This holiday season, I urge you to make a resolution that you will actually keep, and that is to take better care of your environment.  Not just because it’s a good thing to do, but also because it’s a gosh darn easy resolution to stick to.  Having a greener existence is all about baby steps, which translates into easy success without all of the leg work.  Here are some of my favorite tips to get you going to a greener and happier you!

Potential Resolution #1:  “I will get all of my books from the library.”
First of all, this is probably something most of us do on a regular basis anyways.  Second of all, it saves you money and storage space.  Buying books not only wastes a lot of paper and binding materials, but it also takes a lot more energy to package and transport.  If you absolutely need to have a certain book at hand, such as a textbook for a class, see if any of your friends are in the class and ask them to go halfsies on the book.  You’ll save money on those ridiculously expensive textbooks and you always have the option of checking it out at the library if you get in a bind.

Potential Resolution #2: “I’m no longer going to put up with junk mail.”
Now you really don’t have an excuse not to pick this one up, considering that nobody actually enjoys getting junk mail.  The first step is to go paperless with as much as you can – bills, bank statements, etc.  Then check out Precycle.  For a minimal fee, Precycle will stop most of your junk mail and send you a reusable shopping bag with 2 CFL light bulbs.  It’s pretty much the same thing as adopting “getting cool free stuff” as your NY Resolution.

Potential Resolution #3: “I’m going to put a water bottle in my toilet’s water tank.”
Ummmm….WTF?
I promise there is sound evidence behind this one.  According to The Daily Green, filling up a water bottle with water and a little sand and placing it in the water tank will make your toilet use less water when flushing.  How, you ask?  By displacing the water in the tank so that it can’t fill up all the way and thus, uses less water per flush.  Some other great ways to reduce your water bill include turning off the tap when you’re brushing your teeth, timing your showers so that they don’t exceed 10 minutes, and keeping a cold pitcher of water in the fridge so you don’t have to keep the faucet running to get to the right temp. And how easy are all of those!?

Potential Resolution #4: “I’m going to save on gas.”
And guess what?  It doesn’t even include driving less!  Just driving the speed limit, especially on the freeway, can increase the efficiency of your car and save on gas.  Also, if you have the choice, take the route that has the least stop and go.  For example, opt for the freeway over going through town, unless there is tons of traffic on the freeway.  Also, try to plan your errands out in advance so you can avoid the rush hour and get all of them done in one fell swoop.  Lastly, keep your car in tip top shape and it will use less energy.  Pay special attention to your tires – flat tires are less efficient and cause your car to use more gas to go the same distance.

So which one will it be?  Let me know what you resolve to do this New Year’s and how you’re gonna stick to it!

Yeah, that jerk is usually me.

I’ve always been a cash girl – it’s efficient, it’s solid, and it’s hard to let go of. I just think credit cards make it too easy (“That’ll be $563.94” *swipe* “Thank you have a nice day!”) and that’s entirely my point. You can swipe away bucket-loads of money without realizing it. Credit cards make it so simple, it’s like you can get whatever you want and you’re not even spending real money.

However, when it comes down to forking over a twenty dollar bill to some Starbucks chick for a cup of coffee, I’m much more hesitant to get the overpriced (albeit ridiculously addictive) Venti Caramel Frap. With cash, it’s either you have it or you don’t. With credit, you always have it (or so you think).

I’ve seen many a times when my girlfriends get a little swipe happy and come home with shopping bags full of things they can’t really afford because “they can always pay it back later.” And I’m not too psyched about debit cards either – $32 overdraft fees because I went a dollar over my limit? Yeah okay.

I must admit that the only thing keeping me from shelling out hundreds at a time on online shopping is my serious lack of plastic. But I have reached a point in my life where it is almost impossible to go without a credit card and an embarrassment not to have a bank account. I’m all for hiding money in the mattress (uh… I mean not hiding it in my mattress- great, now the thieves will know where to look) but it simply isn’t practical anymore. I get it, I need to start building my credit. No bank = no credit = no interest = no security. So yes, I have resorted to getting myself some plastic.

But honestly, I’m worried about swiping myself to debt (ha!). Any advice? Anyone in the same boat?
Paper or plastic?

You might have said “No” to 1/2 price happy hour during the winter, but now your friends can twist your arm to drink overpriced margaritas at a trendy beach bar.  Cutting costs doesn’t have to mean cutting down on fun, however, and if you play your cards right, you can have a kickass summer and barely spend a dime.

1.  Hang out at the lake.

Big beaches can actually cost a pretty penny, when you factor in overpriced parking costs, expensive surrounding restaurants, and the gas money if it’s a major tourist trap that seems worth a 2- to 3-hour drive.  You can still soak in the sun and go for a dip at your local lake.  If the lake is part of a community park, you might have to pay a couple dollars to park, but that money usually goes towards keeping the park clean.

2.  Go fruit picking.

Check out local farms and farmer’s markets and stock of on all the fresh produce that’s yours for the picking.  Whether you visit a strawberry patch, a blueberry field, or stock up on a harvest of tomatoes, you can spend a few therapeutic hours away from the commotion of our high-tech world, and maintain your bikini bod by eating healthy.  Then, go home and conjure up some gastronomic experiments, such as homemade caprese salad (tomatoes layered with fresh mozzarella and drizzled with balsamic vinegar) or a genuine strawberry daiquiri.

3.  Get athletic.

If you can freeze your gym membership to save some cash, there’s no better time than the summer.  Even if you can’t, there’s no reason you can’t organize a group of friends to partake in some physical- and fun- activity.  Bike riding, rollerblading, volleyball, badminton, softball, basketball- if you have the equipment already, you won’t have to spend a dime.

4.  Pool parties, duh.

There’s hardly a reason to go out an spend money if you or one of your BFFs has a pool.  In fact, it’s an excuse to have a pool party every weekend.  Does warm weather make you want to start drinking at 2 p.m. (or is that just me…)? Rather than go out to an expensive lunch, have a cookout and grab a six pack of Corona Light to enjoy while you lounge.  Invite a few more people over for some quality chicken tournaments, or create a Facebook event to host the pool party of the century.

5.  Local festivals.

Plenty of towns host grand summer events, from music festivals to “A Taste of <insert city here>” to small carnivals.  Many of these events are free, but if they aren’t, they’ll be much less expensive than an excursion to the closest big city.  Even if you look up events at towns and cities that are slightly outside your normal geographic location, if you get a bunch of friends to chip in on gas, you’ll still spend less money than a summer holiday.

6.  Fireworks.

Fourth of July is NOT the only reason to set off some explosives, and this summer, there will be plenty of evenings when things go BANG! in the night.  Either go to the park where the fireworks are being hosted, or lounge in lawnchairs in your own backyard and sling back a few while the night sky is lit up.  Just bring the bug spray.

7. Camping.

You just had your big spring break holiday, didn’t you? Besides, in July and August, all the tropical locales are way too hot, humid, and congested with other tourists.  Find a local campground, and not only will you save a ton of money on lodging, but you’ll be more inclined to cook out rather than eat out, and participate in other nature-type activities rather than exploring overpriced theme parks and nightclubs.

If you are creative and look into other local happenings around your town, you’re bound to come up with individual activities that won’t break the bank.  Besides, in the summer, you don’t have to fear the outdoors, so get out and do something!  And, remember how stressed you were during finals? That should be reason alone to relax and go easy on your wallet.

On one hand, you know you should hold back on all the spending because you should be saving. On the other hand, you are young, you are in school and you just want to enjoy yourself….with these on your feet.

The good news is, you can do both. Watching your budget is like watching your weight: if you deny yourself everything, eventually you are going to go crazy. For me it was a Burberry trench coat, two new pairs of jeans, and a large pizza with a side of garlic sticks (and Ranch dressing).

After denying myself any sort of shopping (or fattening treats) for months, I just couldn’t stop myself. The jacket was beautiful and the pizza was heavenly, but I definitely regretted both decisions later. Especially after receiving my bank statement in the mail. And trying to squeeze into those jeans.

Budgets are difficult because they’re different for everyone. We all have different needs and, more importantly, guilty pleasures. For some it’s Starbucks. For others it’s manicures. For me, it’s shoes and bags.

When books and magazine articles say that you should only be spending this amount on your living situation, X percent of your salary on dining out and close to zero dollars on “luxuries”, for example, it is unrealistic to expect that to work for everyone.

A more realistic way to budget – one that I have been doing for the past couple of months – is to tailor a budget to what fits you (and all your guilty pleasures). Choose the things that are important to you and make adjustments around them so you don’t feel like you are denying yourself. So, if Venti Non-Fat-No-Whip-Sugar-Free-Caramel-Lattes are your thing, get em, but make sure to save money on other things: cut back on your restaurant eating, buy only used books, or reduce your cable package (since you probably don’t watch all of those movie channels anyway).

Remember, though, that while you are allowing yourself a little indulgence every now and then, you are still trying to save. So you can’t buy every single new bag that comes out every season. You can, however, live your life and do the things you want to do, without feeling guilty (or broke).

Start with income. Do you get an allowance? Have a part-time job? A scholarship that pays for living expenses? Calculate how much money you take in per month. Don’t forget to include your after-tax job income (you may make $8/hour, but some of that will be eaten up by taxes before you ever see it!) You may also be taking money each week out of your savings (from a Summer job for example), so calculate how much of that you can spend each week without going broke before May.

Now figure out how much you absolutely MUST spend each month–these are the essentials, like rent (if you pay rent, or housing fees), transportation, loan payments, etc. If you have a meal plan and never eat out, you can throw that in there as an essential expense. Once you see how much you have left, you’ll be able to decide how much you want to spend on groceries and how much you can afford to eat out.

Alright, now subtract the essentials from the income (hopefully you won’t get a negative number!). Divide by 4, and this is approximately how much you can spend each week on everything else: food, booze, magazines, books, toiletries, concerts, clothes, etc.

Spend a few weeks keeping track of how much you spend–online banking is great for seeing what you use your debit card for, but it’s those trips to the ATM that will leave you wondering where all your money went.

Save receipts from cash transactions instead of just throwing them away, and start looking at what you spend–you may be surprised! In New York City, a tall Starbucks latte can cost almost $4–get one every day on your way to class and that’s $20/week, or $80 month! Yikes. No one is asking you to give up your latte, but maybe try cutting it down to 2-3 times a week instead of 5. Or maybe switch to the local coffee cart or on-campus coffee shop.

Just can’t get enough of your magazines every month? Most publications offer HUGE discounts if you subscribe–Lucky Magazine, for example, charges $3/issue each month on the news stand, at a yearly cost of $36. A one-year subscription, however, costs just $12.

Try to buy groceries and use whatever kitchen space you have instead of eating out. Breakfast is so easy to make at home (cereal, yogurt, fruit), and you can pack a sandwich for lunch if you won’t have time to go back to the dorm during the day.

Think about putting some of your income into a savings account instead of just leaving it in a checking account (or in a box under your bed!) Savings accounts will give you a small amount of interest, so it’s like making money without doing anything at all!

Here’s what my budget looks like right now:

Income:

$12/hour part-time job at 25 hours/week = $1000/month (after tax)

Expenses:

Rent: $475/month

Transportation: $76/month

Cell phone: My parents help out with this, since we’re on a family plan. I contribute $10/month.

So that leaves me about $102/week for everything else.

I have a nice big kitchen, so I splurge on groceries (about $40/week), leaving me with $62 for other stuff. It can go pretty fast, so I like to drink tea (cheaper than coffee), order appetizers when I eat out (cheaper than entrees) and I always order beer (cheaper than mixed drinks).

The best thing I ever did was keep track of my cash–I was spending tons of money each week on bottled water (I have my own re-usable bottle now) and trashy gossip magazines (I read Perez Hilton now–trashy AND free!) Now, when I have some money left over, I put it into my savings account

Obviously everyone’s budget will look different, but hopefully your snazzy new money plan will allow for some financial wiggle room, so you can finally buy something you really WANT, instead of spending it all on just the stuff you need!

I Love New York.

No, I am not talking about the VH1 show, or the person (really, who is named New York?), but rather, I love New York City. The diversity, the nightlife, the arts, the shopping- NYC is the ideal city… if you’re crapping out money, that is.

A cozy apartment, dinners at the trendiest restaurants and of course, as many Manolo’s and Jimmy Choo’s that will fit into my apartment. If that was life as a journalist for Carrie Bradshaw, then surely, my life couldn’t be much different. My biggest challenge would obviously be learning how to run down 5th avenue in heels or pull off that black bra/white shirt combo that she made look so effortlessly cool.

Just when I was about to boycott Sarah Jessica Parker for giving me false hopes, Urban Hostess looks like it can make my dream a reality.

A website designed to help the recent college graduates, NY college students or first-timers in NYC. Whether you are looking for a steal or a luxury apartment, UH helps find exactly what you’re looking for by pairing you up with a broker who can meet your specific needs.

To put it simply- Brokers are eager to screw over those who don’t know the first thing about NY real estate. Urban Hostess gets rid of that possibility by creating an environment where Brokers are literally competing for your business and keeping your best interests at heart.

Urbanhostess.com provides you with everything you need to know about looking for a place in New York. From a virtual neighborhood guide, to finding a broker, to average neighborhood prices, Urban Hostess helps to empower Y-O-U.

And even better, if you click here, you will save 20% (yes, you read that right!) just because you are a CC reader (which, clearly, makes you fabulous).

Thanks to Urban Hostess, you can save that extra money towards your first pair of Manolo’s (or on more Ramen Noodles- whatever you so choose).

I’ve thought long and hard about the ways in which I saved during my college years, throughout the working summer and now into the land of something close to adulthood. I complied a list. Let it guide you back to the bank.

1. Bang trim. Do not succumb to cutting your own bangs. Most salons don’t market this but, if you’re a regular costumer they will give you a bang trim for free! And also, whatever you do, do not do an at home dye job unless you or a friend really know what you are doing. If you check around town for a cosmetology school you can get a good cut and or color for a reasonable price.

2. Don’t spend more than two dollars for a cup of coffee. In fact, don’t spend any at all. I read a study once that said eating an apple in the morning can wake you quicker than a cup of coffee.

3. Buy generic. You’d be surprised that in nearly every comparison I have every conducted the generic brand has almost always included the same ingredients and tastes just as good.

4. Take the time to get what you paid for. I know, I know, no one likes to be the chick who sends back the steak twice, but I’m talking about nearly anything. I once got a box of granola bars and one of them was outdated, I called the company and they sent me three extra boxes. SCORE!

5. Keep the coins. Horde your silver in a little cup or big bucket. No matter what, you know you need clean drawers….so take the change to the laundromat.

It’s easy to start to save, but only after you become conscious of what your spending.

While I do think it is a teeny-weeny-bit ridiculous that you are coming out in full autumn getup, you are, nonetheless, so freakin adorable.

Seeing your quilted leather handles or fur trimmed collar makes me want to pack away my mini-dresses and tanks and pray for a snow day.

But then I see your price tag and am forced back into reality — I can barely afford the final clearance summer rack let alone a new Marc Jacobs fall coat (which is really a shame because what a cute coat you are!).

However, there is hope my fellow penny-pinching college students of mine.

Thanks to Real Simple magazine, I have a few tips that will help you save up for that rainy day shopping spree.

• Buy Gas On Tuesdays: gas prices go up on weekends often because they want to take advantage of errand runners and weekend travelers.

• Dry Clean Expensive Items Off Season: Now is the time to clean your puffy jacket of cashmere wrap. Cleaners often run sales during the slow months (July, August and January).

• Don’t Use Directory Assistance: this is one hidden cost many of us don’t think about. Thanks to yellowpages.com and 1-800-FREE-411 (from your cell) you can access numbers, movie times, directions etc for free.

• Join The Gym At The End Of The Month: Many health clubs cut back the price at the end of the month to meet their monthly quota. And now you have an excuse to skip out on the gym for the next week or two!

• Use The Grocery Store Discount Card: the supermarket is a great place to buy more than just food (think toiletries, pet supplies, birthday cards etc) and with your discount card you can save about 18% off your monthly bill.

• Stock Up On Seasonal Items After A Holiday: My roommate loves Peeps (those sugary marshmallow things they sell around Easter) but she always waits until the day after when they cost like 25 cents a pack. Buy your gift cards, wrapping paper etc for next year RIGHT after this year’s holiday to save mucho dinero.

• Buy A New Car In The Fall: If by chance you are looking to buy a car, new models are released in September- meaning last year’s models get big discounts!

• Make Coffee At Home: So, while I am having a hard time practicing what I preach here, buying a coffee maker and taking your java to go can save you about $80-$100 dollars a month. Make Starbucks a treat instead of a daily routine (your jeans will thank you too).

While these tips may seem small and insignificant… a penny saved is a penny towards that new fall wardrobe, that spring break vacation, or that new digital camera you’ve been eyeing.

Whether you are enjoying the high life that is college – complete with parental support – or collecting change out of the couch just to get that much needed after-work-martini, coming into some extra money is a wonderful thing. Especially when you want on of these or, the newest addiction in my life, the latest version of Guitar Hero. (Note: SERIOUS dude magnet!)

But finding extra money isn’t always so easy. Or fun. Especially if you consider selling your eggs or serving your fellow students in the cafeteria.

I have recently found that my bank account is seriously lacking, but my shopping addiction is not. I work over 40 hours a week, but still don’t make enough (yet) to live the way I want to. So, I decided I needed to find ways to come into some money. And while some of you may never want to even consider these options, I have found the following to be the easiest, least stressful and most fitting into any woman’s life.

1. Babysitting: I know that most of us haven’t done this since the 9th grade, but babysitting is seriously the way to go. First of all, most kids go to bed early. And if they don’t, they tend to enjoy long Disney movies. And, if all else fails, you can always set the clocks forward and force those kids into bed. Other bonuses: You get paid in cash, you can enjoy free snacks and most people get home early enough for you to meet friends at the b-a-r after.

2. Sell Your Shit: We all have tons of stuff we don’t wear. Instead of just wasting room in your closet (which would be much better suited holding a brand spanking new pair of jeans instead of those torn up Old Navy things) you should get rid of it. Just look for a local resale shop in your neighborhood, dive head-first into your closet and you will find your trash can be your very own treasure.

3. Pack a Lunch: This doesn’t necessarily make you money, but it does save you tons. And all that money saved is money earned, baby. But really; think about it. If you spend $5 a day on lunch (and that is being extremely conservative) you could save $100 a month just by bringing your own lunch with you.

Life would be wonderful if we could just walk outside our houses and pick hundo’s off a tree. Unfortunately, that life doesn’t exist. So, when you need some extra moolah, these ideas are the perfect place to start.