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With your mind so muddled with details like classes, exams and papers, who has time to think about food? You might be heading into the new semester with plans to subsist solely on convenience food and packaged junk. We’re looking at you, ramen noodles! But as you’ll quickly discover, overdoing the processed foods will leave you feeling not quite full and not so nutritionally sound, either. You’re ready for a change. But how can you prepare nutritious meals that don’t cost a bundle or take hours of prep time? Is it even possible? You betcha! Here’s how: 1. Choose a food plan carefully If your school requires you to purchase a food plan, select one that best suits your needs instead of signing up for everything. If you love a big breakfast but prefer to go with lighter fare the rest of the day, consider purchasing breakfast only and eating the rest of the meals in the dorm. Paying for meals you won’t eat much of is like kissing your money goodbye. 2. Plan Lack of planning leads to the poorest choices. Take a few minutes at the beginning of each week – or even month – to plan and shop for your menu. This way, you won’t be stuck missing key ingredients when you need them most and then opting for expensive, unhealthy takeout food instead. 3. Learn how to shop If you’re using the kitchen, you’ll need to learn how to shop. Here are some quick tips to help you become a smarter consumer: Always use a list. You’ll spend less time and less money at the store. Look u…

In the words of writer Franklin Jones, “A bargain is something you don’t need at a price you can’t resist.”


And we couldn’t agree more. With the biggest spending season of the year looming ahead, it’s time to brush up on your shopping smarts. Don’t get caught springing for something you can’t afford! This year, give yourself the gift of an intact budget and a credit card balance that doesn’t haunt you for months or years to come. Here’s when that steal of a deal you can’t wait to show off to your friends is not such a bargain after all. 1. When you don’t need it The price might be right. But, if the heavily marked-down item is one you don’t need, you’re not getting a bargain at all. You’re just blowing money you could be using to put into savings or purchase stuff you actually  do  need. Those flashy signs and hyped-up ads are enough to blind the most discerning shopper, so think carefully before plunking down your money on sale items. If an item is marked down 75%, ask yourself: Would I ever buy this item at full price? Would I buy it if the price was slashed just 30%? 2. When it’s a faulty product Sometimes, it doesn’t pay to be cheap. If an item is retailing at a ridiculously low price, inspect it carefully. Hold it up to this checklist to determine its quality and durability: Where was it manufactured? If the product bears a designer label, but also has a “Made in China” tag stuck on it, you’re likely looking at a cheap knockoff that isn’t such a ba…

Are you desperate to own a home of your own? If that’s your dream, you are likely saving up, dollar by hard-earned dollar, until you have that magic number: 20% of your dream home’s total value. That’s what all the experts say, right? For the average American home, 20% amounts to a pretty big number. Throw in closing costs and you’ve got a small fortune to raise – and years to go until you reach your goal. It’s great that you’re putting money away toward what will likely be the largest purchase of your life, but there’s one huge mistake in your calculations:  You don’t need to put down 20%. Yes, you read right. The 20% myth is an unfortunate leftover from the era after the housing crisis, when out of necessity, access to credit tightened up. Thankfully, times have changed, and since FHA loans were introduced more than 80 years ago, mortgages have not required a 20% down payment. While it’s true that a higher down payment means you’ll have a smaller monthly mortgage payment, there are lots of reasons why this isn’t always the best road to homeownership. Let’s explore loan options that don’t require 20% down and take a deeper look at the pros and cons of making a smaller down payment. Loan options If you’d like to go the route of government-backed loans, these are your options: FHA mortgage: This loan is aimed at helping first-time home buyers and requires as little as 3.5% down. If that number is still too high, the down payment can be sourced from a financ…

It may seem like yesterday when you were getting your son or daughter off to preschool. And now you’re preparing him or her for college! The process of a child leaving home is a major milestone and is complex because of the emotions it generates. The reality, though, is that there are some very concrete things that need to be done to make this a smooth transition. Medical Preparation Schedule any necessary doctors’ appointments. A doctor may need to fill out college medical forms and can also write prescriptions for regular medications. This is an opportune time to make sure immunizations are current. If your child has been seeing a mental health professional, make an appointment there, too. You may want to ask for a letter describing your child’s issues in case you need it for support services. Also, decide if your child needs ongoing support from this professional or if you want to arrange for a new therapist at school. Your child needs easy access to medical insurance information. Will he or she use your private insurance? What about college health services? Make it easy for your child to get help if he or she gets sick. High School Issues Have your child check with the high school to make sure they’ve sent the latest high school transcript to the college. For your records, and for future college needs, request all high school records, including testing results. Pave the Way for Success If it’s appropriate for your child’s needs, make an appointment…

The kitchen is the heart of the home. It’s where we spend many hours whipping up delectable dishes to please every palate and food plan. It’s where we catch a quick morning chat over coffee and linger over dinners together in the early evening. The kitchen is where it’s at. It’s also the area of the home that sees the heaviest usage. All that food prep – and all that eating! – has your countertops, table, floors and appliances pulling full-time duty for hours each week. It is these reasons, beauty and practicality, that make kitchen renovations incredibly popular among homeowners. Give your kitchen a makeover, and you’ll almost feel like you’ve got a brand-new home. Wondering how to make that happen? We’ve got you covered! Whether you’ve still got an avocado-green fridge, circa 1978, or your kitchen looks like it sprang out of a magazine and just needs a quick touch-up, we’ll show you how to give it a facelift on a budget. Here’s 4 ways to bring your dream kitchen to life. 1.) Know your budget Before picking out your new countertops and appliances, sit down and crunch some numbers. You’ll have to scrimp and save a while, dip into existing savings or take out a loan to cover the costs of your renovations. A complete kitchen remodel can run you as much as $40,000, but there’s lots you can do on a smaller budget. When you’ve figured out how much you can spend, here’s what you’re looking at: With $5,000, you can give your kitchen a superficial touch-up that can p…