Oh, the Joneses. You know the saying about keeping up with them . It's something we've probably all dealt with at some point. Wanting the same things your peers have is likely a constant struggle—at least it is for me.

My most recent battle is with my next-door neighbor. Since I first moved in, the neighbor to my right has kept an immaculate lawn—green and lush. I've been super jealous.

My lawn was on its last legs when I moved in. Add a couple more days before I got a hose and, well, it was pretty much brown. But eventually I started watering for about an hour on my designated night (following the necessary guidelines  in the city), and the grass started to perk up.

It wasn't long before I came to my senses and realized that watering could get expensive, so I decided to cut back—Joneses or not.

It's really easy to get caught up in keeping up with others. You tell me: What's the worst when it comes to your Joneses?

And BTW: Thankfully, we've been getting lots of rain lately, so I haven't needed to water and still have grass jam-packed with chlorophyll . I wish the rain could help my other Joneses problems, though—I'll keep hoping that a size 10 designer shoe tree will sprout up in the backyard.

Posted by Barbara at 09:17 AM |  Contact Barbara |  Permalink  |  Comments (2)
Found in Budgeting, Financial education, Housing, Money management, Moving, Paying, Post-college, Preparing, Student loans, Wells Fargo Bank

In my last post, I addressed some of the different money options available for international travelers. And whether you're "on holiday" or studying abroad, a little common sense goes a long way to keep your money safe when you're in a foreign country. Below are some suggestions that might help.

Before you depart, make a list of your credit and debt card account numbers, the numbers of your traveler's checks, and the international phone numbers for reporting lost or stolen cards and checks. Keep the list with you, and give copies to a traveling companion and to someone at home to call in case of trouble.

Sometimes peace of mind is more valuable than any Let's Go®  or Lonely Planet™  travel guide. Keep copies of your key documents—including your passport and plane tickets—separately. Photocopies might not always be accepted, but they can speed up the process of getting replacements and/or be better than nothing. I stashed copies in the bottom inside pocket of my luggage (fortunately, I never had to use them).

Most travel experts recommend that you carry only the funds you'll need for each day's outing. But when I backpacked around Europe, I was staying mostly in hostels , and safes weren't always available. So I actually kept all of my money, cards and documents on my person at all times in an under-my-clothes, around-my-waist money belt . It started off as ivory but was a sickly khaki color by the time I got home. Kind of gross, but safe!

Other tips to consider:

• Divide your money and traveler's checks with a traveling companion, if possible. That way, if yours are lost or stolen, your companion has access to cash.
  
  
• For credit and debit cards, keep them in a safe place where they won't bend, scratch or become demagnetized. Minimize the risk of theft or loss by taking only the cards you need.
  
  
• When using ATMs, use the same caution you would when you're at home: Don't flash your cash after leaving the machine, and use ATMs in safe locations.

All this talk about money and travel has reminded me that sadly, I've let my passport expire. While I work on a renewal , tell us about your international money adventures here.

Posted by Staci at 11:28 AM |  Contact Staci |  Permalink  |  Comments (0)
Found in Budgeting, Checking, Credit cards, Currency, Debit cards, Exchange rates, Financial education, Housing, Money management, Paying, Preparing, Student loans, Travel, Traveler's checks, Vacation, Wells Fargo Bank

Try as I might, I just can't seem to shake my travel bug. Over the weekend I watched "Long Way Round" —a documentary film that chronicles Ewan McGregor  and his friend Charley Boorman as they ride motorcycles from London to New York City by driving east—the long way round.

Admittedly, I added the movie to my Netflix® queue  because of my love of the "Moulin Rouge"  actor, but I was captivated by the film as soon as I turned it on. This movie has some really good stuff in it, especially as the pair tries to navigate some of the "roads" in Mongolia and Siberia!

Many of you also share my love of travel, and you've been quick to offer advice on the subject! I recently was made aware of another a great hostel booking and reviewing site . Don't tell my manager, but I spent a good hour perusing it this morning, and I was impressed by both the quantity and the quality of the listings offered. It might be useful to check out if you're planning a trip to, well, anywhere!

Finally, as you may well be aware, the days are beginning to get shorter once again—summer is coming to an end and so too is my summer internship. I'll soon be back on campus  as a full-time student, so I must bid you farewell. It has been my pleasure to chat with you all, however briefly, and I wish you the best of luck in your endeavors (financial and otherwise)!

Parting, as they say, is such sweet sorrow.

Posted by Kathy at 08:50 AM |  Contact Kathy |  Permalink  |  Comments (7)
Found in Back to school, Budgeting, Financial education, Graduate school, Housing, Paying, Preparing, Student loans, Travel, Vacation, Wells Fargo Bank

It's official: I'm a married woman. And big changes are happening, starting with my name. I opted to take my husband's last name. My husband. I'm still getting used to that word and also introducing myself as Rachel Curran.

Speaking of big changes—I have a hot tip for those of you who are preparing to leave home and move to college soon. Contact your friends and family members who are getting married this summer and let them know your plans to move. More than likely, they will welcome you to their endless supply of boxes, packing material, and a slew of used household goods (especially kitchen supplies).

Like many couples, we decided to register for some new household items and upgraded from plastic to stainless, glass to crystal and dull to Wüsthof . Most of our wedding guests shipped gifts directly to our home, which were expertly wrapped with yards and yards of paper and bubble wrap.

As we opened these wonderful gifts, I began a new phase of married life—"nesting." This involves me running around our house for two straight days having a Feng shui  attack. I now have a solid Goodwill  pile going (which my brother has already raided), a garage full of boxes, and a heart full of gratitude.

Now, one can only be entertained by cardboard forts with bubble wrap driveways for so long. (Who says marriage has to equal maturity?) Eventually, the materials will need to be taken to the curb or recycled through a friend. Save some money on your moving supplies and ask the newlyweds if you can help them recycle their packing material. Your friends, the environment, and your budget will thank you for it.

What budget-friendly moving tips do you have?

Editor's note: The former Rachel Statham married Jim Curran on June 24, 2007. Congrats to the newlyweds!

Posted by Rachel at 09:28 AM |  Contact Rachel |  Permalink  |  Comments (1)
Found in Budgeting, Financial education, Housing, Marriage, Moving, Newlyweds, Post-college, Preparing, Student loans, Wells Fargo Bank

So I'll be completely honest with you: Closing on my house was very anticlimactic. It wasn't an event loaded with great excitement—certainly no balloons or party horns. And it didn't leave me with a feeling of deep responsibility while a rendition of Chopin's Funeral March  played in the background.

Really, it was kind of "eh." I went, signed/initialed, shook some hands, and headed out a homeowner.

There was only one thing that gave me pause: the Truth in Lending disclosure . It's the document that lays out exactly what your loan entails, basically:

• Here's what you're borrowing.
• Here's what we're charging you.
• Here's what you'll end up paying us when all is said and done.

If you've borrowed a student loan, you likely saw something similar when you entered repayment.

I've told you before that I had calculated what I'd be paying in the long run. But seeing the number on a very official-looking document and initialing that piece of paper to signify my commitment? It was a wee bit intense. And even more intense was seeing the tens of thousands of dollars in debt automatically displayed in my online banking session after I closed on my loan!

Remember when I was first looking at loans? The number was what really scared me. And in the end, it kind of did—at first. Yes, I had to take some deep breaths when faced with the number at closing and online, but now the number doesn't really scare me. It keeps me grounded.

Every time I log in to check my account balances (I check them a lot, but mainly before I go shopping), I'm faced with that number. Thus far, it's helped me stay on the frugal side. You see, as I'm browsing the aisles, I recall not only my checking account balance but also the number two accounts down: my mortgage balance. So I find myself putting back that full-priced item and instead opting for an equally effective clearance or generic item—or sometimes, no item at all.

For the sake of my bottom line, I'm hoping this trend continues!

What does your debt number do for you?

Posted by Barbara at 09:24 AM |  Contact Barbara |  Permalink  |  Comments (0)
Found in Budgeting, Financial education, Housing, Independence Day, Lenders, Moving, Paying, Post-college, Preparing, Student loans, Wells Fargo Bank

I am happy to share my big news with you, Student LoanDown readers—I've officially put the label "apartment dweller" behind me!

That's right: I'm a homeowner. And as proof, I'm sharing some pictures of the steps I took to get into my first house.

Step 1: Sign your name about 50 times on several very important documents.

Step 2: Take the obligatory "receiving the key to your new home" photo with your real estate agent.

Step 3: Solicit help from your family (pictured are my oldest sister and my nephew) to move all your worldly belongings (might I add that I picked the hottest day of the year to move—smart).

Step 4: Enjoy the fruit of your new debt.

More on my transition to homeownership to come.

Posted by Barbara at 09:13 AM |  Contact Barbara |  Permalink  |  Comments (3)
Found in Budgeting, Financial education, Housing, Independence Day, Moving, Paying, Post-college, Preparing, Student loans, Wells Fargo Bank

As I mentioned in a previous post, my stepdaughter, Steph, is renting her first house with some friends this summer. I think she's loving it so far—but it's definitely been a learning experience. And it's gotten me remembering some things I learned in my many (10!) years of renting apartments.  Here are my top five tips:

1. Don't panic. I can completely understand the stress of trying to rent your first place in a college town. You've already committed to moving out of the dorms. You're competing with tons of other renters, and the quality of rental housing varies wildly. Despite these pressures, try not to panic and take a place that you don't really want, just to end the search.

When my friends and I rented our first place in college, we did panic—we signed a lease on the first apartment we saw. It was a ramshackle place in a bad location. But we were afraid we wouldn't find anything better. Well, something better came up just a few days after we signed the lease—a beautiful split-level duplex just a couple blocks from campus. Luckily, the landlord at the first place was understanding of our inexperience and let us out of the lease. But know that not everyone is so lucky—once you sign a lease, that's usually it.

2. What you see is not necessarily what you get. When Steph and her friends signed the lease on their house in February, they were excited about the big backyard. When they moved in this June, the winter snow had melted to reveal a yard that was literally nothing but mud patches and weeds. Yuck. Just something to think about.

3. Document, document, document. Take photos of the condition of the apartment when you move in—especially if there's something wrong or broken. When you move out, you'll have proof you didn't put that dent in the wall, and you can avoid having it taken out of your security deposit .

4. Don't underestimate the power of a throw rug. In a college town, it's likely your first home might have that "lived-in" feel. When Steph moved into her house last month, she was bummed about the worn, paint-splattered hardwood floors and bare walls. But a little décor  makes all the difference. Once we moved in her furniture, donated some pictures for the walls and put down a throw rug, the house warmed up nicely.

5. Split the bills. Once you've found a place and signed a lease (whew!), it might be tempting to just have one roommate set up all the utilities in her name. Convenient, yes—but it's probably not the best idea. That's a lot of responsibility for one roommate to shoulder, and frankly, it's her credit on the line. Better to spread things out so you each have one or two bills in your name. Then you all get the chance to build a good credit history  by making your payments on time.

For those of you who've already moved off-campus, got any other tips or experiences to share?

Posted by Caroline at 09:01 AM |  Contact Caroline |  Permalink  |  Comments (0)
Found in Budgeting, Financial education, Housing, Paying, Preparing, Student loans, Wells Fargo Bank