Frugality is the Newest Fad

It's official; thriftiness is no longer a mindset for just us college students. With economic conditions in a crazy downward spiral, more and more Americans are making do with a lot less. I noticed, though, that this new frugality isn't just about spending less, it's about making your dollar go further. And if anyone's an expert on stretching every dollar, it's a college student.

So in the spirit of thriftiness, I've compiled a list of my top five ways to be frugal:

1.) Make Walmart your new best friend. It's the one-stop shop that's not too hard on your wallet.

2.)Banish all thoughts of buying brand-name goods. Let's face it: in the end you are just paying more for the name.

3.) Clip coupons religiously.

4.) Cut out the $4 Starbucks coffees. You can make a pot of coffee for under 50 cents!

5.) Skip the exotic vacations.  Turn your home into your dream vacation spot. Run a bubble bath, light some scented candles, buy a bottle of wine, and treat yourself to a day at your home-made spa. The key is to get creative!

Follow these 5 simple tricks and you'll be a thrift expert in no time!

North Dakota has a Basket of Goodies

Right now, North Dakota is the place to be. Why? Well earlier this afternoon I was scanning the Bismarck Tribune's Sunday paper, and I came across a interesting article in the Money section. Basically, the article centered around the fact that while our nation as a whole is facing a daunting economic crisis, North Dakota seems to be floating quite safely through this economic storm. In fact, the Bismarck Tribune reports that North Dakota's unemployment numbers are holding constant; in some industries, the numbers are actually declining. North Dakota's labor statistics show an unemployment rate of 2.8 percent while the nation holds an unemployment rate of 6.5 percent. The Tribune also mentioned that certain industries within North Dakota such as health care, technical, and service/hospitality suffer from lack of workers. 

What does this mean to you? As college students, our ideal goal is to be placed in a great job upon graduation, so we can start paying off those dreaded school loans. With North Dakota's swelling numbers of job opportunities, our shared goal actually seems attainable. Sweet!

If you have a few years until graduation but still want to earn some cash, don't worry. The thousands of job opportunities include part-time jobs. From retail and food service to technical jobs, the abundance is evident. Where can you find information about these jobs? Check the employment section in the Bismarck Tribune's classified ads or go to www.FindCareersNow.com for employment openings. Happy Hunting!

Volunteering Could be a Big Payoff

Here is some exciting news about volunteering: it could possibly be your new way to pay off college debt! I recently read an article in the October 2008 issue of CosmoGirl about a proposal that would help college students (like you and me!) pay off debt in exchange for one year of public service. I was really interested (hello, what college student doesn't like money?!), so I researched this proposal further on the internet. I read a web article titled "Service Pays: Creating Opportunities by Linking College with Public Service" and found out that this proposed government-sponsored program is called Service Pays. Under this program you could earn around $13,000 each year for volunteer work. Volunteer opportunities include rebuilding cities after natural disasters and teaching in inner-city schools. 

Sound awesome? I thought so. The only catch is that this program still has to be passed as federal law. So now is the perfect time to introduce my next challenge: simply write a letter to your elected officials, asking them to endorse the Service Pays Program. If we can get enough people to send such letters, hopefully it will convince our legislature to put this proposal into action. Like I said, this is the perfect opportunity to exercise your political power. You have a voice, so use it!  

For more information about Service Pays, visit <http://www.hlpronline.com/Vol1No1/warren.pdf>.

Election Day: Take a Stand

 It's the final countdown. A mere 16 hours remain until election day. This is the perfect opportunity to meet my challenge of getting involved politically. Seriously, you should be jumping out of bed at the crack of dawn tomorrow to cast your vote. Okay, not quite that early. 

 Voting begins at 7 a.m. tomorrow. Students living on campus have the convenience of voting on campus. If you are a student living on the University of Mary's campus, you should go to the Benedictine Meeting Room located in the Benedictine Center. Make sure to bring your M-Card with you, as well as another photo ID like a driver's license that can verify your age. If you are living off campus, look up which precinct you fall under and vote in the designated place. It will probably be a school, a church, or some other public gathering place. Don't forget to bring an acceptable form of identification showing your street address. This is so you can prove that you are voting in the correct precinct. The voting locations will be open until 7 p.m., so you have almost the entire day to cast your vote.

 Feeling uninformed about the candidates? Need a quick refresher? Log on to:

<http://www.morningsun.net/elections/x282359313/On-the-issues-A-look-at-McCains-and-Obamas-stances>.

This is a great website because it lists both John McCain's and Barack Obama's stances on key issues. It offers a short summary under each issue, which makes 

for easy reading. As college students, we like easy reading.

This week's challenge: VOTE! You have a voice so use it!