Starbucks has a pretty bad rap. Lately, there has been the news that the coffee giant is closing 600 stores. But even before Starbucks had these financial difficulties many people saw the chain as a sort of representation of all that was wrong with capitalism; it was the big, heartless chain store closing down locally-owned businesses.

Starbucks does make a point to open up stores next to already established mom and pop coffee shops and wants to be the exclusive coffee vendor in the area but according to Slate Magazine, Starbucks actually helps these locally-owned or small chain stores.

“Just over the five-year period from 2000 to 2005—long after Starbucks supposedly obliterated indie cafes—the number of mom and pops grew 40 percent, from 9,800 to nearly 14,000 coffeehouses”

Because Starbucks isn’t like a big box store that offers cheap products at cheap prices, it’s not really undermining the often more-affordable local coffee shops. Indeed, Starbucks coffee is notoriously expensive (A recent survey says that 76% of Americans think it’s too expensive), but people choosing to spend more for their caffeine fix at the local ‘Bux is not hurting the cheaper, local shops.

I was listening to NPR the other day and they mentioned something called the “Latte Factor”, which is basically taking all the money that you would spend on coffee and similar “unnecessary” things and spending it more wisely, or investing it. It makes sense; the math they did indicates that if you buy one coffee a day (which is a tad unrealistic) then you spend around $1500 a year supporting your coffee habit. That’s $1500 dollars that I could be putting towards my credit card debt or investing so I can have money to put a down payment on a house. Or so they said. Read More »

I’ve simply never been the best with saving money. While I do always pay my bills on time and never go hungry, I am still fundamentally pretty hedonistic and tend to ‘blow’ any extra money I’ve got on anything shiny, fun, or alcoholic.

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. Read More »

When budgeting, I have two primary concerns that I think many college students share:

1) Pay rent to keep a roof of some sort over my recently highlighted head.
2) Social spending, as in, how many nights a week do the remaining funds allow for.

Please note that these are not necessarily considered in that order, which can cause trouble.

Depending on whether your college town is ridiculously expensive (see: going to college in a major city) or suuuper cheap (see: anyplace where drinks are less than $4.00 each or has promotions like “dollar long island night”), your bank account is going to take a very different sort of beating by means of your social budget.

But food is an essential, and when takeout can cost more than your bar tab, grocery shopping to save some green is a great habit to have. Read More »

I read an interesting article today about young people living with their grandparents after college graduation. Not only is it saving them thousands of dollars in rent, but their elderly relatives and extended family get a sense of security having someone else in the house. I’d bet a few home cooked meals every week probably aren’t too bad either.

But could you do it? I have two surviving grandparents who live approximately 1,300 miles away. While I love them to death, I tend to get frustrated when either one comes to visit for longer than a week. It could be one Grandma’s church sermons on DVD or the way her clothes smell like moth balls and White Diamonds. My other Grandmother usually enlists me to start ghostwriting her cookbook. We get about 2 pages in before she lays down for a nap and forgets about the project.

I think the novelty of sharing memories and getting buddy-buddy in the TV room would wear off pretty quick. No more loud-parties, early bed times and a digital divide as wide as a Grand Canyon would irritate me to no end. But if you’re thinking about giving it a try, the article’s author has a few tips: Read More »

I may be living on a McDonalds budget these days, but growing up with some of the finer things in life have left me with some Caviar taste.

I am not talking about yachts or private jets; more like pretty handbags and a little bit of pampering. And while I can’t always afford the things I adore, I have become quite deft at finding deals on some of life’s little luxuries. Like the manicure. Nothing makes me feel good at the end of a rough week like a good finger soak and coat of Wicked.

But, even with the low prices at many nail shops these days, throwing away $12 on something that is going to chip, crack and have to be re-done in a week is hard for a lady on a budget.

Doing it yourself, though, is easier than you think and will save you tons of money without having to sacrifice a sexy set of hands. Read More »

One of the most annoying things about college is moving every year. Not only do you finally get comfortable in your new pad only to have to pick up and move to another one, but you also realize how much crap you have. And if you are like me you get annoyed with all the packing and throw a lot of your stuff away.

Which makes for quite an expensive pile of trash. Add that to all your neighbors doing the same thing and you have yourself a nice little collection of goodies; a lot of it still in very good shape. Good enough, some argue, to take for themselves.

Who are those people? Well, the Freegans, of course. I was first introduced to Freegan culture while reading an article in the New York Times the other day. “Freegans are scavengers of the developed world, living off consumer waste in an effort to minimize their support of corporations and their impact on the planet, and to distance themselves from what they see as out-of-control consumerism.” Read More »