Let’s face it, the economy sucks right now. Not all of us can afford the things we want, and many of us are scraping by to make ends meet with the looming doom of student loans on our backs. It seems like the recession isn’t just some news-media craze, it is prodding its way into everything these days – even relationships!

Although talk of the economy seems to be everywhere, not everyone realizes the impact that it can have on relationships. Imagine your significant other having no worries because his parents dish out money at the drop of a hat (and then some), while you are fretting about next semester’s tuition. He may not understand the stress or the frustration because his financial situation (thanks to Mom & Dad) hasn’t changed like yours, and that in itself can complicate things.

Here’s some ways to keep money out of the picture in this economy:

1) Don’t make money an issue (or at least a big one) – This is very important! You are dating him because you like him, and whether or not you have money or you are having a hard time financially, it should not be a main staple in your relationship.

2) Communication – Be honest with him. If you think he bragging about his more fortunate life, tell him how it makes you feel. If you don’t feel right about going out to a fancy dinner that you can’t afford, tell him that. Although it’s important to not make money an issue (especially an underlying one in your relationship), it is important to talk about your worries.

3) Do not play the victim card – Even if you are having a hard time, it’s not right to throw your financial problems on someone else and expect him to pay for everything.

4) Gifts are nice – Presents and gifts are nice, but they aren’t required in a relationship. If your man tries to buy you nice things constantly, tell him that money can’t buy your love and let him know that you appreciate it, but you don’t expect it. And most of all, don’t forget to say thank you. Read More »

The holidays aren’t supposed to be about presents. They are about family, friends, charity and appreciating everything that we have.

Yeah, yeah.

We get that, but we still l-o-v-e the gifts! We love giving em and getting em (and then going to the store and getting all the deals on the gifts those other people returned).

This year CollegeCandy got new iPod speakers (woohoo!), a giftcard to Ikea (yayyy), and a 30 rack of Miller Light (yeah, our brothers aren’t too creative). Oh, and someone got us a Spin Spa… are they trying to tell us something? I mean, we shower daily almost daily. And we use a vanilla soap! Do we smell? Is it that obvious? Couldn’t someone have just told us!?

Anyways, moving on. We want to know what you got this year. Better yet, tell us: what is the best gift you have ever gotten? What about the worst?

Remember the days that you could glue pasta onto a piece of paper and call it a Christmas present for Mom and Dad? Those days are long gone, and choosing gifts for parents has become harder than ever. Not only do they always tell you, “I don’t really need anything,” when you want some answers, but you’re a student, and by Christmas that generally means you’re broke.

And, um, you only have a week left! Let us help:

Tips before you buy
-If you can make something your parents will appreciate, go for it. If you’re an art student, consider making a one-of-a-kind piece for your parents; it’s cheap and shows you are putting your education to good use.
-Before you go shopping, set a budget. Decide how much you want to spend on each parent and stick to it. Chances are your budget isn’t going to be very high, so if you want to splurge a bit, consider combining resources with your siblings. Not only will you have more money to work with, but your parents will appreciate that you are mature enough to cooperate.
-If your parents are together, consider buying one gift for both them. It can be something they can enjoy together, and you can either save money or get a more meaningful gift. Read More »

The economic crisis has not stretched my wallet to the breaking point just yet, but our intelligent President-elect does say that it’s going to get worse before it gets better, so I’m not about to dole out any more than I have to on holiday gifts this year.We all know the traditional ways of saving money on gifts (knitting scarves for everyone on your list, offering homemade coupons or baked goods in lieu of actual presents, etc.). But what if you do want to get actual gifts for people without going bankrupt? Try these hot tips to save some moola while doing your shopping.

Tip 1: Search/Clip Coupons

I ordered my dad $30 worth of merchandise from Land’s End the other day and almost had a heart attack when I saw that the shipping was $8. Let’s get real here—it does not cost $8 to send two turtlenecks via 7-day delivery. In my incensed state of rage, I went to Google and typed in “land’s end coupons”—and lo and behold, a page with a free shipping code on it popped up.

Deals like that are only a few clicks away, so make sure to search every time you buy something online. If you prefer to do your shopping in the flesh, cough up a few quarters for the Sunday paper and comb all the ads. You can clip coupons from there and learn about the hot sales going on near you. It takes extra time, but you’ll make up for it in extra money. Read More »

If you’re in a first serious relationship like I am, there are a lot of questions and doubts swirling around. Part of you wants to hold back emotionally because, after all, this is the first time, and it’s rare to strike gold the first time you go digging. But you are so happy and in love and you just know this is a biggie.

But what does that mean? And how do we navigate the rocky waters of a serious relationship? The only guides we have are cheesy sitcoms. Do we actually need to exchange letter sweaters? Make a fuss on the six-month anniversary? Spend every waking moment together, or have our own time? Talk about every little detail of our childhoods? Can we disagree on something big and still be happy together?

It can be a difficult job to sift through what expectations to set in a healthy, supportive relationship. The important thing, however, is to do just that and have a clear idea of what your expectations are. If you’re expecting flowers every week but the significant other doesn’t believe in giving gifts, someone’s going to get their feelings hurt. Or if going out with friends of the opposite sex is upsetting for one person but not the other, some ground rules should be set. Living the monogamous life has plenty of pitfalls, but the smart, communicative couple can avoid most of them. Read More »

I love my dad. But I hate shopping for him. He’s a fabulous man, but has picky tastes and isn’t exactly interested in the typical manly activities. If your dad is like my dad, he doesn’t play sports, nor does he watch them. You won’t find him on the golf course. He doesn’t spend a whole lotta time fishing. And he isn’t going to be caught dead playing any sort of video games.

Every time I look at a Father’s Day gift guide, I’m inundated with presents I know my dad wouldn’t be interested in. Sometimes I’m at a total loss for what to get this most important man in my life. If you’re in the same boat as me, take a look at my list of gifts every dad can enjoy, no matter what his hobbies might be:

1) Of-the-Month Clubs: These are my favorite go-to gifts for dad. Why? Because there is something for everyone. My dad’s a big foodie and when I got him the cheese of the month club, he went wild. He’s also a grill master so the year I got him the rub of the month club (yes, as in spice rubs for meats), he was more than happy. And beer of the month club? You just can’t go wrong with that (unless your dad doesn’t drink, and then, I do not recommend it).

Other of-the-month clubs that could make your dad love you forever (um, not that he wouldn’t anyway) include bacon of the month club, cookie of the month club, and ice cream of the month club. Of-the-month clubs are great for us gifters on a budget because they offer lots of options. You can usually get a membership to the club for anywhere from 3 months to the whole year. Read More »

Um. Why didn’t anyone tell me Mother’s Day was right around the corner? I thought I had at least a month to find something cute, thoughtful and cheap for my mom. Now I find out I have a few short days. Days. Uh oh?

Flowers used to be enough for Mama’s Day, but giving her something that will most definitely die (and cause her the pain of having to clean yet another vase) just isn’t right. My mother is the most generous and caring person around, so she deserves the best. She washed my laundry every time I came home from school to visit…even that going-out shirt I puked on the night before. She picks me up toilet paper at Costco when I am on my last roll and am this close to using newspaper. She sends me home with enough food for a month every time I stop by her house. And then she offers to come over and help me cook it.

I’m pretty sure your moms are the same.

Even though they may call too early on a Saturday morning, or say some ridiculous things via email, our moms really do deserve major appreciation. And if we can’t give it to them every other day of the year, then it is our duty to make Mother’s Day special. So, even though we are down to the wire on time, here are a few unique and special gift ideas for yo momma: Read More »

When I was in 6^th grade I made a mixed tape for my boyfriend. Side A was filled with songs I loved (and taped off of the radio); side B was songs about love (which included a lot of Mariah Carrey and a few jams from California Dreams). I decorated the tiny white label with pink hearts and our names. I adorned the outside of the tape case with glitter, stickers and a picture of the two of us at the most recent Bar Mitzvah. It was so romantic.

Soon, mixed tapes turned into CD mixes. People were tossing out their tape players and trading up to the Disc-Man and 6-CD changers. For me, CD Mixes were far superior to their antiquated predecessors. The CD’s shape and size provided much more space for decorations/proclamations of love. I was making mixes for everyone (friends, lovers) and everything (workouts, power hours); but I didn’t realize that my days of CD mixing were also coming to an end.

With the advent of the MP3 player (namely, the iPod) came an end to an era. People were getting rid of their standard music players of choice in favor of the smaller, sleeker MP3 players. Sure, I bought one (I am actually on number 3), but with this shift into the future I was yearning for the old days. I missed my mixed tapes!

I started scouring the internet for a tape player. I wanted to bring back the glory! Then I realized that just because I bought a tape recorder to make the tapes didn’t mean that the recipients would have tape players to play em. And then I found this. Read More »