Hunter.

I love these rain boots. They are so extremely comfy and they are great for when its wet outside and still warm or when its snowy/rainy and cold!

They come in all different types of colors. The Hunter Socks come in a variety as well for when you want to get some extra warmth. You don't necessarily have to buy their socks. Thats what leg-warmers are for!

They come in short or tall. They range in price.  It all depends where you go. I have found them cheaper on overstock.com and zappos.com. I would recommend going into a store and trying them on first.

This is another item, I would agree to invest in. Living in St. Louis, You will get much needed use out of them!

But, If that price is still too steep, Target, Urban Outfitters, Macys and etc..have some good rain boots for  under 100 dollars and even 50 bucks!

Have fun splish splashying around town!

Burr..It's Cold Outside.

Living in St. Louis, your never too sure about how the weather is going to be like.  One day it will be 70 and the next it will 30 degrees outside. Its great to have a variety of jackets and coats. If its not too cold out you can always pull out your favorite cardigan or sweatshirt.

I love my leather jacket for the not so cold days. It keeps me warm, but not to the point where I am sweating!

When looking for your winter coat, make sure its something you really want and not something that you will want to get rid of come next year. Make sure there is enough room for if you decide to wear a sweater or something chunky underneath. Of course, make sure its warm enough!

Happy Coat Shopping!

Sorry Mom, I’m Just Not So Holly and Jolly Right Now

Yeah that’s right.  We said it.  Us college kids (much like the two girls pictured above) are not exactly thrilled about this time of year.  At the moment there isn’t to much to celebrate.  We are bogged down with:

*wrapping up the semester

*studying for finals and preparing for final presentations

*getting one step closer to the real world they speak of

*maybe even preparing for graduation now or soon

All the while trying to keep a job schedule to make a minimal amount of money to hang out in your bank account until your real career comes along to fill it, we hope.  This all can get overwhelming, especially around the holidays.  Because holidays mean family time, which is… um… fun but also a little stressful, especially if you have a long list of relatives to shop for.  Well Gorloks, get ready to set free some of that anxiety you’ve been clinging onto because I have got a holiday family gift plan for you.

Gifts For Family

Remember when you were little and your mom liked it best when you made her gift?  Yep I said it. Hey, desperate times call for desperate measures right? You can make your mom, dad, aunt, uncle, sister, brother, etc a homemade gift they are sure to love.  And you know why?  Because you know them best.  Here’s how. 

For The Men

For the men in your family, baking is always a great solution.  Uncle bob loves your peppermint chocolate bars.  Grandpa Jack kicks it old school with the traditional yet delicious chocolate chip cookies.  And your brother likes those “little puffy yellow cloud cookie things” more commonly known as gooey butter cookies.  Baking a personalized homemade dessert tray filled with each family member’s favorites is thoughtful and something anyone will enjoy.  Trays can be found cheaply at your local dollar store, Walmart, Target, or Hobby Lobby.  You can add a touch of Christmas to any tray with a bag of red and green M&Ms sprinkled around the desserts. 

For the Women

For the women, try creating a favorite meal gift basket, which includes their favorite cooking ingredients.  For example, your Italian mother loves more than anything else to cook her famous pasta dish with red wine for everyone to share.  So you get the recipe (print it on Christmas card stock), buy the ingredients (food from Shop ‘N Save on coupon Thursdays and great wine selection at Friar Tucks), and put it in a cute basket (Hobby Lobby has half of baskets almost always).  Finish it off with a big bow and the ladies in your family will be touched that you put so much thought and effort into their homemade gift! 

Both the sweets for the men and the gift basket for the women are thoughtful gifts that won’t completely drain your bank account.  So let’s hear it Gorloks, what is it that this year that has you actually excited about the holiday break?  Find any awesome gift ideas for the fam that are actually affordable?  We want to hear about it!  And remember when thinking of gifts for friends, get togethers are a much better way to enjoy the holidays.  For more detailed information on this particular subject read the previous blog entry entitled, “Parties > Presents”.   Happy Holidays and try to put a holly and jolly back in your life.  I think we all deserve it after a long semester is coming to an end… finally.

Katlin

we're learning about zappo's

Well, it definitely feels like a Monday. And it's cold and rainy. And it's the first day back from the Thanksgiving mini-break. Sigh. And I'm stuck in a looong night class (sorry Travis). The break was pretty good though. We did the Thanksgiving thing with the fam. Got stuck working Black Friday at good ol' Home Depot. It wasn't all that crazy compared to the big stores like Target, Walmart and Best Buy. We had a few good buys, well, that is, if you needed a 12gal ShopVac or 13' Extension Ladder. Right.

I cannot seriously think of one thing (not even that ShopVac) that would make me get up at the ass crack of dawn to go wait outside a store with a bunch of other retards, some of which may or may not be prone to random acts of violence. But I guess if you're willing to risk it, you can find some pretty good stuff for a pretty good price and certainly take care of a few people for Christmas.

This year my family decided to do a Secret Santa gift exchange instead of the normal buy-presents-for-everyone thing. I mean, I like getting presents, but I suppose I'm getting a little too old to be running around opening stacks upon stacks of gifts shouting happily. Damn. Anyway, sooo, Secret Santa. We drew names over Thanksgiving and assigned a $30 price tag that we decided was more than reasonable. I got my Aunt Tracy. She's requested a Kohl's or Walmart gift card. I hate Walmart so I'm not gonna lie, it's probably gonna be Kohl's. I hope she's surprised.

I like Christmas with Shawn's family because we've started playing Rob Your Neighbor. It's usually like 20 bucks worth of gift and we all start with one and then when it's your turn, you take whoever's gift that seems more interesting. Or pretty. Or less like a box of crap. Last year I almost got stuck with a butterfly windmill. Definitely a close call. I immediately dropped to my knees and thanked Jesus. Ended up with a plant. It's dead now. No, I didn't kill it. It was an annual. They die. Geez.

With all of that, we're pumped to go Christmas shopping, which usually means we'll end up going last minute and regretting it. We already bought pretty wrapping paper on sale from Target though. Oh yeah, and bows. Shiny ones.

briana :)

Parties > Presents

Thanksgiving has just barely finished and Christmas is barreling towards us with full force.  For most, this means a healthy serving of joy with an abundance of stress on the side.  Christmas has become a holiday focused on gift giving.  And if you are a broke college student like us, that can be terrifying (A.K.A. expensive).  There is a solution to spending a lot of money on all your friends during the holidays.  That solution is a party. 

The Party Plan

You may be thinking throwing a party is expensive.  Why would I throw a party, which cost money, and buy present for everyone?  Well, the key here is to be in charge of the party plan with a few your closest friends. 

*Send invites through facebook to the whole guest list, which cuts back on invitation fees.

*Tell all of your guests to bring their beverage of choice and a $5 gift, a funny gift they don’t want anymore, a re-gift, etc.  Be creative with it!

*Decorate your place with holiday decorations, which you already do so that’s no extra cost.

*Create a music playlist, filled with your favorite holiday songs. 

*Each friend planning the party should buy finger foods, which are quick and easy.  This way people don’t expect a sit down dinner and with the food split up it saves on cost for one person.

Prep Work

Once all of your friends have been invited and know of the $5 gift and beverage plan, you can start decorating and purchasing the food.  The decorations will be essential to creating the right holiday mood.  Have the party at the party planning friend’s place with the best space and best decorations.  Make sure to help out with decorating, even if it’s not at your place (it makes the job more fun and finish quickly).  Have one person in charge of music (whoever has the biggest holiday song selection and a keen ear for crowd  favorites).  Make a list of everyone’s favorite finger foods and divide them up equally, price-wise.  Remember, you can find some extremely economic snacks at your local dollar store. 

Paaaaartay

Once the date of your party has arrived you can do just that… party.  Having a team effort on throwing this festive event helps out a great deal with stress levels and cost.  Also, you can rest assured your friends will never think you forgot about them when it’s Christmas gift time.  I mean who doesn’t love a good party, good friends, and a hilarious gift exchange? 

Have any tips for throwing a holiday party of your own or saving money on gifts for friends?  Let us hear all about it.  We welcome all suggestions that will save us money and make the holidays a little more joyful and a little less stressful. 

Katlin 

  

It's That Time Of Year...

For Holiday Parties!

This is going to be geared more towards females, sorry fellas!
Finding the perfect dress and accessories is even more stressful then going to the actual event.

Some key things to keep in mind!
- Don't buy a dress or accessories that you will never wear again!
- Buy a dress that is perfect for your body type; just because you see it on someone else; doesn't always mean it's going to work for you!
- Please No Ugg boots! I don't care how cold it is! (I've seen it been done before)

Dresses Under $50.
- H&M
- Forever 21
- Charlotte Russe
- Nordstrom BP
- American Eagle

You don't necessarily have to go with a dress.

There is always a skirt and top.

-The top can be as simple as a tshirt tucked into the skirt.

-Pants and Blazar or Jacket of some sort.

-Embellished,Sequined, Plain.

I'm really loving the leather leggings as an alternative.

They are much dressier then a simple legging. 

Accessories are a great way to add oomph to any outfit!
Back to the tshirt into a skirt outfit choice...
- A great statement necklace can liven up the shirt.
Bracelets, rings, earrings!
-Just make sure they don't clash! Layering neckalaces and bracelets are another way.
Don't wear a bunch of necklaces and bracelets, so while you walk you don't jingle and somebody thinks you're SANTA!

I also love headbands. If your dress, shirt, blazar already has some type of embellishment on it, then this is a great way to add something but not be too overpowering. Forever 21 has a fantastic selection for under 7 bucks!

Lastly , what are you going to put all your stuff in?

A clutch , oversized, tiny or medium!

A chain linked bag!  

Remember- You can always mix colors and prints.

Those color clutch makeup bags, that sometimes come in gift sets are great!

Don't overfill your bag. It's not your everyday purse.

Keep:

-Lipstick /Chapstick/Gloss

-Powder

-CellPhone

-Femine Product (If Necessary)

-Camera

That is just some core basics that would be kept.

If you need medicine or something else, go ahead and throw that in. 

Finding & Decorating Your New Pad.

When you're a junior or senior you start looking for a new pad. Freshly moved out of the dorms and you're starting that "real" world experience.

Some sites that I found helpful to look for a new place are Padmapper.com. Its quite cool, just type in the location of where you are thinking and it will show all apartments posted on different sites. Of course, craigslist.

Once you find your heavenly new pad, it's time to Decorate!

Flea Markets and Garage Sales are the cheapest most inexpensive way to decorate. The key is digging and searching. Remember, just lots of patience! At these, you can find some cool vintage finds.

Craigslist, just has about everything. There are bedroom sets, couches and more on this site. All of it for relatively cheap. Since most of the time, you need to go to someone's house to look at it or pick it up, don't go by yourself. (I know, common sense).

Target is another great place. They have everything possible you can think of. Their sales are great too. I found a sheet set for 10 bucks! They also have this really cute dinning set with four different colored and simple chairs.

There are also different boutiques in the area that sell furniture. One store in particular is Pizazz in the loop. Granted, they don't have beds, but futons! They are a great cheaper alternative to couches. Plus, if somebody crashes at your pad, it turns into a bed!

Some somewhat expensive stores with great sales are Urban Outfitters and Anthropologie. Granted when you hear those names, especially Anthropologie, you're like what!? I was in there the other day and they had these really neat doorknobs on sale for 2 dollars.

Dishes, Dishes and more dishes. Again, Target! The dollar store and TJ Maxx have great dishes for a lower price. Some are simple and some have a design.

Remember, people aren't going to come to your house and be like eww..dollar store. How would they know anyways?!

Here are a couple of tricks that I mentioned a little bit before:
- Futons for Couches
- Chairs - can be those butterfly chairs, even really neat cushions!
- Dining room set - A simple table with different type of chairs. You don't need a full out dining table just yet.

To add spunk to your walls:
- Etsy is a GREAT place to find different types of wall art or decorations.
- As a student, if you have something you made and are proud of; hang it up on the wall!
- Music and movie posters are also a cool way to add something.
- Target and Walmart!

I hoped this blog helped a little bit. Finding your new pad and being on your own is quite frantic at first. Soon, that franticness will become fun!

Let's Not Make This Charlie Brown Christmas Too Obvious

Does this blast of chilly weather put you in the mood for snow, candy canes, and Christmas trees?  I love this time of year, with all the decorated houses and storefronts.  But there is one problem I’d like to address: gifts.  It’s awesome to receive them, but what about buying them?  Well, lucky for you, I’m the biggest bargain hunter you will ever find.  My close friends call me the Coupon Whore.  But that doesn’t bother me because I find a $60 pair of jeans for $8 or a $50 sweater for $10 while they pay full retail.

Bargain Shopping

Find a big present for a low price.  How do I do that?  First of all, check the sales flyers.  They come in the mail EVERY week, so it’s hard to miss them.  Then, go online and find coupons.  Google “JC Penny coupon”, and automatically a $10 off  or 15% off coupon pops up.  Try this with any of your favorite stores.  Believe me, it works. 

Hobby Lobby, my favorite store, always has great deals.  And here’s a little hint:  their merchandise could be presents for all ages and genders.  Want an example?  My dad’s a fireman, so I went to Hobby Lobby and found an entire display of fireman inspired decorations.  So he got coasters that looked like fire hoses, and no longer gets in trouble from mom for leaving water marks on the coffee table.  The same goes for any “manly” thing.  There’s police, military, football, etc.  I even found a baseball card display frame. 

Mom’s are easy to shop for at Hobby Lobby.  There’s tons, TONS, of decorations.  Pick-up frames, wall décor, or vases.  They have everything there.  And that’s not even the best part.  This store always has amazing sales.  I haven’t been there when the wall decorations weren’t 50% off.  Frames? 50% off.  Art supplies?  30% off.  If you do find something that’s not on sale, then make sure you visit their website and print the 40% off one item coupon.  And if you bring along a friend, and print off an extra coupon, you can sneak two gifts for 40% off. 

So maybe you aren’t a Hobby Lobby going Gorlok.  Well, there’s another way to save.  Bed, Bath, and Beyond can be cheap.  I always get coupons in the mail from them for $5 off my $15 purchase, or 20% off the entire order.  So take that coupon and go in store hunting.  Does someone you know like to cook?  They have Wilton (the good brand) cookie sheets for $10.  There are cheap monogrammed wine toppers for the drinker in your life, and a really cool blanket for you little sister.

But Christmas time isn’t all about the shopping.  I enjoy taking some time to chill and enjoy the season.  Luckily Webster U is located in St. Louis because there are plenty of activities to take part in.

Spread that Christmas Cheer

All Gorloks are a little bit artsy.  So how about going to the theater?  The Nutcracker is playing all over this city.  You can see it at the Fox or on UMSL’s campus at the Touhill Theater.  But that could get a little pricey, so I have an alternative option for you.  Find a kids dance school and see if they’re performing the ballet.  There’s December 10^th – 12^th at Dimensions Dance Center, and the next weekend at Dance Center of Kirkwood.

Want to see some amazing Christmas lights?  Seriously, like an entire street that goes crazy for Christmas?  Then drive to Candy Cane Lane, a.k.a. the 6500 block of Murdoch Avenue in St. Louis Hills. Walk down their street, view the lights, and get candy canes from adorable little kids.  It’s fun and free!

Lastly, don’t forget what Christmas is all about.  There’s more to this holiday than getting presents and stuffing your face with cookies and Chex mix (although these parts are quite nice).   Go to The Hill and see the Italian neighborhood’s Nativity Walk.  If you have more energy after that walk, and want to get a head start on losing those extra holiday pounds, run in the Chill on the Hill 5K. It’s on December 4^th, and starts at St. Ambrose church.  If you register ahead of time, you get a free shirt (and a trophy if you win). 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Gorloks!  There’s only three weeks til Winter break (and in my case, graduation.  Eek!) so good luck with finals, have fun finding bargains, and enjoy that holiday hooplah.

Brittney

Because I'm Missing Vienna

The best advice I can give any college student about my experience in higher education is the importance of studying abroad.  Nothing in life compares to time abroad.  I learned more about life and myself during those five months in Vienna than from any other experience.  

The common excuse to not studying abroad is “I don’t have time in my schedule” or “It’s too expensive.”  Puh-lease.  It’s easy to study abroad, and it’s not much more than spending your tuition on the St. Louis campus.  First off, study abroad your sophomore or fall of your junior year.  This leaves time if a class conflict arises.  For scheduling purposes, take general education classes abroad.  Everyone needs them.  And the money thing?  You pay the same tuition for any Webster Campus.  There are a lot of them, too, in Europe, Asia, and South America.  If this is your first time studying abroad, Webster pays for the plane ticket.  There’s a savings of or almost $1,000.  Living in the dorms costs the same too, with the exception of the conversion rate.  It cost a little more when I was in Austria because the Euro was worth more than the dollar.  But it didn’t dent my pocketbook too bad.  

When abroad, you only have to take 12 hours to be considered a full-time student.  This left me plenty of time to travel.  With my savings from my summer job, I traveled by bus, plane, and train to fourteen cities.  Trust me, my summer job wasn’t some fancy paid internship – I was a hotel maid one summer and a cashier at JC Penny the next.  So how did I travel for so cheap?

Hostels:

Staying in a hostel instead of a hotel saves you dough.  Period.  One night in a room for ten costs about $10.  Yes, I did say there’s ten beds to a room.  I honestly never had problems with any roommates.  A lot of people complain about security, but I felt safe all the time.  There are locked drawers you get with your lovely* bed.  You can book these rooms online for any hostel at HostelWorld.com or HostelBookers.com.  Hostel World gives you a travel guide, but has a booking fee.  Hostel Bookers, on the other hand, have no booking fees or travel guides. 

Planes:

Ryanair.com is cheap and simple, no doubt about it.  I got a round trip ticket from Bratislava, Slovakia, to London, England for 13 Euro ($20).  Just make sure you get there in time because if you don’t arrive on time, you don’t get on the plane.

Edreams.net compares cheap plane tickets from a lot of different companies.  They generally cost more, but at least they give you more options than Ryanair.  I used this website to find planes to Greece and France.  A 20 hour train ride didn’t sound fun, so I paid a bit more.

Trains: 

These are already cheap enough! 

For some extra savings, use the IBIS card you get at orientation.  This lets you in most sites for free or a discount.  Instead of paying 20 Euro, I saw ancient Olympia, Greece, for free.  Visiting the Coliseum costs less, as did climbing to the top of the Eifel Tower.

So, no more excuses.  Find a Webster campus that best fits your style and go (personally, I recommend Vienna, Austria, because it’s the best).  Get that application from the Study Abroad office, turn it in by Spring Break to study this Fall, and have the time of your life.  This will be one college decision you won’t feel bad about in the morning.




*By lovely, I meant don't expect more than a thin mattress on plywood. 

Brittney

Can I Bring Anything…(please say no please say no)?

You’ve been invited to a get together.  It’s not a “party” per say, but a more formal evening with friends or family for some food, drinks, and conversation.  You know the polite thing to do is ask what you can bring to help, but you’ve got that sinking nervous feeling they’ll actually give you something important to bring.  It’s okay if you’ve felt like this before.  It’s not because you’re lazy.  It’s because it costs money to bring something, money that you don’t actually have.  After this entry, you will never have to feel this way again.

What to Offer 

You can handle an invite to a dinner event in a way that will save you money on your contribution while being considerate and helpful.  Once you’ve accepted the invite, mention to the host/hostess you’d love to help by bringing something. You should then suggest, “How about dessert?”  Getting in charge of dessert is key.  The host/hostess will always make the main dish, appetizers can get surprisingly expensive (dips, cheeses, fruit), salads include veggies and dressing, and drinks are either noticeably cheap or a little too fancy AKA expensive.

Where to Shop

Ok so you are now in charge of dessert for this get together.  Guess where you can get all the supplies for a dollar each? Yep.  You guessed it.  The Dollar Store.  I personally like The Dollar Tree on Lindbergh next to Hobby Lobby and Sports Authority.  But I know there are many dollar stores throughout St. Louis and each should have the necessary supplies for your delicious economical (I think I will stop saying cheap when it comes to food because it’s not very appetizing) dessert.

There are, surprisingly, many different dessert routes you can take from here but I will explain my favorite.  It’s quick, easy, and delicious!

Chocolate Coconut Cream Pie

*1 Graham Cracker Crust

*1 can of Chocolate Cream Pie Filling

*a small bag of coconut shavings

*1 can of whipped cream

Directions: Stir and spread the chocolate cream pie filling into the graham cracker crust.  Spray the whipped cream to cover the chocolate filling and spread evenly with a spoon.  Sprinkle the coconut shavings on top of the whipped cream.  Cover and refrigerate for an hour before serving.  Serves 8-10.  Grand Total: $4 

You can make all kinds of desserts with ingredients from any dollar store.  Just check the baking sections of the dollar store nearest you and get creative.  Have any awesome dollar store dessert recipes yourself?  Let us know! Share your recipes, ideas, and economically helpful baking tips for the fellow student community.    

Katlin

all ablaze

Since "The Great Student Loan Debacle" from last week has been solved as of today, I've predictably turned some of my focus back to wedding plans. And do you know what I realized? Our good old contact Patty from Lemp has not yet mailed our contract for our venue! I hope that sounded dramatic in your head. But I am starting to wonder just how long she thinks it's going to be before I call or email her about it. We definitely don't want to be naggy but it's difficult to make other decisions without the date booked absolutely. The venue is the biggest chunk of our budget (which we desperately need to stick to) so the sooner it's taken care of, the better.

While most things about a wedding are costly, some things don't need to be. Like flowers and other decorations. DIY is a great way to save a little cash and you don't necessarily need to sacrifice anything in the way of style.

Let's talk centerpieces. Being the creative, project-loving soul that I am (wink, wink), I'm doing all of the decor myself and that includes centerpieces. I knew I didn't want just flowers in a vase and one night when I was in that half awake, half asleep place, I had the thought we should use branches instead. Insert people singing hallelujah here.

I looked at images online to get some ideas of what other people had done previously and came up with my own design. Online searches for branches found a wholesaler that offers bulk amounts at a discounted price that also includes shipping. Awesome. So I ordered "test branches" and made a centerpiece with them that we loved. Combined with red roses and hanging tealights, they are seriously the shit. And they aren't going to cost a fortune. Because I waited until I had coupons for Michael's (ya know, the arts and crafts store?) and bought all of the vases/sand then, I saved about $100.

But maybe I should warn ya: it was a good idea to "test" out the hanging tealights on my sample because I discovered real candles make solid attempts to light the branch on fire. Yeah. But it's all good...quality artificial tealights look just as nice.Getting things done early that are slightly time consuming, like centerpieces, wedding favors and other (non-floral) decor is going to save me stress in the end. And doing them myself means that I can have the design I want without breaking the bank.

briana :)

A Country Bumpkin Special

Webster’s campus is pretty nice.  It’s not located in the hustle and bustle of the city, but if you’re used to the country it’s pretty darn close.   That’s why we’re going to focus on finding country in the city.  And since college kids are piss pot poor, we’ll do this cheaply too!

 The Missouri Botanical Gardens

It’s like the forest with a lot of other people; you’ve got your sugar maples, squirrels, and a big lake.  The Missouri Botanical Gardens is my favorite place to visit on a quiet Sunday afternoon.  There are over twenty different gardens at this Historic Landmark.  By saying you’re from St. Louis, you get in free on Wednesday and Saturday morning until 9 and only $4 the rest of the time.  And with this coupon, you can bring a friend and get in for free!  

Butterfly House

Oh. My. Gosh.  This place is amazing!  Please wear bright colors and visit this awesome attraction in Faust Park.  There are so many butterflies fluttering throughout the place.  Be careful not to step on them, though, because those butters like to sit on the walkway.   But inside there’s a little walkway through a garden that houses the butterflies.  You can sit by the little creek, or chill on a bench and watch all the colors.  If it gets too crowded, just head outside and sit by the little pond and look for the frogs.  Trust me, you’ll hear them!  At the ticket window, give them a St. Louis address for a $6 ticket.  But seriously, who wants to pay $6 that to see some bugs?   Bring a friend and make it $3 with this coupon. 

Laumeier Sculpture Park

I went here on a FREEZING cold day, and still enjoyed being outside.  This place may be a 107 acre outside art museum, but it’s also a free way to take a mini hike.  There are trails in the woods, a paved walking path around the grassy section, and even a little creek.   You can also go inside and see art, too.  The hours are pretty good, and it costs nothing. 

If you visit all these places and St. Louis still seems to “city-ish”, then I have one last option for you:  Wild Country.  Do it; I dare ya’.  I’ve never been, but if you're hankerin' for some square dancin' and corn bread, check it out! 

Brittney

excuse me sir, are you allowed to scream at him?

This week has been stressful to say the least. Shawn got a call from one of his student loan providers and apparently, the damn thing is in default (this means he's in big trouble and they want to hit him with a brick) because he's been paying less ($20 less) than they want. Well, this brings all sorts of issues so he's been trying to get it straightened out and what I've learned is that people are incredibly ridiculous and unreasonable, especially when phrases like, "No we won't give you an agreement in writing!" and "Just give us your checking account info and trust that we won't take more than X amount!" start getting thrown around. And until it's all fixed, it will stay on his credit report which effects our ability to buy a house, new cars and whatever else.

I hadn't checked mine since earlier this year so I decided to. $50 later, I discovered two things. One, a bogus addition to said credit report that I'm currently disputing. Thank you, TransUnion for removing it so promptly. Please tell the other two to hurry it up. Anyway, it was a strange negative account that did not belong to me, so I clicked the awesome dispute button, filled out their form and just am waiting to hear the results from all three credit bureaus. 

And two, I'm currently up to about $30K in student loan debt. Guess that's what happens on a ten-year plan when you lose your scholarship. Sigh. Maybe I should start thinking about staying in school forever so I don't have to pay them back.

Moving on, I don't think I realized until I had been on my own for a little bit that credit makes the world go 'round. Without it, it's almost impossible to make those big purchases: house, car, clydesdale. And a variety of factors mess with it: late payments, applying for credit cards, balances too close to your limit, etc. With today's economy, it's harder to get loans and the requirements are stricter than they once were. And credit scores are a big part of that. Lenders want to see a history of reliability. I had a minor bump or two in my younger days but now I keep the amount of credit cards to a couple, pay them off every month, pay all other bills on time and in full. And hopefully that'll be enough to buy the big stuff. Forget the house...hello new horsie. I think I'll call you Leon.

briana :)

It’s Late. You’re Hungry… and Broke.

It could be after a fun Friday night out with your best friends or maybe a long Tuesday evening studying for a midterm, no matter why the reason, you are awake and so is your stomach.  Us college kids aren’t always the best at keeping the refrigerator stocked with late night meals or snacks for emergencies like this.  Well, don’t fret fellow Gorlok, we’ve got some tips for late night food grabs on a budget that don’t entail a drive thru.

Late Night Happy Hours Near You

If you feel like getting out, but don’t want to spend too much for your late night meal, a lot of restaurants have late night happy hour specials.  Below is a quick list of ten late night happy hour specials from around St. Louis.

• Herbie’s Vintage ’72 from 10:30pm until midnight with ½ price appetizers and ½ desserts
• Llywelyn’s from 10pm until close with ½ price appetizers
• The Scottish Arms from 10pm until 11pm with ½ appetizers
• The Fox and The Hound from 4pm to close with a mix of really awesome food deals for example on Fridays 20 wings for the price of 10 and ½ off nachos
• Three Monkeys from 9pm until close with various food specials; for example: Thursday $4 potato skins, $4 Spicy Chicken Tenders, and $4 Lobster Rangoon
• Bar Louie on Tuesday Nights from 5pm until close with $1 burgers (pay for extra toppings)
• Houlihan’s from 4:30pm until 1am with $6 appetizers
• Chuy Arzola’s from 9:30pm until 1am with $3 appetizers
• BARcelona Tapas from 10pm until 11pm with $2 calamari, burgers, and sliders
• TGI Friday’s from 10pm until close with $4 appetizers

Now, there are many more restaurants not mentioned above.  Have any favorite late night happy hour spots I didn't mention?  Comment below and share the wealth!  And next time you are out and about, take special notice to happy hour deals you see around town.  These specials are changing constantly so keep your eyes open, especially at your favorite places around the Lou.  

Your Other Late Night Option

Check out a 24 hour grocery store near you.  It’s the option that works best when you are worn out, just want to chill at home/apartment/dorm, or you and a group of friends are heading back in from a night out.  You can find cheap quick meals like frozen pizzas or snacks like chips and dip. 

Whether you decided to try the grocery store near you or restaurants that offer late night happy hours to feed your craving, you can now rest assured with these options available all around St. Louis.  Your wallet and stomach will thank you.


Katlin Jacobsmeyer 

  

Bleed Blue

LET’S GO BLUES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

For the second consecutive week, the Blues remain NUMER UNO on ESPN's Power Rankings.  This new team is unbelievable, with the youngsters from last year really stepping up their game, a new coach, and the Halakness Monster in the goal.  What really amazes me, though, is that the Blues can have shutouts and amazing wins even without the most known members playing.  This team is on the ice playing without Barret Jackman, Carol Calaiacovo, David Perron, and my favorite Roman Polak. 

This year, the Blues have a promotion that when you buy season tickets, you pay half up front.  Then, if the Blues make it to the Stanley Cup Playoffs, you pay the other half.  That’s right, you only pay the other half if the Blues are awesome. 

But, what is that?  Season tickets still cost out the butt?  Well, I’m glad that came up because I have a solution for my favorite little Gorloks.  Sometime during the winter months, there are discounted tickets for Blues games at the UC desk.  There usually are posters around campus that let you know when. 

Another option is going to Scottrade on student nights.  Tickets are way cheaper, and come with free food.  Hello, you had this college kid at free food.  Some nights (since they’re playing crappy teams) are even cheaper for students.  Check out the little star to find the cheapest Blues seats available. 

If $15 for one game is still out of your price range, then there is one last solution before you go home and watch it on the couch like the lady pictured above.  (I will say, though, Snuggies are the best invention since toilet paper.  Just wanted to let you know that) Go to the bar and watch it there.  It’s St. Louis, folks, so they’ll be showing the game!  Sit at the bar and nurse a $3 beer all night.  That’ll make it cheaper than the game for sure!

I’ve heard The Post, a new sports bar in Maplewood is pretty cool.  I haven’t been there yet, but I do have a coupon...maybe this one should take her own advice and check it out tonight.  Scratch that, it’s Wednesday and I’m headed to the Galleria to see Due Date.  Thursday night, when they play the Predators, it is!  Go Blues!

Brittney

In Need of a Job?

Your halfway there to graduating and finding a job or starting an internship. The biggest question is what to wear to these interviews and where to get some inexpensive finds. Forever 21, H&M, Urban Outfitters and Target have items that you can wear after the interview as well. Nordstrom has button downs and blouses that are not as inexpensive, but you can get them complimentary tailored.  

1. Make sure your top is tailored or fitted. Don't wear anything loose, baggy or super tight that shows off your "goods".
2. Wear a key piece or two that shows off your personality. A Cardigan, accessories or shoes are great example. (Leave Uggs and Tennis shoes at Home)
3. Bottoms: Don't wear a skirt that when you sit down it rides up and becomes a mini; same for dresses.

Bottoms

- BDG Tweed Pant - 68.00

- Classic Slacks - 19.80

- Wool Blend Pencil Skirt - 19.80
- The Premium Black Pant Collection - 50 - 60.00
Cardigans
-t tahari "chloe" sweater - 47.90
- Lily White Animal Print Cardigan - 36.00
- Cardigans - 15 - 30.00

Accessories be sure to keep light and nothing too crazy. Bracelets, headband, rings and necklaces are a fun way to dress up your outfit. An accessory can show a little bit of who you are. Keep Silly Bands at Home..

Please don't wear heels if you CAN'T walk in them.
Flats are just as great as heels, they come in some many different varieties and colors.

Lastly, If you don't mind an adventure Marshalls and TJ Maxx are some great places to go. Nordstrom Rack just opened up in Brentwood. They have some great cheap finds as well. Just DIGG!

- Nicole

laptops and ghosts

Ok, so this morning I had to buy a new laptop. New stuff is usually very exciting but less so since I had to spend a chunk of change. I've only had my old one for about a year but since that unfortunate incident in the bathroom of the airport on our way to Chicago, it hasn't worked properly. It basically has to stay home, plugged into the wall, because it doesn't act right (hold a charge) when allowed to be out in public. It's grounded, I guess you could say.

So last night, Shawn (who loves searching for techie deals constantly) was on DealNews.com and found a great deal on a Toshiba laptop with 4GB mem and an Intel Core i3 processor ($450!!!). Being that I'm not yet doing anything crazy, it was a good fit for me. So bright and early, I woke myself up (excitement? genuine retardedness?) and purchased it online at Best Buy. I opted for in-store pickup, which saves me about $15 in shipping charges. Secretly though? I just really don't want to have to wait for it to get here. Instant gratification. But it did save me some dough. And I had a $5 RewardsZone coupon thing. Now I'm just waiting on that lovely you're-allowed-to-go-get-it email.

In other news, I'm anxiously awaiting our contract to get here so we can officially book our venue for the wedding. We decided to have it outside in the garden area at the Lemp Mansion. This way, the wedding and the reception can be at the same place which is more convenient for everyone. Searching for a place was a little stressful because the phrase "rip-off" doesn't even begin to describe what these venues (caterers, florists, bakeries, etc) will try to do to you. When Shawn came up with the idea of having it at Lemp (we've had dinner there a few times), we discovered that we'd save 10-15% because they offer a discount for booking on a Friday or Sunday, which are considered nontraditional days. We couldn't pass it up and decided on a Sunday. We saved $800 bucks.

Holy crap, I just got my email from Best Buy. If the contract is in the mailbox when I get home later, today will have been a success. For now, xoxo.

briana :)

Ramen: good for lunch, not for dates

Sure, Ramen Noodles have gotten us through some tough college times.  Whether it be in between your six hour work shift and your four hour night class or a 3am snack to keep your focus on that ten page essay due in a few hours. Ramen is a cheap (and I mean cheap) way to fight off hunger and keep your body going with calories, not to mention an abundance of sodium.  But in some cases, Ramen is not an appropriate choice for food consumption. For example, Date Night.

            

It’s nearing the weekend, you’d like to do something special for a significant other, and you don’t have the funds for a fancy night out.  With this dilemma in mind I would direct you to think of a few things before you decided to a) cook up a double pack of Ramen b) run out to your fav fast food spot (that’s not special) c) forget the special date night altogether.

Where and When

First, check to see if you have a Shop N Save or an Aldi store near you.  Both these stores have the best deals.  You can go to Shop N Save on certain Thursdays and if you spend $50 they automatically take $10 off your purchase (alcohol not included… sorry folks).  That means you can shop for at least your week of groceries and get a major discount.  Aldi is always cheap prices but make sure you have cash to pay with.  They don’t take credit cards (that is one way they keep their prices so low).  And before you turn your nose up to a discount store like Aldi, just remember the same company that owns Trader Joe’s owns it.

Things To Keep In Mind

So now you know where and when to shop for your date night fixins, you’ll have to decide what to make.  Remember these things when deciding what to make: 

*You can find millions of cooking recipes for free online.

*Store brand products are the cheapest.

*Spices are expensive: purchase salt, pepper, and fresh garlic and you’ll be golden.

Do you have your own shopping habit tricks to help save?  Help your fellow gorloks out and let us know your tricks with a comment below. 

           

Overall, making a special date night dinner takes a little time, but it is definitely worth it.  Like I said before, Ramen is great in some cases, but it’s probably good to stretch that cooking muscle before you’re officially a college grad and… a grown up. 

Katlin Jacobsmeyer  

  

this is my life

My brain has been working a mile a minute since I got engaged. It seems like every "space out" moment I have, I start thinking about some sort of wedding plans. And I have to say I'm annoying myself slightly.

Shawn and I have been together for six years and are getting married next year. Honestly, I'd be happy just getting married at the courthouse and spending the money on a kickass honeymoon to somewhere I can lay on the beach. But in the interest of my grandma and probably his too, we've decided to share the moment with our family and close friends. And that means organizing and planning and spending money. We're paying for it ourselves. I'm a department manager for Home Depot and he's also in retail. That's actually how we met. So anyway, money is definitely not growing on the trees surrounding our condo.

He finished his degree a few years ago but is still unsure of where he's going and what he wants to do. I'm the opposite - I've always known what I wanted but had to learn the hard way about making mistakes with school. I've been at Webster for seven years now and I don't recommend the "hard way" to anyone. I had to lose my scholarship and basically be kicked out before I got my act together. I know what you may think, that I was out there partying with all of the other idiots. And you'd be completely wrong. The truth is, I was so focused on work and willing to work crazy extra hours because I was 18 and struggling to pay bills and rent on my own. School unfortunately took a backseat. 

Now, at 25, the end is in sight...still a little closer to the horizon than I'd like but at least I can see the damn thing. And with it comes a whole new ball game...the wedding, the house, the dog, the baby. Oh man. I suppose it's one step at a time though. And the first is planning the wedding.

briana :)

Problem: It's a Wednesday Night and Payday isn't Til Friday.

Wednesdays.  Sure it’s close to Friday night, but not close enough.  I’ve got class and my internship the next day so I don’t want to stay out late, but I definitely want to get out of the house.  That’s why Wednesday night is my movie night. 

Going to the movies is expensive in St. Louis.  Where I’m from, paying over $5 to see a new release is ridiculous.  Here, that’s cheaper than the matinee prices.  That’s why I’m on the lookout for a bargain. 

So the solution to our problem is?  Discounted movie nights.

Every Wednesday night at the Moolah (the movie theater with couches), the Galleria, and the Chase tickets are only $5, all day. That includes the matinee and regular prices.   St. Louis Cinemas calls it Whacky Wednesday s.  In Indiana, we call it normal prices.

Another Wednesday special is at the Hi-Pointe Theater, on McCausland Ave.  Every seat is, once again, $5.  This movie theater isn’t your regular cinema experience.  First off, step inside for an awesome 50’s inspired interior (or it’s still like that from the 50’s.  I honestly can’t tell).  It has a nice, older audience; there aren’t teenagers running around like at the Galleria.  And, the bathrooms are awesome.  I’m not sure about the men’s room, but the ladies have couches and candy!  I always take a bathroom break at the Hi-Pointe and leave with a few Tootsie Rolls in my pocket.  But that’s not the best part.  That, my friend, is saved for the concession stand.  The Hi-Pointe has the best movie popcorn. Ever.  I’m pretty darn sure they even put real butter on top, too.  Then go find a seat.  This evening will cost you a whopping $10 total if you get snacks.

This last bargain is for any night.  Keller Plaza Cinema on Lemay Ferry Road has $4 tickets, all day, every day.  AWESOME.  I just went there last night, actually, and saw “Let Me In”.  Sure, they show movies after they’ve left the mainstream theaters, but for $4 who cares.  They aren’t at Blockbuster yet anyway. 

So if you’re not going back to the country anytime soon to catch a flick, or you’re bored this Wednesday, go to the theaters.  Maybe there’s a craptastic movie you’ve been waiting to watch (i.e. “Devil”) go to Keller Plaza and hit that up!  Either way, go.  Get out of that dorm room because you’re either driving your roommate nuts or tired of the weird kid in the lounge.

Brittney H