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Rachel

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They say it's best to move every ten years or so in order to manage the clutter that builds over time. When you are in college, it seems like you are moving a lot. I certainly was, especially around the holidays.

At my college, we had to move out of the dorms and the sororities over the winter break. Friends with trucks and apartments with comfy couches were in high demand. I fondly remember a time when everything I owned fit in the back of my Subaru Forester .

I recently had to move out of my cubical to make way for new carpet being installed in our office building. Turns out, the same principles apply at work when you move. I had only been occupying my space in the cube farm  for four years but managed to fill half a shred bin of old files and stuff I kept just in case.

It felt marvelous re-organizing my paper clips and push pins, sorting them back out to their proper divided space in the top drawer tray. And even better, properly filing things I casually jammed into my bottom drawer (AKA "The Black Hole") when there just wasn't time to bother.

I love being organized.

For those of you preparing to move (yet again) in the next couple of weeks, I have one piece of advice for you: Get some Scotch tear by hand tape . It's amazing — so much easier than working the tape gun monster .

How about you? Are you required to move out over winter break?

Kathy

Moving can be equal-parts expensive, rewarding, and painful, and my husband and I have just completed the month-long process of getting settled into our new place.

As I reflect on the experience, I'm struck by how many similarities there are between apartment hunting and online dating. Let me explain.

Scouring the internet
As is the case with many things these days, the most efficient way to gather information on a number of prospects in the least amount of time is to look on the internet. And so you head to your computer. You're kind of nervous and kind of excited as you navigate to a website such as craigslist.org .

Finding the "right fit"
You enter in your search criteria — the neighborhood, price range, pet policy, etc. I prefer listings that have pictures. Call me crazy, but it is reassuring to me to have a glimpse of the apartment before reaching out to a potential landlord. You find a few good candidates and begin making contact via phone or email.

Agreeing to meet
Your phone calls and emails have gone well so far, so you're ready to make the big leap into meeting face to face. You set a date and time, and often you know you're being squeezed between appointments with other potential suitors. It's important to make a good first impression, so you put on a nice pair of slacks and a relatively wrinkle-free shirt. I even bring along a portfolio, because it makes me look professional and serious.

The first date
About five minutes into the meeting, things are going well. The apartment looks nice, and there seems to be good chemistry between you and the landlord! You know they have options, so you are sure to indicate your interest as often as possible. Stable job? Oh yes, you say. Sufficient income? You bet. Well-behaved pets? You can provide references. Credit history? *GULP*

Background check
So maybe this isn't as common in the online dating world, but it should be! Many landlords, including ours, require a credit check before they will agree to rent to you. Basically they are looking to find out if you have a history of meeting your financial obligations in the past, giving them an indication of your likelihood to pay your rent on time in the future.

My landlord checked my credit by accessing a credit report, which is a detailed list of my credit history. Part of what it includes is:

• The type of credit you have (credit card, auto loan, mortgage, etc.)

• Your credit limit or original loan amount

• Your account balance (or the total balance of your last statement)

• Your payment history (late payments stay on your credit report for seven years)

• Bankruptcies  (stay on your credit report for 10 years)

If you can pass all of these tests, it may be the beginning of a beautiful relationship — at least until you're ready to settle down and buy a house!

Have you experienced apartment hunting courtship rituals like these?

Kathy

To me, there's almost no bigger financial fear than the thought of bouncing a check or overdrawing an account. On top of potential embarrassment, there are also usually fees that go along with having insufficient funds. I normally try to keep plenty of money in my checking account to avoid any such concerns, but recently I've had more bills to pay than usual — I just finished grad school and began paying my student loans — so my checking account balance has gotten uncomfortably low. Adding to this stressful situation, my husband and I recently decided to move, which is an always unpleasant and expensive undertaking.

We spent a few weeks looking at apartments and finally found the one. It had the right mixture of price, amenities and location for our budget and lifestyle, so after speaking to the owner we were ready to submit an application.

As my fellow renters out there may be aware, most landlords require a security deposit to hold an apartment, and in our area that deposit was equal to an entire month's rent (that's a lot of money in Northern California!!) I had my checkbook with me and was halfway through writing out the check when the thought struck me: Do I have enough money in my checking account to clear this check?!

Just when I was about to panic, I remembered that I had signed up for Wells Fargo Mobile^SM Banking. so my balance and account activity are always at my fingertips. I pulled out my phone and texted "bal" (for balance) to "93557" (that's "WELLS" in mobile speak). Within 10 seconds — I kid you not — I had a text message response from Wells Fargo giving me my available balance.

Thankfully, I had plenty of money in my checking account to clear the check, so I let out a sigh of relief and finished filling it out.

I've played with the Wells Fargo Mobile Banking service a bunch since then, and I think it's actually pretty cool! There are a number of pieces of information you can get via text message, and there's a mobile browser option as well which lets you transfer money and find nearby Wells Fargo ATMs. I've used Mobile Banking everywhere I go — at the grocery store and even at the mall — to keep me on top of my money and under control.

BTW, I'm happy to report that we got the apartment thanks to the security deposit and my strong credit history...more on that topic later!

Mobile Banking works for me — does it fit into your lifestyle?

Caroline

When you're choosing a roommate, there's a lot to think about — especially if you'll be living off-campus, where you have many more responsibilities than you do with on-campus housing.

One of the things to consider seriously is whether your financial lifestyles match.

What does that mean? Let's see...remember the early episode of Friends  where Monica, Ross and Chandler all had money to do things, and Joey, Rachel and Phoebe didn't? Well, it created a rift — similar to what can happen with roommates who aren't on the same page financially.

Here a few things to think about before you sign a lease with a new roomie:

• Do you agree about how much rent you can afford? This is basic, but you shouldn't even be apartment-hunting  with someone who's looking at housing that's out of your league. Let him find another roommate and you can use the pool and gym at their apartment complex when you visit.

• What about utilities? Remember, utilities go beyond water, lights and heat. What type of Internet service do you want to get? Will you be investing in cable or satellite television? Do you "need" TiVo^®?  Don't assume you both agree about what's necessary.

• How will you furnish the place? Are you both okay with mismatched hand-me-downs, or does one of you want to furnish the place from scratch? Can you afford whatever your future roomie is proposing?

• How about the day-to-day stuff? Make sure you discuss your approach to buying food and other household stuff. Don't wait until she eats your favorite organic pasta sauce to have this discussion. Make sure you agree about what to share the cost of, and what is "hands off." Find a fair way to split the community items. Otherwise you might always be the one buying the paper towels and dishwasher soap.

If you've already been through a financial mismatch with a roommate, got any stories to share?

Barbara

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.

Barbara

I'm not a fan of long-distance relationships . So it's hard to believe I spent an entire year in a long-distance banking relationship. About 130 miles separated me from my hometown bank during my freshman year of college.

While I was living at home, my old bank served all my needs just fine. But once I got to college, I started to see the signs that as a long-distance relationship, it just wasn't going to work …

There was a lack of communication. Without being able to stop into the branch, I didn't talk to my bank that much. Really, the only time I heard from them was when they sent my monthly statement. I didn't even have the chance to communicate with them securely online.

I wanted different things. I wanted to have easy access to my money. But five years ago, my bank didn't offer me a debit card. I also wanted online access, which wasn't an option (apparently, I was ready to start my obsessive account-balance checking early on in college).

Everything was too complicated. Because my bank didn't have online banking, I had to call to check up on things or to make a transfer between my accounts. Plus, with no branch to stop into, I found myself mailing deposits back to my hometown—wasting a stamp and putting my money at risk of being lost or stolen.

I started liking someone else. Sometimes I didn't have time to deal with my hometown bank. So, I'd go to the Wells Fargo store in Vermillion . Even though I wasn't a customer at the time, if the check was issued from a Wells Fargo account or if I took a Wells Fargo customer with me and signed the check over to them, I could still get my money. I liked the interaction with the staff there and how they handled my needs.

All the signs started to add up, and I knew what I had to do: break up with my hometown bank. When I headed back to school for my sophomore year, I went to my local Wells Fargo store with my tuition refund check—all 800-some dollars of it—and opened a College Combo®.

A lot has changed since 2002, but it's still something to think about for those of you headed to college soon. If you're facing a long-distance banking relationship, make sure you weigh the pros and cons of staying or switching.

Considering a bank swap? Done one already? Let us know how you feel.

Caroline

If you're off to college this fall, you've probably loaded up on the necessities  like sheets, towels and cool décor for your dorm. But put one more thing on your list, if you haven't already: a bike.

A bike probably wasn't the mode of transportation you chose in high school—and maybe you haven't ridden one since the fifth grade—but bikes are the best way to get around on a college campus.

Biking is much cheaper than driving, when you consider gas prices and parking tickets. (Ask any experienced college student—you WILL get a parking ticket!) And it's faster than walking—good news when you oversleep the day of your bio quiz.

OK, I admit, I'm a little biased. I really like to bike. My most recent vacation was spent biking—I rode a couple days on RAGBRAI®  (Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa™) in July. It's a touring ride across the state. And it's ginormous—about 10,000 people participate every year. It's actually a really relaxing vacation, because when you hop on a bike you completely change the pace of your life.

That's another benefit of biking that's great for college life. When you're busy and stressed, biking to class or a study session may be just the exercise and change of pace that you need to feel refreshed. Biking around campus can also help you ward off the "freshman 15"  without dragging yourself to the gym.

So dust off that two-wheeler and pack it up! Are you bringing a bike to college?

Rachel

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!

Barbara

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?

Barbara

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.