No matter what age we are, most of us have spent a little time in the poor house. Most people survive college on bread crumbs and ramen noodles; and for the unlucky ones who weren’t able to get a job straight out of college (like me), the famine continues. But that doesn’t mean we have to spend day in and day out bemoaning our sickly bank account. Here are some tips on banking something that can be as free as a smile: fun!                 Volunteer. My cousin works a full time job and still volunteers at a local hospital. If you’re having a tough time finding a paying gig, consider giving …

Everyone knows that with the good comes the bad. You’re not going to build good habits without having to break up with some bad ones. Building good habits, like adopting a healthier lifestyle and saving money, requires sacrifice. Most of the time, it means falling off the wagon a few times before getting to day 29. If you’re struggling with giving the heave to bad habits, here are some tips to Popeye-up that inner strength you’ve been lacking.                 Accountability.  Accountability is the key to breaking every bad habit - especially with weight loss. Think about it – you’re less …

We all know what they say: it takes 28 days to build or break a new habit. Depending on which you’re trying to do, those 28 days can be the fastest four weeks of your life or the longest. To build new, good habits, first decide what you want to make a habit and the sky’s the limit. Waking up earlier or drinking less carbonation are among some good habits to pick up. Here are a few tips for getting a jump start on those changes:                 Learn a new sport. Some people think you have to be young to learn a new sport, but you don’t. If you want to make regular exercise a new habit, it’s …

Now that you’ve found your perfect fall boot, there’s only one thing left to do: build an outfit around it! We all know that shoes can make an outfit, but they can’t be the outfit. Putting together a fun fall wardrobe means getting your hands on a few simple things. Here are a few tips on what you’ll need to be fashion-forward this season.              Eagle-eye. Check out what’s on the racks at the name brand stores and then head over to your favorite outlet stores and grab the same designs for a nifty price. Try online through eBay or Amazon. If you’re looking to save a few bucks, you can …

If you’ve been to a clothing store recently, you’ve probably noticed an overabundance of fall fashion. When the seasons change, a lot of great things happen: seasonal markdowns, drastic sales and in fall, the incredibly versatile boot starts to walk its way onto racks. If you’re looking for your next pair of trusty kicks, here are some tips for finding your perfect fit!                 Do the footwork. Unless you have absolutely no desire to find the best deal possible, you have to shop around. I went to six stores before I found my pair of boots. I wandered around day after day finding one …

As a woman in my twenties, it’s safe to say I’ve been to a few bridal showers in my day. I’ve had friends and family get married left and right over the past few years. So when I see a lacy envelope in the mail, I know what it means: an invitation to another bridal shower. Here are some tips to have a blast at a bridal shower.                 Game On. Some games are seriously outdated, but they're still a bridal shower staple. You know the ones I’m talking about; they embarrass and bore everyone and always end with the bride yawning in the corner. Depending on the bride and the bridal shower …

Fall is just around the corner now and that means there will be more fall weddings in the air than colorful leaves on the ground. Since many couples like to do outdoor destination weddings in the mountains or state parks to take full advantage of mother nature’s beauty when the leaves start to change, you’ll probably be getting an invitation for an out of town wedding soon. Here are some tips to make the best of your trip.                 Research. Sure, it might be somebody else’s day, but if you’re going somewhere beautiful, historical or unique, be sure to set aside time before the …

Labor Day is when most people either run to the beach one last time before the summer fades, or feast on an annual BBQ cookout with family. But if you’re looking for some different options this year, look no further. There are more ways than one to spend a 3-day weekend with friends and family.                 Be a pioneer. That’s right – do all the outdoorsy things to say farewell to summer for the year: go camping, sit around a campfire and tell ghost stories with the family. While everyone else will be standing in lines at water parks and trying to find a clear spot on the beach for their …

Whenever I think of natural disasters, I usually think about faraway tsunamis in Japan and wild fires in Australia. As a life-long east coaster, I don’t think about an earthquake and a hurricane tag teaming. But that’s just the type of week we’re having on this side of the U.S. So if you’re caught in the clutches of a natural disaster or two, here are a few things not to do in order to survive.                 Play in rising waters. When the Weather Channel covered Hurricane Irene making landfall, there were locals in the background of the camera frame “seizing the day.” Dozens of them were …

Believe it or not, finding a decent car rental for a few days is monumentally harder than getting a great deal on a flight. Not only that, but there are more variables with car rentals, such as hidden taxes, fees (like a damage waiver) and insurance. You have to watch your back with some car companies more than others, as well. So, before you hyperventilate from the stress, here are a few tips.                 Shop around. Nothing is as competitive as a car company. If you’re lucky, you’ll land in an airport like Las Vegas, where there are literally a corral of car rental companies next to …

Summer vacation may be over now, but it won’t be long before the holidays start hitting in succession. And when those are over, there tends to be cross-country wedding or an emergency visit to grandma, oh, and let’s not forget the weekend escapes we all need from time to time! Of course, each trip requires a pricey ticket purchase.  If you’re an amateur at booking flights, it’s easy to become overwhelmed with baggage fees, airline surcharges and finding the best price. Here are a few tips for breathing easier during those times.                 Flexibility. Yep. Being an early bird will get …

One of my best friends recently bought her first house with her husband. As a good friend, I wanted to celebrate her exciting transition homeownership. But when she invited me to a housewarming party, I wasn’t sure what to do. I’d heard of housewarming parties, but I had never been to one. For those of you as clueless as me about housewarming, here are a few tips to follow so you don’t look like a bad friend.                  Back to basics. Yes, any time there is a party celebrating something, bring a gift. Gifts for a new homeowner are cheap and easy. Traditional ones have positive meanings…

I’ve moved four times in my life and every time has been stressful. I’m not a pack-rat and I have never owned any furniture except a mattress, until I got married last year. A handful of boxes and some trinkets folded up in big plastic bags stressed me out so much that I panicked and started giving things away to Goodwill. Yeah, I was never very prepared for moving. So if you’re facing an upcoming move, here are a few tips to keep you from throwing out a family heirloom in angst.                 Don’t procrastinate. Funny how every time I have ever moved I have misjudged the process, …

There are dozens of sleep aids and remedies for falling asleep fast on the market, but what about this business of waking up? I don’t know about any of you, but I am like a dragon in the morning. When my older brother was charged with being my alarm clock back in middle school, he would come through the door with a pillow as a shield to make sure I didn’t do any long term damage! Waking up is a major task for some of us – especially children. Sometimes it doesn’t matter how much sleep we get, it matters what time we wake up. So here are a few tips that can help siblings survive dangerous …

When my sister told my family she was planning to home school her children, we were all kind of confused. My siblings and I had gone to both public and private schools and we didn’t really understand what was wrong with doing the same for our kids. Our first thoughts went sadly recalled typical, movie stereotypes where the kids were socially awkward, shy and hard to get along with because of being, what many call, too “sheltered.” But going to college and meeting quite a few home schoolers changed all of that in my mind. So if you’re thinking about going the home school route, here are some …

I never dreaded anything as much as I did the beginning of August. I knew it meant going back to school and having homework come between me and everything else I preferred to do. When I see the stampede of parents dragging kids through stores and pushing a shopping cart full of supplies, I know it’s back to school time again. Between finding deals and comforting children who aren't excited about the end of summer break, it can get a little hectic. So here are some tips to save some money and get a little more pep in your step.                 Shop Around. My sister-in-law introduced me to …

I once knew a guy who wanted to be a cowboy one week and a pastor the next. I myself wanted to be a professional figure skater and a tennis star when I was a kid. Ah, dreams: they can come from out of nowhere, but they have a way of grabbing a hold of your heart so tightly that nothing can shake it. When you have a dream to do something, be something or go somewhere, it feels as if it’s your sole purpose to do that and no one can convince you otherwise. If you have a realistic dream - whether it’s being the next Chipper Jones or building a house you designed yourself - it’s time to get …

Magazines, moms and television try to make cooking look so easy. But there are those of us out there who really don't get along with our kitchens. It's a constant battle between good and evil; it can turn ugly when stoves are left and skin accidentally gets burned. There aren't enough therapists in the world to ease the tension between a novice cook and a sadistic kitchen. Still, here are a few pointers for surviving the daily encounter. Face your fear. Be Batman! Well, kind of. Don’t pick up the secret life of a vigilante suddenly or anything; face your fear of the kitchen, the utensils, the…

While working in a psychiatrist's office for two years, I saw everything from addicts to schizophrenics come through the doors. Until I started working there, I had never heard of codependency—even though I’d seen it in the behavior of others all of my life. It turns out the behavior is quite common. Merriam-Webster defines codependency as "excessive emotional or psychological reliance on a partner, typically a partner who requires support due to an illness or addiction." Basically, it's what happens when common sense gives way to good intentions. Get a grip. So many people who have suffered …

When I first got my license, my father always told me to be a defensive driver and now I know what he was talking about. There’s no escaping bad drivers. The only way to avoid one is to be the only vehicle on the road and, well, since we’re in Atlanta, we don’t have that option. It’s the highway or no way here. So, before you get a ticket for road rage, here are a few tips for keeping cool during heated traffic jams. Share the road. Leave a little room between you and the car in front of you for someone who might need to get over. This keeps drivers from getting desperate and forcing their …