Why We Are So Bad at Buying Happiness
"Those who say that money can't buy happiness aren't doing it right." Have you heard that joke before? Well, it turns out that there is more than a kernel of truth in there. People are generally bad at buying happiness because: 1. We buy to keep up with the Joneses / ...
Hair, Hair, Everywhere – the Recession Edition
I wrote a hair post in both 2007 and 2008, so I suppose it's only appropriate to continue the tradition in 2009! This post is dedicated to recession's impact on hair budgets. The recession is a major reason why I've been neglecting my hair a bit during these past several months: ...
Experience, Not Stuff
Experience, not stuff: I've decided to make this my mantra to live by. It'll be hard, because I like nice things (ex: shoes), but guess which of the following I remember the most? (a) A $100 leather jacket purchased in Buenos Aires, that I've worn ONCE in 3 years. (b) A $45 hour-long horse ride on ...
What Sex And The City Taught Me About Love, Life, and Money
Sex And The City: The Movie is coming out in May! I am so, so excited, and I'm betting that many Sex And The City feel the same way. Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte, and Miranda - you ladies have been missed! (By the way, I love the photo below - head-to-toe ...
5 Year Travel Plan: Making Your Travel Dreams a Reality
I've been struck by a bad case of the travel bug lately... I haven't been out of the country since 2007, which seems like a long time. CB and I are saving for Galapgos, but we also want to travel quite extensively in the intervening months before our Big Galapagos ...
Graduate School: (When) Should I Go?
Graduate school is a significant undertaking both in terms of time and money. During the last few months, I've felt some pressure from concerned family members about going to graduate school. I know they only want the best for me, but I'm glad I followed my gut instinct and ...
Should Parents Pay For College Education
A college education has, for a large percentage of society, become the de rigueur entry-level degree. "Should parents pay for college education" is a question where the answer is always, "it depends." In today's economic climate, I imagine that many parents are having the difficult talk with their kids ...
Free GMAT Study Resources
Taking and prepping for standardized tests isn't cheap, fortunately, there are many free study resources available online. I've taken advantage of most of these resources when I was preparing for my test last year. Hopefully you will find them helpful as well. Free Online Study Materials The GMAT Uncovered by ManhattanGMAT: A ...
7 Steps In Overcoming Rejections In Job Search
Rejections during job search are disappointing, to be sure. Nobody likes to be told that they were qualified candidates, but the management has decided to go in another direction. In this environment, however, rejections are common-place through out the job search and interview process. After the initial disappointment wears off ...
How to Host a Dinner Party On a Budget
Hosting a dinner party is always fun, but right now I need my get-togethers to be budget-friendly as well. Remember when I made crab cakes? That was for a group of 5 or 6 friends. The crab cakes were delicious and everyone loved them, but, crabs are expensive! Two pounds ...
Pure Altruism - Does it Exist?
Every time the holidays come around, feel-good human-interest stories surface. This is a time to give to others, help those in need, and realize that the world is not as cutthroat or as competitive as we may believe. But is it true? Can people be purely altruistic? The authors of Superfreakonomics (the ...
The Price of Addiction To Argentine Tango
It's happened. I fell for the sultry dance, hard. (I even made its own category!) I leave class with a big smile on my face. I read Argentine tango forums and blogs. I fall asleep thinking of boleos and molinetes. I'm not sure how my wallet feels about the possible financial ...
Old Cars: Unsung Heroes of Personal Finance
New Cars are shiny, gleaming, loaded with the latest technology and features. New cars get the big commercials on TV, where they swerve confidently in snow storms, zoom down idyllic country lanes, and maybe even dance a little to the sound of a state-of-the-art in-car sound system near a trendy ...
Disney World Recap
I realized that I haven't really talked about my Disney World adventure (aside from the Dining Plan review) on this blog yet... and well, that oversight must be rectified! If you have any specific questions about Disney World, please ask away and I'll do my best to answer. We Got To ...
Job Fairs: How to Prepare So You Stand Out
Job fairs can be a great opportunity for applicants to interact with many different companies. But if you don't prepare adequately, job fairs can be a disaster. Last week, I attended a job fair - prior to the event I debated whether I should go. I had heard the horror ...
How To Practice Safe and Responsible Credit Card Use
Wait, you mean you never had a credit card education class in school? Okay, me neither. The quality of education these days! But there's no reason that high schools or colleges shouldn't offer a class like this. After all, credit card education isn't an awkward topic like the other type of ...Best Posts
Things I pontificate about ’cause it’s my blog! 
Is it okay to say carpe diem and take on debt to travel? I probably wouldn’t, but I am trying to build a You Only Live Once fund for all my big-ticket travel dreams. If you’re broke but still want to see the world, you can find ways to live, study, or visit another country for free.
Despite lots of existential college angst due to my liberal arts degree, I decided not to go to law school. One of my favorite shows is Sex and the City, and here are the lessons I’ve learned from Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte, and Samantha. Who says TV can’t be educational?
I also decided not to live at home after graduation, even though that would’ve saved me money. Now I’m financially independent in all the big things (rent, loans, etc.) but I’m still not a girl, not yet a woman…
Not to mention the 20s are a weird time… I feel like an in-betweener. How do you decide when life would be, well, normal life, and when it should be an adventure?
I’ve gotten better about not spending money on clothes or shoes (and learning to buy the shoemaker instead). But I will ALWAYS make room in my budget for books. I am also hopelessly in love with Argentine tango, and will do everything necessary to fund my obsession hobby. But it’s so hard to put your passion on a budget!
This is one of my favorite short stories of all time. Oh, and I also spend money on my hair, but apparently my hair budget is quite in line with many other girls. Of course, now that the economy has gone down the tubes, I’ve lost that spending feelin’. If my house was burning down, I’d grab this and run.
Curious about what other people’s food budget is? Well, you can take a peek here. If you’re looking for good book recommendations, here you go! While you’re reading, why not kick back with some nice homemade cupcakes? Or, if you prefer something healthier, how about a poached egg?
If you are curious about who some of my readers are, look here. And if you are a lurker, why not comment & de-lurk? It’s fun, I promise. And if reading about my financial life leaves you thirsting for more, check out the 20-something money stories published on this site.
Oh, and did I mention I love the tango?
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So far as books, one day I got an email from Amazon to join their Amazon Vine program. It sounds so good I thought it was a joke, but it is basically free books they send you to keep, so long as you review 75% of what you receive, and I think they selected me based on a lot of book reviews I had done for them. Book selections tend to be towards modern and some are unedited manuscripts but it IS a way to get free books, which is what you mention here (budget for books). Never stop reading voraciously, what a fabulous habit. I am happy to be developing mine the last few years too!