You ever see those Visa Check Card commercials where they show a fantastic shopping plaza where everyone is happily swiping away *swipe swipe swipe* until that jerk comes along, coin pouch in hand, and holds up the whole line?

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). Read More »

It’s easy to throw down your MasterCard and forget about how much your text books cost for the semester; it’s just as simple to open a tab at Happy Hour and let the Bud Light flow.  We all eventually realize, however, that college flies by in the blink of an eye, and before you know it, you’ll be on your own.

With the economy in peril, now is an especially good time to start keeping an eye on your credit score so you don’t find yourself denied when you try to open new bank accounts, get a new apartment, condo, or house, or reward yourself for landing your dream job by buying your first brand new car.  Maintaining a good credit score doesn’t have to be harder than next Tuesday’s cumulative Calc exam, though– here are five simple steps to stay on top of your financial game. Read More »

Picture this: You’re thirty-five, and still paying for your Sophomore Spring Break to Cabo. It sounds crazy, but it’s a reality for many cash-strapped graduates who maxed out their cards during their college years. Most college students boast a wallet full of plastic, and will spend years paying off the balances.

College cards are often a necessity (ranking right up there with tequila shots and coffee) during your four years, unless you have a big fat trust fund or a wealthy eccentric uncle. A multitude of costly expenses fall outside your tuition bill. Some are necessary, like food, books and transportation, while others are luxuries, like clothes, alcohol, trips and concerts. Here are some tips to avoid the debt trap that so many students fall into.

Compare offers

Be as choosy with what you put in your wallet as you are about which boys you let sleep in your bed (Editor’s Note: When alcohol isn’t involved). There are tons of credit card offers out there – don’t just take the first one you stumble upon.

Do your research: check out the finance charge, annual fee, cash advance fees and late payment fees. The finance charge can be as high as 25 percent on the unpaid part of your bill, and the annual fee can suck up a hundred bucks each year. For cash advances, most cards charge a scary amount and high interest. Read the fine print, and look at what a late payment can do to your rate (hint: just one late payment increases your interest rate). Try sites like credit.com or bankrate.com) to compare cards and score the best deal.

Screw the free-t-shirt

Forget the free-t-shirt/ water bottle/ random-crappy-thing-that-you’ll-never-use-again. Don’t apply just to score free gear. With every application, an inquiry is made into your credit history. This can pull down your credit quicker than a drunken frat guy drops his pants (or yours). Push through the crowd of over-eager credit card pushers – its okay to say no. Read More »

I know the Olympics are supposed to be exciting to watch, but, let’s be honest, besides scoping out the hotties, sometimes the excitement just isn’t there. But, of course, you have to watch because it’s a huge deal and you want to see if the US can dominate in ways other than invading countries and water boarding.

How to turn a quiet evening of competition into something a little more….fun? Why not do what college students have been doing for centuries: add alcohol.

We at CollegeCandy love alcohol (almost as much as we love bad TV) and try to add it to everything (except driving…and voting), so we did some research and came up with quite a fantastic game that goes well with booze and the Olympic games.

Grab some friends, stock the fridge with the bevy of your choice (though we recommend beer, as the games could go all night) and let the games begin. Note: A couple bags of chips aren’t a bad idea either. Or, I don’t know, a cake?

Now, be advised that this game is very adaptable to whatever sport you happen to be watching. That means you can play again and again! And here are the rules: Read More »

There’s nothing like a reunion tour, particularly when paired with a group that went south after one bad movie.

As soon as a friend of mine asked if I wanted to see the Spice Girls Reunion Tour, I squealed as though I was twelve again. I might even have started zig-a-zig, ahh-ing. I can’t really remember the exact way it went down, but next thing I knew I agreed to an evening of girl-powerful nostalgia at far too high a price.

Whatever. It’s the Spice Girls. The Visa statement can wait, alright? The show was this past weekend in Jersey, and ladies, let me tell you. It was awesome. And I am not ashamed. Read More »