The fear of having someone steal financial or personal information has driven Americans to spend an estimated $3.5 billion each year on identity protection. But is the protection a worthwhile investment or just another money making scheme? [More]

Your credit score, whether you like it or not, can affect your ability to get a loan, insurance and maybe even a job. A credit score is not just an arbitrary number. It is based on certain criteria that are supposed to tell a lender if you are a good risk or a bad risk for a loan. [More]

Hello Readers! As many of us know, going to school is not getting any cheaper. In fact, tuition costs have gone up 16% in Washington State. According to the Tri-City Herald, in-state students will be coming up with another $1,500 per year! There is not much we can do to lower costs but, there are things we can do to help us prepare for the year. Today I want to offer a general budgeting plan that can help us all figure out where our money is coming from and how it is going to be spent. 1.Plan out your costs: You will need to know where your money is going and how much you will need in order to plan out your budget. Some factors that you may need to include are tuition, rent, food, books, and personal items like clothing, and events like going to the movies or bowling! When you have accounted for all of the expenses that you will have, you may also want to set up a buffer zone in your budget for emergencies. Now you will need to figure out how to pay for all of these things. 2.Knowing where the money will come from: You may already know how you are going to pay for the big costs coming up this year. It could be from scholarship, family, work, financial aid, etc. It is important to know what money is going to go to which portion of your budget that way there will be no surprises and you will be better prepared for your bills. Also doing this will help you see any holes in your budget and help you decide what you are going to do to find the money to pay the uncovered expenses. You may find out you will need to find a job or scholarship to fill out your budget. One resource that I use that you may find helpful when budgeting is mint.com. It is a safe site and helps you plan and budget for all the expenses in your life. Also, take more time to explore scholarship opportunities. You can go to the financial aid page for WSU or washboard.org.  When you get your budget straight for school, you can identify your problems, find solutions and be more at ease when star... [More]

Winter is a beautiful time of year but it can lead to some serious cabin fever. Here are some date ideas to help cure that cabin fever and hopefully allow you to enjoy the winter wonderland while warm things up a bit in the process. [More]

They say variety is the spice of life. This is definitely true about dating. Doing the same thing weekend after weekend can get boring and monotonous. How about shaking things up a bit by trying something new and different? Here are a few budget ideas that could help add a little pizzazz to your life and your relationship. [More]

In an effort to improve my wellbeing I took a look at my finances. As a college student this can be particularly difficult because we don’t really know where to begin. I read Kerri’s blog post about finances and checked out her link to CNN’s Money 101. I found this to be a helpful tool. Once I read a few of the lessons it became clear where to start. Create financial goals, prioritize those goals, and make a budget. To choose financial goals I just thought about my goals in general. I want to study abroad next summer, graduate from WSU in the next two years, and go to grad school. To turn these goals into financial goals and prioritize them I looked at how long I had to accomplish them, how much money I will need to accomplish them, and how many people each goal will affect. [More]

College students are well-known for their crazy, hectic schedules. This is one of the busiest times of our lives and we are finally at the age where we are making our own decisions and setting up a path that we could follow for the rest of our lives. This is an exciting time but it can also be very overwhelming as we undergo many personal changes. Sometimes we get caught up and forget to take care of ourselves. I have decided to take a step back and evaluate my own wellbeing through the ‘8 Dimensions of Wellbeing’: emotional, environmental, financial, intellectual, occupational, physical, social, and spiritual. I will be blogging about my journey throughout the summer with posts until I have completed my personal adventure. Stay tuned for my first wellbeing blog post! [More]

While in college money management is a difficult subject to tackle. Most of us are not working full time jobs and we may be paying for our education. Regardless of these deterrents, it is important that at an early age we are taking control of our financial future. This may be a familiar sentiment, as the pressures of saving and investing early are common. Unfortunately, beginning to plan and maintain finances can be a confusing subject, but hopefully this blog will be able to provide you with a resource to take on this challenge. [More]

Spring Break is nearly upon us and for many that means vacations to warmer climates. Personally, I will be spending my Spring Break in Arizona enjoying the 80 degree temperature and clear skies. It’s been a long winter full of cold weather and little sun exposure so this is going to be quite the change. Because of this, there are a few things for me to consider regarding my health; anyone planning a trip to a land of sunshine should take note. I plan to spend just about as much time as possible in the sun which means I am going to have to pay special attention to sun screen application. On top of that, I will be making sure that I drink more than enough water to make sure that the dry heat of Arizona does not dehydrate me. Check out this website for more info on proper water consumption: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/water/NU00283. Beyond preparing for the heat and sun, there are couple other aspects of my wellbeing that I plan on watching out for. This is a vacation for me and I am staying in a hotel, I plan on doing everything I can to be financially healthy by avoiding eating at restaurants too many times and taking advantage of cheap healthy food whenever possible. The last thing I want to warn about is general safety. Spring Break can be a time that college students use to cut loose with their friends, but everyone should make sure they are being safe by making sure they designate sober drivers if people plan on drinking. Also, make sure you are respecting your body by always drinking in moderation. If you do have a Spring Break trip planned this year, please be safe and healthy. If your Spring Break plans are spending some quality time at home, make sure you stay active and plan some fun activities with friends and family so that you can make the most out of this quality relaxation time. No matter what your plans are, take advantage of this break so we can all recharge and gear up for the rest of the school year back in Pullman.

One of ASWSU’s most recent initiatives will be a great way for students to improve both their social and financial wellbeing. The 30 Days of Pullman is a month-long event created by the Associated Students of Washington State University, which hopes to strength the connection between WSU students and the city of Pullman. ASWSU has partnered with 30 different local vendors to provide students with 30 days of discounts in February. When students present their Cougar Card at any of the local vendors on the day of the sale, they’ll receive a discount. According to an article on DailyEvergreen.com, the idea came from Virginia Tech in a brainstorming session during a conference in Denver. Some of the local vendors include Thomas Hammer Coffee this Friday, Black Cypress, Zeppos, Licks, South Fork and Crimson and Gray. For more information about the 30 Days of Pullman, check out this article in The Daily Evergreen or find the full listing of local vendors on ASWSU’s Facebook Page.