DISQUS

Oh, goodness... my husband and I have made a few. The worst, though, would have to be not keeping track of our account balances. It's easy to make wrong estimations when you have multiple credit, checking, & saving accounts and don't make a point of checking them together and totaling them up. When we finely did do that, we were shocked out how bad off we were. I mean, we knew it wasn't good, but we didn't think it was half as bad as it was.

Since then, we've started tracking our accounts TOGETHER on a spreadsheet weekly, and then recently biweekly (after each paycheck). Since we started doing this we've turned things around and are making better and better progress.

Thanks, Monica!

Monica, I do agree that those are good ideas.  But sometimes there are things outside of one's control.  Not everyone can afford unemployment insurance.  Not everyone has the time or even just the know how to make another viable stream of income -- or the initial capital which many things take.  And no matter how much people are willing to work, there just aren't enough jobs right now for everyone.  I don't say this to discourage people from trying, and I do think attitude is very important.  However, I've watched as some highly motivated, hard working, creative people have looked and looked and looked for a job or at least some way to make money.  One friend in particular comes to mind who has never had a problem finding work before because she's always been willing to go out and do whatever it took.  Her resume is a mile long and spans quite a few different fields -- including some that aren't known for being suitable for women.  She's well-networked, smart and streetsmart, and very determined.   As you can tell, I have great respect for her -- and that is really saying something.  But she's about to be kicked out of her apartment because she can't pay the rent.  I look at her case and think, "My god! If she can't find a job in this area, who can?!"  So, while what you say above sounds good and maybe is the pep talk some need, I think it sounds a bit like "blame the victim" and that isn't useful -- or very compassionate to those who really are doing everything they can figure out to do right now and still are having a rough time.

That's a lot of ifs!

I have been really impressed with Prescriptive's Flawless Skin concealer. I don't think it has mineral oil, but you'd have to check.

When I started running out of my more expensive makeup items, I tried a lot of drugstore brands and replaced most things but I ended up having to get more of the concealer because nothing came anywhere close. My husband has been impressed with its coverage, too, as he's seen some of the thing that I've covered with it. I even used it to cover a previous roommate's hickies so her mom wouldn't see them (she was a bit overprotective).

Definitely!

This year I "discovered" that:
* convenience food isn't convenient
* 'just' buying something usually takes more time than fixing or making something myself
* there are plenty of free ways to entertain myself without going shopping
* simple living is remarkably simple
* being frugal can be really fun, especially when I feel clever
* keeping track of account balances each week is also surprisingly fun
* I can help save the planet while spending less
* fresh food tastes way better than stuff with lots of preservatives
* and going to the gym isn't nearly as fun as gardening and going for walks with my husband and other friends.

Meanwhile, my husband discovered that it takes less time to stay organized than it does to find what he needs when he isn't organized -- or go out and buy something because he can't find it.

I dunno, I majored in Spanish AND Latin and things turned out alright ;D

Great advice! To that I add, get a job or internship of some sort as soon as possible -- though be careful not to overdo it, since classes will have to come first so long as their are things like transcripts. Use the experience to figure out what you want to DO and not just what you want to STUDY, because college ends before you know it and things that are interesting to learn about for a few years may not be what you want to do for a few decades (as I learned from my senior teaching practicum). Plus, the other big benefit is that you'll actually have something to put on your resume when you graduate.

And speaking to both high school and college graduates, if you're looking to start working, do NOT wait till after graduation to start looking. I know some very smart, well-educated people who found the job market a lot tougher than they expected. It can take months, if not years, to find a good job. Start networking early. Work on your resume. Intern where you want to work later if possible. Start inquiring about jobs months ahead of time. Otherwise, you'll find yourself competing with most other graduates at the same time, and find out that many companies will take weeks or months to make a decision. Don't wait for one company to make their decision, look elsewhere and everywhere in the meantime.

Did anything ever come of your idea? I think a site like that would be awesome!