and flip flops sitting outside the restaurants and cafes, casually throwing back margaritas and nibbling on tapas. I immediately regretted all of the cabs I took this winter when it was too cold to walk a few blocks to the subway, splurging on expensive bar nights (and overpriced coat checks), and every other frivolous nickel I threw away, because this weekend, I could not afford a leisurely afternoon of day-drinking. I realized that if I could not afford this luxury, how would I afford a fantastic vacation this summer?

Well, it’s not too late to cut costs where it matters and save up the money to enjoy the weather this summer and make the most of your three months away from school. By cutting down on what you think are daily necessities, you’ll be surprised by how much you can save in a short period of time.

1. Caffeinated Drinks

Now that you’re not pulling late-night study sessions, you can start to wean yourself off of lattes (it’s too hot for them now, anyway). Even if you can’t go a whole day without caffeine, start brewing your own joe in the morning, you know, since you won’t be rushing out the door to hit the 8 a.m. lecture.

If you grab a capp every weekday morning, you are probably spending, on average, $4 a pop. That’s $20 a week. So if you nix the Starbucks now, you’ll save $100 by Memorial Day. If you can forgo the habit for the whole summer, you’ll save about $450 by Labor Day. And that’s even a low estimate.

2. Bar Nights

The bar scene is especially appealing in the winter, when you want to wear a halter top and work up a sweat on the dance floor in frigid temperatures. But once summer hits, there’s bound to be a pool party, barbecue, bonfire, or keg party every weekend. Stay at home and make your own margaritas or sangria’s by the pool, and you’re probably only going to spend about $10-$20, especially if you make a large batch and split the costs with your friends. Even if you go to a party with a door charge, you’re probably forking over $5 for all-you-can drink.

If you can forego a $10 club cover charge for twelve weeks of summer, you’ll pocket $120.

If you usually drink three full-priced cocktails a night at $8 a pop (average mixed drink price) and tip at least 20%, you’ll save almost $400 by the end of August.

Factor in the other expenditures, such as cab fare or coat check (if applicable), and you’ll find you can cut $700-800 easy out of your summer party budget.

3. Food

No more rushing through the campus deli for a plain, overpriced turkey wrap. No more drunken deliveries after an already-expensive night at the bar. It’s summer- take advantage of picnics and barbecues!

Made-to-order sandwiches and combo meals can range from $5-$10, so your lunches could be costing you $25-$50 a week, or $100-200 a month, or $300-$400 in a three-month period.

Delivery options can cost up to double, especially when you factor in gratuities. Spend just a week’s worth of your takeout allowance on frozen chicken breast and hamburger patties, and you can cook out for “free” for the whole month of July, with enough cash leftover to buy a cute bathing suit for the fireworks on the 4th.

4. Transportation

The New York City subway costs over $80 a month. When I had a car, I was putting at least $30-40 into the tank a week. Now that the sun’s out, you can walk, Rollerblade, skateboard, or ride a bike. Or you can just stay home and invite your neighbors to a game of volleyball in the quad of your apartment complex. Even if you can just cut a fraction of your transportation costs, you’ll save more than enough for the gas and parking when you take a road trip to the ocean.

5.  Soft Drinks

Like coffee, many college students down Coke, Pepsi, or Mountain Dew to keep going all day.  Or, we grab Sprite, Iced Tea, Gatorade, or another flavorful beverage to quench our thirst.  The heat this summer is going to make you even more dehydrated and thirsty all summer, so be good to your body and save on vending machines by filling up a Nalgene bottle every morning from your own kitchen sink.  Drinking two store-bought drinks a day can rack up $28 in quarters a week (based on $2 bottles), which is $112 a month, or $448 from May to August.  Not only will your body thank you for replenishing the liquid you lose in sweat, you’ll cut calories– and you’ll have enough for a round-trip flight to a variety of locations when you realize summer’s almost over and you have yet to take a holiday.

These are five little things that we tend to over-indulge on during the winter months when we’re busy with school, freezing our butts off, and simply overspending to battle the depression and cabin-fever that sets in when the dismal winter season starts to take its toll.  If you’ve been cooped up in the dorms and retreating to your parents’ houses for the summer, you’ll save an exponentially greater sum on housing and utilities, grocery shopping, and even laundry.

What expenses are you most looking forward to cutting this summer? And, more importantly, what summer splurges are you going to spoil yourself with once classes are over and you have almost four months of freedom?

First of all, it’s nearly impossible for me to predict how much income I’ll rake in in a given week.  Second, there’s no way I can simply skip my monthly Metrocard (or other necessity) because I miscalculated.  So I charge it.  And then I charge five energy drinks because the grocer only accepts credit for purchases of $10 or more.  But the reality is, if I quit energy drinks (over $2 a pop), I would save hundreds of dollars a year.  What are you wasting your money on?

1.  The Bar

In New York City, you’re going to pay at least $10 for a Long Island Iced Tea.  For $10, you can buy a jug of Carlo Rossi or an 18-pack of Natty Ice, and you can nix the tip.  Even at cheap college bars, you’re bound to pay a cover charge to enjoy Nickel Nite, and even though you’re basically drinking for free, you have to tip on every round.  Instead of having a big bar night this week, have a liquor potluck, and invite all of your friends to come over with that random bottle that’s been collecting dust for months.  You’ll get drunk without spending a dime, and won’t have to wait 20 minutes for an overwhelmed bartender to take your order.

2. Gratuity

My roommate has EVERYTHING delivered.  Newsflash: Just because a restaurant advertises Free Delivery, you’re still going to spend 15-20% more than you would if you walked your ass down to Willy’s Wings.  This also falls in line with the bar thing, mentioned above, because if you think about it, a regular tip should be 15-20%.  So if your bar tab is $20, you should be tipping about $3-4.  But at the bar, patrons usually tip per round, and good tippers will tip per drink.  So even if you’re buying $2- or $3 pints, you could be tipping near 50% per round.  And hey, I’ve been a waitress forever, so I’m not advising anyone to save money by skimping on the tip; just cut out the services that require a tip in your life.

3.  Prepared Foods

That $5 sandwich you buy at the coffee shop every day will cost you about $25 a week (I’m not counting the weekends, when you’re not rushing from class to class).  That’s $1,300 a year.  Seriously.  For about $10, you can buy a loaf of bread, a half-pound of lunchmeat, and a quarter-pound of cheese, and make your own sandwiches for a week.  At an Italian restaurant, you’ll be paying around $15 for a pasta dish that you could make at home for less than five bucks.  Even your daily coffee is overpriced.  It’s okay to treat yourself to a full-service dinner sometimes, but before you go for that latte that’s been upcharged with Soy milk, flavored syrup, and a double shot of Espresso, ask yourself if the caffeine in a cup of Joe you brewed yourself would still do the trick.

4.  Cigarettes.

You don’t need them, they pollute your lungs, they yellow your teeth and make you smell like an ashtray, and they cost $5-$10 a pack, depending on your location.  Any questions?

5.  Gas.

Sure, gas prices have plummeted.  But you can save even more!  Do you and your friend always have to take separate cars on a rendezvous? Figure out a carpool schedule that’s fair for everyone.  Do you frequently start and stop your car? That wastes gas, so keep it running when you’re parked in your friend’s driveway for a minute while she finds her keys.  Obey the speed limits and traffic laws – braking hard and accelerating too quickly will eat gas like a pre-menstrual Ricki Lake at Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory.   Oh, and get your engine checked regularly.  A faulty car has to work twice as hard to get you where you’re going.

6.  Brand Names.

You can recreate just about any high-end look by having a watchful eye for clearance sales, discount department stores, and thrift store racks.  Likewise, Boar’s Head will cost you twice as much than your store brand deli meat, and when you’re buying macaroni and cheese in a freaking box, it doesn’t have to be Kraft.  That’s the point of Mac N Cheese.

7.  Your Gym Membership.

Just because you have one doesn’t mean it’s going to motivate you to go.  If you go to the gym sporadically, you probably don’t need the membership.  And if you are paying big bucks for an exclusive fitness center, you might consider checking out low-cost clubs like Planet Fitness ($20/month) or free rec services at your school.  Investing in a couple of weights, a medicine ball, or some DVDs might also save you money, and then there’s running, push-ups, and squats, which are always free.

8.  Your Friends.

It’s great if you and your pals don’t have to go strictly tit for tat, but the phrases, “Oh, I’ll get this, you can get the next time,” “I know you’ve had a rough week. Let me buy you a drink,” or “If I order a pizza, will you have some?” are going to get you into trouble.  So is saying you’ll put the bill on your credit card if everyone chips in– you’re bound to end up overcompensating for someone.  Sharing is great.  Just make sure you’re not getting the raw end of the deal.

9.  DVR or Tivo.

I’m pretty much obsessed with Lost, but I know if I miss it, I can catch up on ABC.com over the weekend.  So I also know that if you miss Nip/Tuck, The Office, or G’s to Gents, you aren’t going to die.  Say you spend $10 extra on your cable bill each month for DVR: that’s $120 a year, just to be able to fast-forward through commercials.

10.  The “Little Things”

An iTunes song for $1.  A magazine for $4. 75-cents for a bagel and 25-cents to add cream cheese. $20 to overnight your financial aid application because the deadline came out of nowhere. Saving money is like dieting.  If you try to restrict yourself too much, you’re bound to break, and splurge.  So that $1 iTunes song snowballs into Jimmy Buffet tickets, that coffee-shop bagel becomes routine because you don’t feel like you have the money to shell out a few bucks on storebought English muffins.  And you’ve been so disorganized that you’re always running late, which means you’re going to have to spend money on efficiancy.  It all adds up.

Before you buy something, ask yourself, is it worth it? Do you need it? If you didn’t buy that item, could you put the money towards something nice for yourself, like a new pair of shoes or a weekend vacay?  It is okay to spend money on superfluous things, but try to cut some of your expenitures out of your life first, and then plan a day to reward yourself.  Chances are you still won’t spend as much money.

All that being said, life must go on, right?

So, how do we tighten the belt without living like a hermit? Here are some tips:

Budget: Set your spending limits on a weekly basis. And stick. to. it. Review your receipts at night to make sure you are staying on track, and be honest about what you are spending. This will keep your bank account in the green.

Save on Gas: Carpool with your friends or co-workers. If you need to do some errands, combine them all into one day, and make a route that will hit each stop, in one circle…versus going back and forth in all different directions.

If you live in a city, eliminate your cab usage. I know it is so much easier to hail a cab on those late, drunken evenings, but if you take some public transportation you’ll spend $2.00 versus $15. Or, trying hoofing it; you will burn those drinks away and have some extra wiggle room for a late night snack.

Make your own coffee: Think about it – while we all love those Starbucks Vanilla Lattes, at $4 a pop, that’s $20 a week (for your Mon – Fri coffee kick), $80 a month, and roughly $1,000 a year. I know it may not seem like a lot, but it adds up. Bonus: when you make it yourself, you know you will get it exactly how you want it.

Bring your lunch: Go grocery shopping (which will save you money on a day to day basis) and stock up on lunchmeats, salad fixins’ and yummy snacks. You never realize how quickly those $7 lunches add up and how easy it is to save by brown baggin’ it.

Stop shopping: I am at fault for this myself, especially at the start of a new season and new trends, but instead of spending money on things you can’t really afford, reinvent your old clothes by changing up the accessories or gettin’ a little Project Runway on your wardrobe. Or, try swapping with some of your friends. If you really can’t hold back – shop thrift. The clothes are cheap, cute and vintage; all majorly hot trends this season.

Stop the giving: I’m not saying to stop being a good person, but for the upcoming holidays, decide to do something nice with friends and family, instead of spending money on clothes, electronics and other wants. After all, gifting isn’t what the holidays are really about; spending QT with people is.

Make a Spending Limit: Even though I’m telling you to budget, I’m not telling you to give up all of life’s luxuries: i.e., nights out with your friends. However, what I will say is to leave your credit cards at home (yes ladies, no more drunken “drinks on me!” $50 charges the next morning). Protect yourself and your moolah by bringing a cash limit (be it $20, $40, or whatever you can spend) and bring ONLY that. If you run out of money, simply find someone else to but you some drinks.

Save: Even if it’s $10 a paycheck, open a basic savings plan and throw in extra cash (even spare change) whenever you can. Save it for a rainy day or whatever else you need…like Christmas shopping…

(Photo courtesy of squidoo.com)

Have you heard? The economy is in a downward spiral! People are losing their homes, their jobs, and all of the money they’ve been saving forever! And here we are, a bunch of wide-eyed, “the world is our oyster” college kids who can’t wait to get out into the real world!

Oh yeah, and we are poor.

Between those student loans we are gonna have to pay back and the fact that we may not be able to get a job upon graduating, we gotta start eating canned goods saving now. So, how are our writers handling this economic situation (A.K.A. sh*tstorm)? Here are their tips for saving money and stretching a dollar.

Elisabeth – UA Hunstville: I have dehydrated food!! My fiance got some MREs (Meal Ready to Eat for all you non military peeps out there) from a Marine friend of his. Now when the economy completely crashes we can live off of Pork Rib, instead of just Twinkies!

Sara – NYU: I’ve been thinking about which of my friends I’ll eat if push comes to shove.

Lauren – University of Michigan: I’m doing everything at home: manicure, pedicure, eyebrows… even my bikini line. God, I hope the economy turns soon; no one should have to inflict that kind of pain on themselves.

Megan – Brown University: I’m rocking the shaggy sheepdog hairstyle to avoid paying an absurd amount of money for a haircut.

Lyndsey – University of Michigan: Procuring an extremely generous Irish bartender loverboy. I know it’s working wonders for my unemployed ass.

Kathryn S.: I’m loading up on jobs that each have their own perk. My full-time job provides free coffee, so I drink about four cups a day because I can. Now I just need another job that will pay me AND give me free alcohol.

Erica – Kent State: Befriending or re-friending people I know who still live on campus with meal plans = FREE LUNCHES!

Suzanne – Tulane: 2 words – Dollar Menu

Marissa – High School Senior: Giving my parents those cute doe-eyes so they’ll buy me things. Works like a charm if you know how to work it!

K-NYU: Pregaming and sticking to a no-bars-with-cover policy. Also, going through my friends’ wardrobes saves tons on shopping…

Amber – Old Dominion: Before I buy that cute top at Forever 21 I ask myself, “Do I really need this, or do I already have 3 of these at home?” It only works 10% of the time, but I’m making progress.

Conan – Columbia College: Eat Oatmeal Every Day

Carly – Grinnell: I reuse Ziploc bags — I know that is pathetic, but they last forever that way.

Kelly – UMass: I have stopped buying packs of cigarettes and instead have resorted to becoming that annoying person who bums them off you – at 7 bucks a pack, I will go broke!

J-NYU: Give up smoking weed — you’ll save on grocery bills.

Kari – FSU: I took all of my money out of my personal savings account and put it into a MUCH higher interest credit union that my parents opened for me when I was little. And I changed the account access so that only my mom can get to it…because “emergency” for me qualifies a new pair of boots. Additionally, I sneak a flask into my purse for the bar and order water or tonic with lime (FREE!) and spike my fun juice surreptitiously.

Nonetheless, I’ve learned to actually save money in recent years. I’ve learned that there are things I do WANT (that cater to my hedonism) that require saved money. So, I’ve cut back on some things that used to completely drain my wallet and saved more than you can imagine. Here are 5 tips if you’d like to do the same:

REPLACE YOUR ENERGY DRINKS WITH COFFEE. FROM HOME.

I have a serious caffeine addiction. It’s not cute; it’s tormenting. The worst part is that I truly do prefer a sugar free Red Bull to a cup of coffee. But I’ve learned to cut back. At $2-$3 a can, my energy drinks can be shelved for the most *crucial* of days…which is not, contrary to my previous beliefs, every single day of the week. Now I brew my own iced coffee every morning and use a box of splenda to get over my sugar fears. It absolutely does the trick and I’ve saved at least $45 a month doing this.

DRINK FOR FREE. (or cheaply)

Okay. You can’t drink for free in every city, but you can plan ahead. Using websites like myopenbar.com will get you drinking for free in cities like New York and Los Angeles. For everyone else out there, take note of the happy hours near you. Plan your drinking around these sort of things! Don’t fool yourself into believing that $8 for a glass of wine is ok. Screw that. Get a bottle and drink it with your friends before you head out to the concert…or lecture. And remember that flask you got as a joke for your birthday that one year? Yeah. Use it. Learning to combat my drinking spending has saved me an incredible amount of money. I’d say that it saves me about $200 a month these days.

YOUR FOOD SPLURGES… LETS TALK.

You don’t have to always meet your friends for dinner. That kinda stuff adds up! There’s nothing wrong at all with meeting for coffee, or dessert, or coffee AND dessert. If you’re trying to save money, tell your friends you’ll be late to dinner but you can join them for dessert. This way, you’ll be spending $5-$10 instead of $15-$40. Learning to choose my dinner outings carefully has started to save me at least $100 a month.

WATCH YOUR TRANSPORTATION.

If you’re in a big city, you’re a little better off than everyone else these days. At least you can use the subways and buses..which are…respectively, much cheaper than gas. But watch out for those compulsive trips in a taxi. They add up. As for everyone else, there are ways to combat gas prices. First of all, buy a bike if you don’t have one. They’re a small investment, but they’ll save you tons of money in the end. Be careful about riding home drunk though, cause, um, you can (cough cough) get a DUI for this. On top of the bike, carpool with your friends…or WALK. Do whatever you can not to use your car. It’s better for your wallet and the environment, too. I’ve saved around $40 a month from thinking carefully about my transportation spending, but I don’t drive. I’m sure that throwing the price of gas into the equation could lead to savings in the hundreds per month.

OH BEAUTY, IT’S A B*TCH.

Far too many girls I know spend far too much money on looking ‘beautiful’. I just don’t believe in it. I believe in cutting your hair yourself when you can. I believe in dying your hair yourself. I believe in home manicures/pedicures, self-made spa treatments, and shopping sprees at Salvation Army. If you find that you’re spending a good chunk of change on purses, shoes, massages, nails, hair…it’s time to think about your life a little more. Are you SURE there aren’t alternatives for your appearance-oriented spending? I’ve certainly found an alternative to most of the typical girl beauty spending and I bet you can, too. I’ve managed to save around $150 a month by doing things myself.

(Photo from: smallbusinessanswers.com)

I was raised to believe that there was a god, one god, and that Jesus Christ was his son. I accepted him into my ‘heart’ and was baptized at an early age. Then I was taught that anyone who didn’t move forward with those two procedures was going to go to Hell; even if they were a good person. Oh, Hell. The fiery pit where bad people burn with the devil.

I once believed this place was real and I could quote scriptures from The Bible as my own little way of reassuring myself that I wasn’t gonna be one of those bad people going to that bad place. I prayed when things weren’t going my way and I prayed when things were going my way. Come to think of it, I spent more time chatting it up with God when I was young than I did my friends.

I knew nothing about earning money, but I knew you were a selfish person if you didn’t give at least 10% of your income to God and your church. I knew that Halloween was for Satan and witches, that Jewish people believed in the same God that I did but were still going to Hell, and that Pulp Fiction was a very, VERY demonic movie that I was never allowed to see.

When I entered adolescence, I started to embrace my Christianity in new ways. I listened to rock bands who screamed lyrics you couldn’t understand…but they were Christian, so it was okay. I wore punky clothes and was straight edge. A straight edge jerk, judging everyone I knew who did drugs or drank or — god forbid — had sex.

I attended three different churches growing up and met all sorts of Christians. Good ones, bad ones, and everything in between. But, as most Christians will be quick to remind you, Christianity is about Christ-not Christians. So let’s forget about the massive churches who have Starbucks booths in their lobbies. Lets forget about the way a person can so eloquently damn another person to Hell, but with compassion. Lets talk about Christ, according to The Bible.

No matter how liberal you’d like to be with your beliefs, that book is still pretty clear about the fact that believing in this guy, Jesus, is the way to save your soul. And the only way. Crazily enough, that was okay with me…until I started meeting people who weren’t Christian. Good people who were more devoted to their respective religions than I ever was started to stand out to me in a crowd. The message of Christ — of peace and love — started to speak much louder than the rules and regulations of religion.

Slowly, but surely, I stopped believing in everything but the peace, love, and golden rule concepts. I started to believe that no religion was absolutely wrong or absolutely right. I started to accept the fact that The Bible was written by humans and no matter how divine their passages may have been, humans are still humans. Eventually, I found myself where I stand today.

I stand in a place where I do not believe in Heaven or Hell. And even if those places did exist, I certainly don’t believe in worshipping a god who would send good people to a torturous place just because they didn’t ‘accept Jesus into their heart’. I believe that there may be something greater than us; in fact, I believe that there probably is. But that doesn’t mean I believe in a god. I just believe that we’re humans and we don’t know the answers. Even if we all collectively contributed our religious experiences to a new religious book, I still do not believe we’d get it right. I do not believe we’re capable of this.

I know that religion means a lot to a lot of people. I am not trying to make a laughing matter of it — particularly not after the years I spent devoted to it. However, I’m much happier now in this place in my life where I can live with an open mind and not have to have even one friend in my social circle who I feel like I need to ‘save’. I’m much happier here with a Pulp Fiction poster on the wall in my living room. I’m much happier having met the guys in the Christian rock bands I once worshipped and having seen that they do cocaine, they have sex with groupies; they are not flawless. I much happier with Halloween.

I don’t believe in absolutes anymore, except for the absolute that that lifestyle was wrong for me.

[Photo courtesy of daretoshare.org.]