Broke-Ass Student

Should You Move Off Campus?

If you attend a college that has student housing, you might have considered the possibility of moving off campus to escape the rigors of dorm life. Plus, the average college room and board could cost you $10,000 per year, so it might seem a great way to reduce your tuition costs.

But, before you take the leap, take the time to determine if you can really afford the move.

1. Calculate how much you pay for on-campus housing and food for each term you are on campus. For example, you could pay $3,500 each time you’re on campus, and each term is four-and-a-half months.
2. Research rental rates in the areas you’d like to live. If your school is located in a small town, this should be fairly easy as your options will be limited. If your school is in a large metropolitan area, then your choices will have to depend on how far you are willing to commute, and the reputation of the neighborhood. Generally, areas closer to campus will have higher rental rates than areas farther away.
3. Determine which utilities are included in the rental price. You will be responsible for anything that is not included. Sometimes that information is included in the rental listing, but you might have to call the landlord or rental company to find out. Depending on where you live, you could be responsible for gas, electric, water and sewer, and even trash collection.
4. Contact the utility companies to find out the average utility costs for the addresses in which you are interested. These companies are listed in the phone book, and you can also visit each company website for contact and rate information. The utility rates are important because you could find a place with cheap rent, but really high utility costs due to poor insulation or drippy faucets.
5. Add together to projected cost of rent and your basic utilities to determine your approximate monthly cost. Multiply the cost by the number of months you plan to live off campus. If you plan to live with others, divide those costs by the number of people you intend to live with. Your share of the cost should be less than what you would spend for the same amount of time on campus.

But rent and utilities aren’t the only expenses. You also have to take into account transportation, food, and other utilities like cable TV, or internet.

1. Your transportation costs depend on how far you have to travel and your mode of transportation. If you take public transportation, then it’s the cost of a monthly pass or daily fares. If you drive, then you have to include gas, and any tolls you might pay.
2. Food costs are a little harder to determine if you don’t normally shop for yourself. One way to determine your budget is to go on a mock grocery trip where you fill your cart then add up the cost of everything.
3. Cable TV, telephone, and internet costs depend on whether or not you wish to subscribe to these services. If you are already paying for a cell phone that has a robust data plan, you might not need your home wired for internet because you can use your phone as a hotspot. If you already subscribe to a service line Netflix, you won’t need cable TV. If you are already paying for these services, your expenses for these things won’t change much.

   But if you have to add any of these things, your expenses will increase based on the type of service you subscribe to and any rates or specials they might have. A small thing like cable TV can really eat into your savings, so choose wisely.

If your off-campus expenses add up to more than your on-campus fees, or if you break even, then staying on campus could be the better financial decision.

But there are other reasons to move off campus that have nothing to do with saving money on college costs. Even if you move back home after graduation, you will eventually need to find your own place and living on your own, while in college, will help prepare you for that.

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Enjoying a Responsible Gaming Environment

Being able to find something that helps you relax after a long day at work is incredibly important to living a happy and fulfilling life. Be it playing football for a five a side team each week or making something using arts and crafts, as long as it make you happy that’s all that matters. Recently many people have taken to playing in online casinos as they give many people a great buzz of excitement when they win and it can also be done from home easily as all you need is a computer connected to the internet. But there are a few things you must take into account before you get too involved in casino games in order to make your time spent the best that it can be.

A budget is the first and most vital thing you should come up with when starting to play online casino games as spending too much money on them will make you regret playing as well as make you get into debt which no one wants. There are very easy ways to stop this from happening though as a budget solves all these problems. All you have to do is work out how much money you are willing to spend out of that which you get paid and then make sure that when you have spent that much you don’t put any more money in. This is easy to do these days as many of the best online casinos offer free to play games too so it doesn’t mean you have to stop playing.

With everything that we do we have to give up time to do it, it is very important that you spread your time evenly between different things in your life. Casino games like slots may well be incredible fun but if you play them for too long you will both enjoy them less and be able to spend less time with family and friends. So it is very important that just like with your money you make sure you don’t spend too much time playing casino games.

I love Christmas, with the glistening lights and fallen snow blanketing everything. Cookies and gingerbread houses. Eggnog and hearty laughs with family over delicious spreads of food. Rampant consumerism, however, is not very kind to my wallet. So here are some frugal ways I will be celebrating Christmas and ushering in the New Year without breaking the bank.

A holly jolly Christmas.

Feeding the hungry and less fortunate. There is a homeless shelter located just a few blocks from my apartment in the city, which offers meals and other supportive services, such as counseling and medical care, to the poor, homeless and destitute. During the holidays we enjoy packing up a large box of spare canned goods and other treats and games to contribute to the shelter. Winters in my city especially are absolutely frigid and the shelters offer patrons a hot daily meal and a brief respite from such biting weather. Look up shelters in your area: generally they rely on generosity and always are looking for those willing to donate time, money, food, clothing or medical supply donations to help their cause.

Volunteering my time. Numerous individuals are without family and may feel isolated during the holidays, and it particularly can be a lonely period for many. One of the most precious gifts to offer is of our time: volunteering at a senior citizen residence, for example, or other organizations dedicated to helping those most in need. Or you may wish to mentor or be paired with a hospitalized or disadvantaged child or work with youth groups. Search local area listings for ample and boundless volunteer opportunities—and what a precious gift to give!

Beginning a festive new family tradition. Nothing is more cozy than establishing a festive new (and silly!) family tradition, and the holidays provide an excellent opportunity to do so. Not only is this activity completely free, but it has an added benefit of providing more cohesiveness and a special bonding between participants. As our family forges new rituals and melds them with the old, those activities become more meaningful each year and we have tons of fun with it. Recently we’ve established a tradition of creating home-made eggnog while watching the Grinch right before Christmas, and now it is cozy ritual we treasure and really get a kick out of!

Having a recipe swap. Now is the time to get your eager little paws on Grandma’s special cookie recipe! Yummm! Encourage family and friends to whip up some tasty treats and then host a recipe swap party of sorts. As everyone shares, this really is an excellent method to build up a bursting catalog of scrumptious recipes. You even can be creative and establish decorations that surround particular Christmas themes. And best of all, what an amazing gift. Who doesn’t appreciate heavenly food?

Comparison-shopping online for gift needs to save a bundle. When there is a particular gift you would like to give, scouring the web for the absolute best prices on all of your gift needs is essential. Take time to conduct proper research: compare prices of a particular product, sniff out which store will match competitor’s sale prices, and keep your eyes peeled for that holy grail of free shipping.

Building a Christmas bonfire. Cue friends and family…and some S’mores! Every year my in-laws do a gi-normous bonfire on their land and it quickly has become The Event of the town. Huddled around the fire at night in woolen mittens and scarves, shivering deliciously. Gazing at the icy stars. And someone somehow always manages to bring a nip of rum, ho ho ho! But regardless, we all look forward to this Christmas holiday bonfire celebration with great anticipation. And it is a frugal way to establish unforgettable memories with loved ones.

Frolicking in the snow. Because nothing says Christmas like plopping down in the snow and creating a snow angel!

With some forethought and a dash of creativity, the holidays don’t have to be a source of financial stress or endless consumerism. Happy Holidays from Broke-Ass Student!

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Finances are an interesting conundrum. In order to eventually reach financial prosperity, one must (ironically) consciously focus a great deal of energy and efforts on their finances in the beginning of their journey through frugality, savings and investing. Doing so wisely allows one greater financial freedom that they desire for the future.

I thought it would be interesting to compare my finances in my teens and twenties, compared to now (early thirties) to gauge my own path toward financial prosperity.

In high school I was young and foolish; any hard-earned money was spent while cruising around town in my friend’s battered green Volkswagen with no air conditioning, with all the windows rolled down as we smoked our forbidden cigarettes and splurged frivolously on shiny gadgets, spa days, expensive clothing, and beauty salon upkeep visits.

At some point during my senior year of high school, I became bored and fed up with this local scene and began to crave something different, but I knew a lack of finances (or savings) was holding me back from my desires and limiting my options. My heart yearned to see different lands and cultures and therefore next I applied for a waitress job, to work after school in the evenings and on the weekends.

I made decent tips while waitressing and began to save aggressively all those crumpled five and ten dollar bills I was bringing home consistently every night. These were all balled together and stashed in a jewelry box until I had accumulated a couple hundred dollars—enough to open a savings account at the local branch downtown.

Eventually I scrounged enough money during my senior year of high school to afford my very own flight ticket to Europe. At the time, my friend Gianna was staying at a flat in London and jubilantly welcomed me to visit her.

For months (the entire summer) we vagabonded throughout Europe while I lived off my savings until, finally, I was forced to return home to the States. I was exhilarated and craved more adventure, but I was also dead broke again. Shortly after, I took out a loan to buy a vehicle with money I did not have—all of my savings were depleted. The debt cycle was thrust into motion, which devoured any hope of building a surplus of savings or any type of foundation to build wealth on.

Instead I was living paycheck to paycheck, enslaved to my bills.

Looking back in retrospect, the worst financial decision I ever made was not to have saved a percentage of my income throughout my teens and twenties. Although I do not regret my life experiences traveling through Europe, I had foolishly used every cent in the process, instead of setting aside a small percentage in order to build wealth with. Each time money passed through my fingers, it was eventually spent in its entirety.

I neglected a huge wealth-creation secret: once saved, never spend your initial principal. Instead live off the interest/capital gain/ dividends generated from that initial principal, or savings.

My finances in my thirties are encouraging because finally I am creating small streams of passive income. Since freeing myself from debt, I have had an opportunity to build a strong foundation of savings that have worked hard for me over the past three years. A tiny sapling is slowly beginning to grow and, with proper nurturing, will become a mighty, fruit-bearing money tree. And the children of my savings will also continue to bear fruit as well to sustain me, while producing further financial seedlings for sowing.

Although I regret not saving more in my teens and twenties, finally my money is working for me and that is truly liberating. If I continue to make wise and prudent financial decisions now, my forties will be spent in even greater financial comfort.

All great fortunes start with savings and every cent counts. Start now and start small. Do not ever spend the initial saving principal and soon your own little money tree will begin to sprout, to thrive and bear fruit and guide you toward greater financial independence and peace of mind.

And it all starts with simply saving.

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(If you enjoyed this article, you may follow my recent financial adventures at Broke-Ass Mommy.)

Related posts:

• By Taking Control of my Finances, I Took Back Control of My Life
• How To Get Out of Debt
• Surviving Paycheck to Paycheck? You Can Still Start Saving
• The Power of a Penny

What is Forex?

The Foreign Exchange, abbreviated Forex, or FX, is the value of one currency verses the value of another currency. Currency values are in constant fluctuation in relation to each other. Comparatively, when one currency appreciates or strengthens, the other currency being measured against it will simultaneously depreciate, or weaken.

Those who have traveled abroad have experienced the Foreign Exchange while converting their home currency into that of a foreign currency (and vice versa—when it’s time to return home, their foreign currency needs to be exchanged back into their initial home currency. And since the Forex is open almost 24 hours and all currencies are constantly in motion, it may even be at a slightly different rate than before!)

The most popular Forex trading ‘pair’ among investors is between the United States Dollar (USD) and the Euro (EUR).

** At the time of this writing, the Forex quote for USD and EUR is:
1 euro = 1.2564 US dollars

Base currency verses Counter currency

The ‘base’ currency is the currency on the left of a currency pair (in the above example, EUR) and the ‘counter’ currency is on the right (USD).  If a Forex investor believes the base currency will appreciate against the counter currency, they may purchase this pair. However, if they believe the base currency may depreciate against the counter currency, they might open a sell trade position.

Why do currencies fluctuate against each other?

A country’s currency will continually fluctuate due to a number of factors, including economic and geopolitical issues, monetary policy, international trades and general trading trends, or natural disasters within an area.

Forex beginner video — “What is Forex and how does it work?”

Below is an excellent primer series on Forex trading for beginners, with sequential videos also found in the play list for those wishing to delve more in-depth on specific Forex topics.

How to begin using Forex

New to trading the Foreign Exchange? Those wishing to dabble into the Forex may do so through a trading platform and a broker, such as Alpari online brokers. One of the really cool things about using Alpari as an online broker is that they offer a free demo trading platform to help investors learn the markets before risking any actual money. Here, potential investors can practice and test their strategies with a demo account for an unlimited time until they feel comfortable dabbling into the markets with real money.

Please remember, because the Forex market is continually in motion, the risk for capital loss is high. Trade responsibly and make sure to understand all the inherent risks before delving into any type of unfamiliar financial market or investment.

Happy Forex trading!

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I wake early and head over to the desktop to flip the power switch. Yawning, I hear the computer hum to life as I shuffle over to the next room to perform the usual foraging ritual for breakfast. Thump around a bit through the cupboards, grab a handful of cereal from the box (there’s no milk) and splash water from the faucet into a glass (coffee container is empty).

I settle back in front of the computer with my morning feast, popping Fruit Loops in my mouth, patiently waiting for everything to finish loading. After typing in the appropriate information, my bank account opens.

The balance: $265.

As of yesterday, $1,062.88 had been posted from my bank to my credit card bill, my hard-earned wages busting/tearing through cyberspace to perforate the final outstanding payment owed (with interest, of course); digits whisked away on a lethal, one-way debt termination expedition. And now I’m left with …

The doubts start piling up – I peer suspiciously at the monitor. Surely there’s some mysterious purpose for this chunk of change still sitting on its ass in my account. An overlooked bill, perhaps, stuck on a dusty shelf somewhere, forgotten. In fact, I’m certain there must be a setback somewhere, something to muck everything up because this damned debt is so ingrained in me now and, Jesus, after all these years, how can it really just be … dissolved?

Holding my breath, I tap the keys again to prudently recheck the account balance — my fingers slip, I get the url wrong and pause to wipe dusty grains of cereal from my palms, to start over — suspecting that couple hundred bucks has suddenly, cruelly been gobbled up by some hellacious bank fee or other.

Nope. Still there. Two hundred and sixty-five dollars.

Exhaling slowly, I lean back and stare stupidly at the screen. I pick bits of stuffing from the arm of the chair as I evaluate this completely foreign transition of having an extra pile of dough at my disposal; so staggered, I haven’t even considered how to commemorate my new debt-free world.

With a cup of coffee, seems like a good place to start.

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[This is a guest post by Elisabeth Chan, who runs Creditnet.com and holds a B.S. degree from BYU’s Marriott School of Management. Creditnet is a free resource for anyone who wants to learn more about credit. At Creditnet.com, you can compare hundreds of the best credit cards online, such as student cards and 0% interest credit cards. When not working on Creditnet.com, Elisabeth can be found strolling through Pike Place Market or taking a dip in Lake Washington.]

My friend and I are classic examples of two opposing views on credit. I charge almost everything to my credit cards and use my wallet’s cash compartment to store receipts. My friend (let’s call her Kate), however, could pay for anything from a pack of gum to an LCD flat screen with the cash she has in her wallet at any given moment, and she would never use a loan like this site, even if needed.

Although Kate is of the ‘credit cards are evil’ mindset, her views on credit softened after her month-old iPhone was stolen from her purse on a Seattle Metro bus earlier this year. When she realized her phone was stolen, Kate called Seattle Metro and was told all she could do was report the theft to the local police department.

Kate was deflated when she called to tell me about the theft. Knowing her views on credit and doubtful of an affirmative answer, I asked if the phone was purchased using a credit card. I was surprised and relieved to hear that yes, the phone was purchased a month ago by her husband on his American Express card as an anniversary gift. I then told her why that was the smartest way to purchase her phone: a little something called Purchase Protection.

Purchase Protection is a standard insurance program offered by most credit cards, including all American Express cards, Visa Signature cards, Discover business cards, and MasterCard Gold, Platinum, and World cards. This program protects your eligible purchases in the event of theft or accidental damage within 90 days of purchasing the product on your card. That’s right, if you buy something and within 90 days it is accidentally damaged or stolen, your credit card may reimburse you the original purchase price! What’s cash got on that?

Each Purchase Protection plan differs depending on who is offering the plan (i.e. Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover), so be sure to review your card disclosures to read program rules. For example, not all purchases are considered “eligible purchases”. Perishable foods, motor vehicles, and custom-made furniture are examples of some products not covered by Purchase Protection plans.

Also, in cases of theft, proof of the theft is often required to help curtail fraud, which is why you should always file a police report or report the theft to local security. Most plans also require you to submit a claim within 30 days of the incident of theft of damage. If you’re able to prove you were unable to submit the claim within 30 days, then you may receive an exception and be allowed to submit a claim.

The day after I explained Purchase Protection plans to Kate, she and her husband contacted American Express and sent in the required documentation, such as the original receipt and police report. The claim was approved in two weeks, followed by an immediate credit to the credit card for the exact amount paid for the phone.

Kate still carries a lot of cash. But she now makes sure her husband is nearby with his credit card if she ever wants to buy anything she wants protected by a Purchase Protection plan.

A position opened in my department last month — a part time gig slightly above blue-light special wages with no benefits — and my supervisor was inundated with and shocked by the quality of applicants. A large portion held masters degrees and there were even a few Ph.D. graduates applying.

As my supervisor scanned through resumes for screening, she never imagined she would have to turn down so many looking for a (any) job, let alone candidates with higher degrees. If overqualified applicants couldn’t find job placements in their respective field, what was the next step for them?

If you are a foreign student search for a job – visit http://www.foreignstudents.com/jobs

From Chicago Sun-Times:

Some of the dirtiest, smelliest, most dangerous jobs are suddenly looking a lot more appealing in this economy.

People who have been out of work for months are lining up for jobs at places they once considered unthinkable: slaughterhouses, sewage plants, prisons.

“I have to just shut my mouth because I can’t do anything about it,” said Nichole McRoberts of Sedalia, Mo., who pictured more for herself at age 30 than working in a poultry plant, cutting diseased or damaged flesh off chicken carcasses.

Recessions and tight job markets always force some people to take less-desirable or lower-paying work than they are used to. But this recession has been the most punishing job destroyer in at least 60 years, slashing a net total of 6.7 million jobs.

Take Kristen Thompson. Before the recession, she worked at an upscale Los Angeles-area gym arranging pricey one-on-one personal training sessions. Now she’s a guard at a women’s prison in rural Wyoming.

After the gym laid her off last year, Thompson spent months looking for work. Even fast food restaurants failed to respond to her application. For each opening, dozens of other people seemed willing to work for less money. When she heard that a prison in Lusk, Wyo., (population 1,447) was hiring, she leapt at the chance.

In her new job, she patrols cellblocks and monitors the mess hall. Back in L.A., she never had to worry about inmates with weapons or drug stashes or prisoners getting into fights. Yet she’s hardly complaining. It’s a job.

“People have to pay the bills, so what we see is people kind of grasping at straws and taking anything that’s available,” said Matthew Freedman, assistant professor of labor economics at Cornell University.

The desperation of the long-term jobless has rippled through the labor force. More skilled and educated workers have filled clerical or restaurant jobs. So unskilled workers such as teenagers or high school graduates who once held most of those positions have displaced those even lower on the economic ladder, such as immigrants, Freedman noted…(con’t)

Link: Now Hiring: Everywhere You Didn’t Want to Work

Do employers still need to offer competitive wages in order to lure new workers in, or has competition in the job market and climbing unemployment resulted in shrinking wages for the working middle class?

And jobs aren’t the only aspect tightening in this new economic climate; when more sites like this are offering high interest, short term loans, what does this say about the banks and other lending institutions? I would argue it says they are tightening their belts and not releasing capital like they did 4 or 5 years ago.

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Related Posts:

1. Rationing Cards – A Pictorial Journey Down Nostalgia Lane
2. Teenager During Great Depression Predicts DOW On Its Way to 8,500 – 9,000 Or Lower
3. Quick! Give Me Your Tax Dollars! …

Our electricity keeps pulsing on and off and I’m tapping away on a tiny battery-powered notebook keypad while rifling through weather updates on the web. An earlier report had issued a possible tornado watch in a county a bit south of here. A tornado!

One passed over us two weeks ago. That day was wet and sticky and my brother stood outside on his phone, trying to gauge where the rotating clouds were headed in the glowing mauve sky. His friend on the line said, ‘Dude, may want to get in the basement. A tornado just whipped over my head.’ The funnel touched down 20 miles away, desecrating a handful of shops.

Never used to get this type of stuff in my little corner of the world but these summer-y storms, all five hundred of them, have been pretty severe. Thunder is shaking the room right now and sheets of jagged lightning unspool all over the sky like dirty veins; tremendous, ululating spasms of energy.

St. Elmo’s Fire.

The rain intensifies. I tuck a tartan blanket around my shoulders and settle in with a glass of honey wine to watch the storm develop.

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Just plopped down another $1,200 $1,300 on my debt. Jesus. My whole flimsy paycheck, now exhausted. But there is still one payment remaining before the diabolical debt beast — this whole heaping $15,000+ monstrosity — will be vanquished indefinitely. Adios, you bastard.

So for now; one more month of subsisting on Cheerios, Ramen noodles and p&b sandwiches, with a festive splash of cheap Merlot before bath time. One more month of scraggly split ends and sweat pants, of creatively/desperately seeking innovative ways to somehow stretch those dimes into dollars. And what makes me most joyous — one more month of being overrun with credit card/car loan payment requests that have faithfully sprinkled my mail slot in perfect precision over the years. Sayonara.

Unfortunately, my bills haven’t much cared that I’d like to kick back on the hillside above the Mobil station with a Slurpee for just a god damned minute — those cursed creditors just creep on over to tap my shoulder and politely shake out every last bit of interest that can be mustered from my (threadbare) pockets. So I’d best be wise and plumpen any hard-earned income for their devouring.

Two years mired in debt. Will be over.

One. More. Month.

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Related Posts:

1. Still Wrangling the Debt Monster
2. Paying Down Debt – What An Amazing Feeling

It’s one of those dark flat nights where sirens zip through the streets / turn down some back road and the dry winds burst through the blinds; yet it’s muggy and suffocating and I’m insufferably exhausted. A bowl of stale Cheerios is perched on the edge of my desk, spoon propped on the rim in quiet misery.

Ideas loiter through my head but I can’t motivate these swollen fingers to begin writing in any form of coherency. The alleged topic: Advantages and Disadvantages of Owning a Credit Card. A Google search, however, turns up numerous articles on this very subject. I jot down some salient points but this constant regurgitation of journalism becomes tedious, and so the dismal little piece crosses an uninspired fate into the slush pile.

I lean back in the chair to rest my mushy brain and admire a star burning outside the window. How many others see what I do right now? We may never touch or speak but I feel a sudden kinship with ‘them’ — they are my people, these infinite star-gazers. The abandoned article/work/my financial worries feel unobtrusive and inconsequential and shrouded in damn near perfection right now.

But nothing brilliant is wedging through either and I need to rest for work; gotta carve out this debt somehow. Perhaps tomorrow I’ll have another go at the credit card article. (But if not, you’ll find dozens more like it, tucked away in some dusty corner of the internet.)

A(nother) financial update forthcoming.

“If a man could pass through Paradise in a dream, and have a flower presented to him as a pledge that his soul had really been there, and if he found that flower in his hand when he awake – Aye, what then?”

“You look pale.” My boss leaned over the computer terminal to examine my face. “My daughter says pale is the new ‘In’.”

I looked pale? I felt worn out; like a whole entourage of clients had squashed out my innards. Work was hectic, more than usual, and the anxiety apparently was flushing out my features. Self-consciously I reached up to touch my waxen glow-y complexion.

Do I look sick? I mouthed to my coworker while making a demented fish face. She vigorously shook her head, but all ready I was calculating the cost of picking up a tube of tanning lotion on the way home from work.

“My boss told me I looked pale today,” I informed Matt that evening.

We were sitting in McDonalds polishing off the last remnants of Greasers — that’s Big Mac and fries — while discussing the cultural implications of ordering a Big Mac over a McChicken. It also presented an opportune moment to drop my woes on him.

“How does my skin look?”

“Flawlessly vibrant,” he replied loyally.

He slid from the booth — his philosophy exposed in bold serif font across the front of his red t-shirt: HARD WORK NEVER KILLED ANYONE BUT WHY TAKE THE CHANCE? — and momentarily returned balancing a tray with two coffees and a couple of baked apple pies.

As we dug into our dessert, a gnarled finger reached over suddenly to grasp my shoulder. “I’m sorry to interrupt, dear, but — you look just like a movie star.”

A bent older woman with a heart shaped face and freckles splashed across her nose had approached our table. She now clasped her knotted fingers over mine and was inspecting me with startling adoration. “Dear, you do.” Her head bobbed. “Why, you look exactly like that actress. The resemblance is uncanny! Katherine…”

This was the second time my face was placed under scrutiny today; I looked like a movie star though, a Katherine? I grinned like an idiot under such unexpected reverence as my mind considered the possibilities: Catherine Zeta-Jones, Catherine Bell, Katharine Hepburn, Catherine of Alexandria …

“… Katherine Heigl,” she pursued, “from Little House on the Prairie.”

“I think she means Mary,” Matt whispered. “You kind of do, with your hair pinned up like that.”

She gave my arm a final affectionate squeeze before hobbling off with an older man who sported a large furry moustache; she and her gentleman companion debating the ‘astonishing resemblance’ as they trailed out the door.

Matt twisted around in the booth. “Hey, what about me!”

[So in case anyone is remotely interested, apparently I look a bit like Mary Ingles, or Katherine Heigl, or the Katherine Heigl from Little House on the Prairie, if anyone is familiar with that one, albeit a paler version. Found a new word for you, Edgar: loquacious. Freshly read in Rolling Stone.]

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Related Posts:

1. I’m So Easily Distracted

This is a guest post by Mr Credit Card from www.askmrcreditcard.com. Mr Credit Card writes about credit card reviews, debt and other money stuff. His site has lots of credit card offers and he has even compiled a best credit card offers section. Recently he interviewed me about my debt reduction effort (I’m almost there now), and today shares his thoughts on budgeting a male wardrobe for graduating guys.

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As a prelude, one of the things that gets the most heated debates and arguments is whether credit cards are good or bad! Write a post like this and you will have tons of comments from folks who either love or hate them. The folks who love them say it is just a tool. If you pay it off every month and earn rewards, that is a good thing and a great deal. The folks who hate them say carrying a credit card makes you spend more and that their teaser offers suck you into the debt game. They advocate that you should live a debt free life by steering clear of credit card debt.

Despite their arguments, both camps agree that one should not have credit card debt. I belong to the camp that loves my credit cards for the rewards that they give me. I feel that the main reason why people get into credit card debt is because they succumb to impulse spending. That is almost a result of not budgeting or asking yourself if you really need what you intended to buy. When I graduated from college, one of the things I “had” to buy was some working clothes. Now, being married with kids, myself and Mrs Credit Card occasionally succumb to sales and “nice clothes” which we do not really need. Since we are ok financially, I guess it is OK to splurge once in a while. But for new graduates, I thought I’d compile a list of “must have” guy clothes so that you can use as a check list.

For anyone who has just graduated or are about to graduate, it’s probably time to take inventory of your life, goals, and yes, your wardrobe. One aspect not to neglect before you hustle off to conquer the world is budgeting for a career clothing overhaul. Odds are, you’ve been living in the same college uniform for a while. My guess is, (being a guy) your daily collegiate wardrobe consisted of a couple dozen t-shirts, several sweatshirts with frayed sleeves and odd unexplainable stains and a few pairs of jeans.

What universal items should stock a working man’s wardrobe?

For those who need a traditional suit

• Classic Suit- Start with navy or gray. For those occasions when it comes in handy, a suit is a classic and should be a staple of every man’s wardrobe. Don’t skimp on quality, but do look for bargains. My best advice would be to get a reputable “local” tailor. A reasonable price might be about $450. Forget about designer for now as the going price starts at $800 and you will probably need alterations anyway. My suggestion (if you need working suits) is to get two. Either the classic 2 button or 3 button should work.

• Crisp White or Blue Dress Shirt- One of the most useful, adaptable items you can pick up. I suggest getting at least five (more if you are lazy about the laundry). Cotton polyester mix should be good. Places like LandsEnd selling decent working dress shirts. I would stick to the basic colors white and blue. You might get away with a yellow or pink you know how to color match. One word of advice, keep your shirt crisp and immaculately white. Nothing looks worse than an off white shirt masquerading as a white shirt.

• Ties- Try to pick up a minimum of three. A solid, a diagonal stripe and a basic pattern that incorporates several colors. You probably do not want to spend $150 on a Ferragamo tie. But you do not want one that is 100% polyester and looks cheap.

• Standard Shoes and Belt- Black or Brown, but keep it coordinating. Most guys find black is more universal in their wardrobe. Make sure your shoes are comfortable and try to buy reputable quality shoes. You do not have to break the bank but there are many poor quality brands that simply wear out very fast.

• A High Quality Overcoat- Like a suit, this is an investment. Buy as good a quality as you can afford. I personally bought my first winter coat at Century 21 in New York 15 years ago and I still use it!

• Underwear – need I say more. Consider your laundry cycle and get enough so that there is always one in the drawer!

Smart Casual Attire Wardrobe

If you end up with a tech firm or a start up and does not require formal wear, then here are some suggestions.

Khaki’s – The essence of casual classic. Again, buy smart, but quality. Pick up a few pairs; you’ll be glad you did. Suggested colors would be Navy Blue and Khaki Brown
Jeans – Go with clean, modern lines. Same with Khakis, at least a couple serviceable pairs.
Polo Type Collar Shirts – Get a minimum of five (once again more if you are not good at the laundry). Basic dark colors like Blue and White will do.
Dress Shirts – You should still get dress shirts as they go very well with Khaki’s.
Shoes – Casual shoes are a little trickier. But a pair of mocs should do.

Other non essential stuff which you probably already have

• Sunglasses – Alright, unless you are a lifeguard, this is not essential. But I think it makes sense to make a mental note of how many you should have so that you do not buy a new one every month just because “it looks cool”.

• Tuxedo – You will wear it a few times in your life – wedding, friends wedding, family’s wedding, funeral, the occasional black tie party. You can decide to rent or to buy. If you buy, then get it tailor made and have the most conservative design so that if you ever get invited to the white house for a formal dinner, you can wear it. (no fancy Versace’s).

I’ll stop here but the point that I want to get across is that I think that planning what you want in your wardrobe is very important. The reason is that, aside from budgeting, it helps prevent you from impulse purchases. For example, if I know you already have 7 dress shirts and they are all in good condition, then mentally, I will not be tempted to get a new shirt even if I see a really nice one. Same goes with Khaki pants and polo collared shirts. I find myself tempted when I hang at Factory Outlets with Mrs Credit Card! But when I remind myself that I already have all the T-shirts or dress shirts, then I’ll just move on and not be tempted.

Paying for your wardrobe

Suze Orman actually did say that it was OK to put your working clothes wardrobe on a credit card and carry the balance if you cannot pay it off because it is an investment in your future. My personal advice would be to disregard what she says and save up for your wardrobe way in advance. You do not have to buy them all at once. Chances are that you have half of the items I listed. In fact, I always recommend that on major purchases, you save up for it, and when you buy them, put them on either you student credit card. Better still, charge them to a cash back credit card or gas credit card or any type of reward card to earn reward points or cash rebates! Then make sure you pay it off at the end of the month.

For guys, I suggest you forget about cutting your own bangs just to save a few bucks!

Final thoughts: So here are some tips to stay on budget track and look your career best:

Before you go out on a huge shopping spree, I suggest you:

1. Evaluate what you have – T-shirts, sweaters, underwear, jackets, jeans, take a gander at all of it and determine what has any more life or can be resurrected in another form, (as in a T under a sweater, or anything still serviceable). Do not buy what you cannot afford, which is a basic rule of shopping (and budgeting). Therefore, try to salvage what you can within reason.

2. Determine your career field-to-be – is it polished and totally professional in attire? Completely casual? Something in between? Spend a few minutes pondering that one. It will help you determine if you need trousers vs. casual pants, and/or how many of each.

3. Prepare – No matter how casual the job, odds are you are going to need a few pulled together staples for occasions such as client meetings, company events or even interviewing for a job.

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After enduring a morning of cleaning yesterday, I abandoned my domestic duties when Matt arrived so I could whisk us to (hopefully) livelier terrain. Because I needed to GET OUT! and so, in a rather dazed sweaty state, into the car we tumbled.

We were on a quest. An adventure of the open road. (I turned into the park.) Today we’d purge our bosoms of wanderlust and trample through The Great Unknown. (I chose my favorite path.) We were stuck in the outback, roaming an enchanted forest of ancient legends and mystery trees, pushing through the Julian Alps. Wild berries and mushroom patches became our white stars of edelweiss.

A rustling caused me to motion for Matt to slow down. What wilderness was skulking beyond this isolated and unfrequented bend? A Slovenian boar? Were we about to experience a morbid encounter with a mouth full of bear teeth, preparing to rend away our fleshy parts? It could be a god damned mountain lion!

(Wait. Do mountain lions exist throughout Europe? Well, shit. Within these rugged corners, they do.)

I tensed with ears pricked and was greeted by a chubby squirrel rolling a moss-covered acorn across the footpath, the process interrupted as the fellow took a moment to scrutinize us before shepherding his generous haul into a private pocket of woodland. How beastly.

We pushed our way through Rattlesnake Creek; a goose splashed at the rowdiness of water bugs and dragonflies that were enjoying casual nibbles at his feet in the raw lazy afternoon. And we lingered to drink it all in, these luminous droplets of summer.

The moments withered away and finally, we — our bellies full of adventure, faces flushed from the attempt of penetrating the unknown — trekked back to the car. I swerved a few miles down the road to avoid the carcass of a turkey vulture splayed across the gritty highway. A turkey buzzard! We marveled, as we’d never seen such a sight.

And so we moseyed home in contentment.

=^..^=

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