What's Going On?

I have to admit that before my internship, I only followed the news on a weekly basis. Whenever someone would turn on the television and flipped to the news, I would respond with, "Ugh- can't you put something else on?"

I now know how important it is to know what is going on in the world. Not only does it leave you informed, but it also keeps you from looking uneducated while having a conversation with a well-rounded person. My internship is all about news and entertainment, and to have an old story is embarassing. To keep me informed even on the go, I receive text messages from Channel 7 on my phone with breaking news updates. This can come very handy in some cases.

I think it is a sign of growing up when you would rather watch the news than a repeat of "Friends". With knowing what is going on in the world, it leaves chances for more interesting conversations and opportunities.

Change of Plans

With the way the economy has been, it has caused a lot of people to change their everyday spending habits. Some people have opted to walk or take a bus rather than spending money on a car or gas. Fewer people are going out to dinner and cooking at home istead. A big change I had made is reducing my coffee intake from three cups to one or two a day.

It makes me feel better to know that my friends are in the same boat as me. We can agree on staying in and making margaritas rather than going out to a fancy martini bar. Although we don't have many cooking skills, we have chosen cooking dinner at home instead of paying for dinner out at a restaurant. Not only does this save us money, but we also can work on learning how to cook more than Kraft Macaroni & Cheese.

Everyone needs a fun night out every once in a while. However, we can no longer do that as often as we used to. This just makes the nights that we do go out more enjoyable and fun. We are taking everything in stride, and hopefully things will start looking on the up side soon.

"What Are Your Plans For After?"

It's that time of the year again. Talks about finals are beginning, projects are due, and everyone is slacking off because we can all smell the summer air coming. I'm familiar to this process, I have gone through it many times. However, this time is different. This time I will not be coming back.

I am picking up my cap and gown tomorrow. It is a bittersweet feeling. I am so thrilled to be done with exams and long papers, however, I am terrified. I am terrified of not finding a job and the threat of being a waitress for the next five years. I have to say, the question, "What are your plans for after?" sends chills down my spine and makes me want to crawl under my covers. I have no idea about what I'm going to do after. I am beginning to think that this may be a bad thing.

Is it too much to ask to just want to sit back, relax, and enjoy the moment of hearing my name being called in front of thousands of people as well as my family and friends? Maybe I will continue on to graduate school, but for now I need a break. I want to enjoy my last summer of freedom without having a full time job. I mean, I do have the rest of my life...right?

Swine Flu? Enough Already!

"Flight from Germany diverted to Logan Airport-- Woman on board has flu symptoms and doctors will check her out." Are you kidding me? This was a breaking news text message I received from Channel 7 just moments ago. I understand that the nature of swine flu is serious. However, I think the media is making the virus sound much more worse than it is.

I'm not sure if the media knows that about 36,000 people in the US die from the normal flu every year. So far there has been one recorded death in the US from swine flu, and now everyone is in a frenzy. It is understandable that there have been about 200 deaths in Mexico from the swine flu, mainly because a lot of people in Mexico have poor quality health care, or none at all. Here in the US, swine flu is very treatable and does not place serious health risks on people.

I know that we will continue to see this epidemic as the lead story on the news for a while to come. Until then, it is wise to wash your hands, cover your nose and mouth while sneezing and coughing, and stay alert. However, I do not think that everyone should be as nervous and stressed as they are right now about the swine flu.

Casual Dining Continues to Suffer

I walked into work a couple of weeks ago and quickly learned that we would be getting a lot of new salads and sandwiches, mainly to attract a lunch crowd. The new items looked great and tasted good as well- and then the news came. We would be featuring these new additions for the cheap price of $5 for a limited time.

While this is a great marketing technique, it is putting a hole in my pocket. Bills are now cut in half, which means my tips decline by a lot. Seriously though, if someone wants a $5 meal, don't they usually go to McDonald's or Panera?

I think that it is a waste of time and work for the servers to be serving someone who is eating for so cheap. Don't get me wrong, everyone should be able to enjoy the luxury of sit-down dining. Filling up my four-top booth for an hour with the bill being only $35 is a waste and unfair to me.

Until this limited time offer expires, I will continue to be hurting for cash. I am optimistic that when it ends, people will come back, despite the increase in prices on the food that they have come to enjoy.

The Real World

Sometimes it is hard to believe that it is the year 2009. I remember when I used to think that the year 2000 seemed a long way into the future. I knew that the year 2005 was going to be a big one because I would be graduating high school. Now it is finally 2009- the year I will be graduating college. Gasp.

It used to feel as if my college graduation was centuries away. The past four years of college went by so much faster than high school. Surprisingly, I did much better in college than I did in high school. I have maintained a 3.0 GPA or better while working five days a week as well as holding an internship at a very popular Boston radio station. I have put in a lot of work during these years, and now I can't help but wonder about whether or not the hard work will be worth it.

In today's economy, it is going to be very hard for the college graduates of 2009 to find a job out of school. I love my internship but I do not see myself working for free past the end of the summer. In the meantime, I will have to keep my hopes high that I will have a "real job" by the fall. The search will be long and frustrating, but I am confident that my hard work will pay off.

Home Sweet Home

When I was sixteen, I used to count down the number of days until my 18th birthday on a dry erase board. My excitement grew whenever I erased an old number and replaced it with a new one, even when the total was 572 days. I envisioned moving trucks, decorating my own place, and buying brand new furniture.

Fast forward to the present. I am 21 and still reside at my dads house. Although my dad is nowhere near strict and the only rule he gives is for me to do my own laundry, I still want to be out on my own. The thought of coming home from a long day of work and not having to answer any pointless questions puts a smile on my face. I'd like to have friends over to socialize over bottles of wine and not have to worry about disturbing anyone else.

But then again, I am only 21. I still need to graduate and find a real job. I have decided that the time to move out will come when a considerable amount of my credit card debt is paid off and when I am secure in a post-graduate job. Until then, I will continue to fantasize about the moving trucks, decorating, and new furniture.

A Daily Pleasure

In the midst of a recession, there are simple pleasures than can keep us on track. It may be something as simple as cooking dinner with friends, going for a jog around a lake, or sitting down on a Sunday morning with your favorite newspaper. So what happens when your favorite newspaper has a very high chance of being shut down? This is likely to happen to people in the Boston area who enjoying reading The Boston Globe.

The Boston Globe has brought happiness to many people since 1872. In today's generation, it is true that many of the people my age turn to the internet instead of a newspaper to get information. However, for many people, the internet cannot replace a newspaper because it is something that brings them joy daily and they truly enjoy reading it. It is a simple pleasure that is cheap and informative.

So why would The Boston Globe be at risk for shutting down? The Boston Globe is owned by The New York Times, and The New York Times has said that it is likely The Boston Globe will be shut down if the unions do not agree on cutting costs. This would mean reducing employees pay and retiree benefits. So in the meantime, the Boston area residents will have to make the most out of their daily paper, while keeping in mind that it may not be around for much longer.

Potholes and Lowell

One late afternoon in December, I was driving home from school at UMass Lowell after taking a tough final. I was feeling a bit relieved now that the final was over, and winter break was getting closer. My thoughts were interrupted by a loud noise and a deep dip in the road. My steering wheel shifted to one side as I felt my car do the same. Unfortunately, I knew exactly what had just happened. I was no stranger to getting a flat tire due to a pothole in the streets of Lowell.

I was becoming all too familiar to this scene. In the past year and a half, I have gone through four tires as a result to potholes in Lowell. I live in Wilmington, which means I travel through Billerica and Chelmsford before entering Lowell. I find it a bit odd that all of my potholes have occurred in Lowell.

Michelle Forester was a recent victim of a pothole, and describes the incident, saying, “Thank goodness for my AAA card. I hit a pothole around midnight. How was I supposed to see this pothole in the middle of the road when it was so dark out?”

Forester drives regularly to Lowell from Wilmington to her boyfriend's home in Lowell. Her incident resulted in a flat tire. This happened to her when it was late at night, and no one was really around.

“The majority of my customers have flat tires because of potholes. I have also seen many rims ruined because of this. Also, realignments are sometimes necessary after the car has hit the pothole. Realignments can be anywhere from $60 to $100. A new tire can cost as much as $200," says Jeff DiBona, an employee at a tire shop in Lowell.

The potholes in Lowell have kept mechanics and AAA businesses booming. It seems as if the potholes in Lowell are the worst they have ever been.

This picture shows how pricey new tires can get. Spending $100 for a tire, for some cars, is considered cheap. Tires can become more expensive because the tires on a car may no longer be made, and special tires will have to be ordered. Potholes have made people become more aware when driving. Eyes should always on the road, searching for potholes to avoid.

Jenna DaSilva has been lucky enough to avoid the potholes in Lowell. DaSilva is careful about avoiding potholes, saying, “I just keep my eyes on the road. I know how bad the streets are in Lowell with potholes, so I learned to be a lot more careful when driving to school.”

However, it would be nice if the city of Lowell started to work with the problems of potholes a bit more. Something as simple as a sign warning drivers or cones standing up where the pothole is would be beneficial to everyone. The cost of attending school costs enough. Students do not need any additional costs to buy new tires because of the potholes the city of Lowell has yet to resolve.

So Much To Do, So Little Time and Money

After I hung up the phone with the mechanic this morning, I breathed a sigh of relief. My car is only going to be $360 to repair. I was relieved- this price was about half of what I had anticipated it would be. Then I realized that $360 is still a lot of money to pay!

Life comes with a lot of bumps in the road. Things happen, and we have to spend money that we didn't plan on spending. Parking tickets, car repairs, and school bills are just some of the things that have happened to me recently. I should be prepared for these things when they do happen, but with business being so slow, it seems impossible to save as much as I should be saving. 

With all of these unexpected, not so great surprises, I turn my thoughts to something more positive: graduation. Hopefully sooner rather than later, I will have a real job with a stable paycheck. I know that all of this hard work will pay off eventually, and until then I just need to roll with the punches. Shopping is put on hold for now, at least for a couple of weeks. I'm sure that the removal of my big, fat, red rejection sticker will be more satisfying than a new pair of heels. 

Ut oh...could I possibly be growing up?

"I will literally be the old woman who lived in her shoes"

If any of you have watched the ever so popular HBO comedy "Sex & the City," you all know how witty the script is, but they do talk about real-life issues--even money.

In one episode, Carrie discovers she has to buy her apartment or move. Financially not prepared for her mini-crisis, Carrie quickly reviews all of her options. Being denied a loan from the bank because she was not a good fit as a loan candidate, she almost gives up hope.

As most of you know, Carrie has a true passion for designer names such as Christian Louboutin, Manolo Blahnik and Jimmy Choo--all ranging from anywhere between $250 to $500. With about 40 pairs of these gorgeous shoes delicately placed in her closet, she realizes she has spent over $40,000 dollars on designer shoes, just shoes.

After the reality check sets in and she comes point where she realizes her spending habits have forced her into slight debt and the value of her heels are worth the down payment on her apartment, she comes to the point where she faces her issues. She's a shopaholic and now has no money to buy her apartment. Thankfully she is loaned money from her best gal-pal Charlotte, but it still a real wake-up call for Carrie.

Why I am not to be as bad as Carrie, I do love to shop. All women do, it's in our blood. When we see a store, every single urge in our body forces us in. With the economy not being in it's best state, I still have the urge (and sometimes act on that urge) to spend a ridiculous amount of money on clothing and shoes. Why? I don't know. They're priced high and I still fall into their colorful trap. This may sound a bit materialistic, don't judge, but I'm not the only one that feels this way and I'm definitely not the only one who still buys designers shoes in this economic crisis. Should we be feeling guilty that we're putting hundreds of dollars into Christian Louboutin's bank account, when we are in such a financially disadvantaged time? In a time where we are told to "save" money and be wise with our spending, is it wrong to spend, spend, spend?

All in all, a girl has to shop........right?

Living With Too Much Technology

Twenty minutes after my thirteen year old brother, Joey, got home from school, I went downstairs to greet him. Joey was too busy to talk. He was playing Xbox. He was also chatting on his cell phone. Along with that, he was instant messaging friends online. I couldn’t believe it! This kid was doing all three things at once because of the technology available to him.



Shouldn’t he be doing his homework? Or at least be outside with friends, considering it was a beautiful day out. Joey continued to beat the game of Halo while talking on the phone with his friend about it and instant messaging someone secrets codes of the game.





Technology is a funny thing. So many people rely on technology everyday to find out important issues going on in the world, listen to music, and to interact with friends. But just how much technology usage is considered too much? I wondered how different my life would be if I did not use any of the technology that I normally use on a daily basis.

I love to go to the gym. Something that plays a major role on whether or not I go often is my iPod. When my iPod has just been updated, I’m excited to get to the gym and just rock out. It’s amazing what a difference strong, powerful songs can do to your cardio routine.

I will admit that I am guilty of enjoying the televisions attached at the end of the cardio machines. A lot of people will skip the chance to run outside on a beautiful day and would rather stay inside on a cardio machine where they can watch Oprah.


Another form of technology I couldn’t live without is DVR. It will record all of my favorite programs when I'm too busy to watch them at home. Jenna DaSilva, an avid user of DVR, says, "I don't know what I would do without my DVR. It makes my life so much easier and bearable."

When our lives become too busy to sit down and watch our favorite show, we find solace in knowing that they are available on our TV any time we get the chance to take a break.

Facebook is something that I could never give up for lent, as was previously reported on the news the other night that others actually did. It’s a great way to stay in touch with friends, check up on old classmates, and share photos. I completely agree that it’s a fantastic way to check in with a pal. Tiffanie Roper says, "I impulsively go on Facebook all the time. It's actually kind of sad."


The reason that it may be sad is because much too often someone will leave a wall post to see how a friend is doing, rather than an actual phone call or personal meeting. This can become a bit impersonal. However, I believe that Facebook does more good than bad.


I love technology. How else would I know the minute by minute up to date of Britney’s life if it weren’t for Perez Hilton? On a day I don’t feel like going to the mall, I will shop online. If I’m at work and need to chat, it is so easy to just send a text message. Technology has become a big part of my life.


My photo shows just some of the technology available to me in my room. I have my iPod, my laptop, my cell phone, and my television just to name a few. They are all important to me. It is no exaggeration when I say that technology is a huge part of my life, and I would be sort of lost without it. I know the boundaries of technology, however, and I will not let it become such a big part of my life that I lose touch with friends and the beautiful outdoors.

Please Don't Leave Children Unattended

If we are in a recession, then why did I look for a parking spot at the mall today for 15 minutes? I understand that people love to shop, such as myself. But how many shopaholics are there in this world? Aren't we suppose to be saving money, rather than running to the mall early on a Saturday morning to spend our weeks' earnings?

As I entered the mall, I started to understand why the parking lot was so crowded. I felt like I was in an episode of Romper Room. There were children everywhere, running around and playing hide and seek with one another. I was searching through the racks and all of a sudden a child popped out of the hangers of jeans.

I know having a child is hard, but for god sakes' people, get a hold of your children. If you don't, chances are you are going to drive the only shopaholics left in this world out of the mall, bagless.

PS- I got my Britney tickets =)

The Sweetest Thing

No matter what is going in the world around us, it is always nice to slow down and spend time with some friends. It has been surveyed in countless women's magazines that most women are not willing to give up dining with friends when trying to save money.

Women need something to look forward when going through a tough work week and having money worries. Grabbing a cocktail at the end of a long school day with girlfriends is sometimes the perfect solution to forgetting about every day stress.

"Mmm, I needed this," Michelle Forester says as she sipped her Flirtini last night. Michelle and I got together for dinner and drinks last night, after having exhausting weeks at school and each of our jobs. It's nice to catch up with her, laugh, and talk over drinking a delicious cocktail. We both agree that even though times are tough, we let it leave our brains for the time being, enjoy ourselves and not worry about the money we are about to spend.

Although it is not necessary to go out to a bar in Boston every weekend and spend $100 for a night, it is nice to have a quiet dinner with friends and reflect on the weeks' happenings. Over the summer, it was normal to go most nights. We even took trips to LA and Vegas without worrying about the insane amounts of money we were spending. All that we cared about was spotting celebs and finding the nearest In-N-Out Burger.

Now that we have gotten that out of our systems, we can start to save our money accordingly to invest in moving into an apartment, now that we are about to be "in the real world". But no matter what, Vegas or not, we will continue to have ritual girls night out dinners, whether they be at the Captial Grille or Panera Bread. You can't put a price on friendship, girl talk, and fabulous nights out.

Britney: The rip off of the year!

Sometimes I wonder how prices on certain things continue to soar during this economic downfall. Don't judge me when I say this, but I have desperately been trying to find Britney Spears tickets for the concert in March. I know its ridiculous but it's my guilty pleasure.

I can remember when the face value of a ticket was $60. Then, it creeped up to $90. Now, the face value for the price of a Britney ticket is $150, if you want to sit anywhere in which she doesn't look like an ant from your seat. Because they are all sold out, I am forced to get tickets off of either a scalper website or craigslist, which the idea of meeting up with a perfect stranger still scares me.

I am probably going to pay between $250-300 for a ticket. I have to go to her comeback tour no matter how much of a trainwreck she was in the past. But I still wonder, how can ticket prices be so high when this type of concert attracts mainly teens with no money? Oh, thats right...their parents will pay. Unfortunetly for me, I will have to give up buying shoes for a couple of weeks to go.

Oh well. I KNOW this is insane, but it's Britney, bitch!

The Weekend Is Coming...

Well, its Wednesday so now my thoughts are turning to the weekend. What will I do this weekend? Who will I go out with? But most importantly... what will I wear?

As I sit here, I'm trying to think about the last time I bought a new pair of shoes. It was December. That is far too long for me. It is nearing the end of February, and although I have countless Lowell parking tickets to pay before the month is up and also a funny noise coming from my car, my thoughts are on new shoes.

How is this even possible, some of you may ask? Sure, I have a lot of shoes. But some are open toed and it is just not acceptable to pull them out of the closet yet. It is very likely that I will find myself in the Macy's shoe department this weekend, credit card in hand, and my eye on a fabulous new pair of Jessica Simpsons.

Hey, at least I'm not obsessed with buying Manolos...Jessica Simpson shoes are priced decently enough for a waitress with parking tickets and car problems to afford. I know my desire for a new pair of heels won't budge until I finally purchase them...asap.

The Recession and Casual Dining

The recession that America is facing today raises many questions about how lives are affected both personally and in the work place. Retail stores and casual dining have been significantly hit by the recession. This is mainly because with so many of these restaurants around and the quality of food the same, people are beginning to branch out to other types of restaurants. Employees at a local TGI Fridays are being hit hard by the recession.

“The recession is definitely going to get worse before it gets better,” says Sue Buckley, the server manager at Fridays. One of the many jobs Sue is in charge of at Fridays is the server schedule, which she says she has had to make changes to. Lately, scattered timing has begun because of later business. Sue has also had to schedule less people on the floor and make earlier cuts to ensure that everyone can make as much money as possible.

Also, at once it was OK for a server to work overtime. Now Sue must make sure that no server goes over 40 hours a week. When asked whether or not the recession has effected business, Sue replied with, “Yes. Sales are already down. A usual Saturday night would pull in $16,000. Now, we average out between $12-14,000. Managers are now taking 5-6 shifts in the kitchen to save money”.


Bartenders at TGI Fridays are usually the ones who see the most money. Bojan Gavric has been a bartender for about two years. He works four days a week, and although he has not seen a decline in his amount of shifts, he has definitely seen a decline in business.

“People don’t have money so they cut out things they don’t need, such as going out to a bar and drinking”, says Gavric. Gavric currently owns his own condo and finds himself worrying about his ability to pay for it on his own in the next year. He says that living on his own is “very difficult due to the fact that my job is not something stable and secure. I could make good money one week, and the next make nothing. And my bills are always constant, always there”.


Servers at TGI Fridays are also experiencing a hard dose of reality from the recession. Megan Hand is 22 years old, lives in her own apartment, loves to shop and is currently feeling the heat from the decline in business.

When asked how the decline in business has affected her, Megan responded, “I have to be more careful about my expenses. I can’t impulsively buy anymore. Every dollar counts. The less money people have, the less they’re willing to give away”.

Megan also commented on the large number of coupons she has been receiving from customers. Fridays has been sending out lots of coupons to keep people coming back for a low price. Megan is trying to make the best out of the situation by “being wise about my spending habits. Less shoe shopping! Sadly, I cannot contribute to Jessica Simpson’s bank account right now. I have to save money and prepare financially for the future”.


Chad Williams, age 23, is also a server at Fridays and has seen dramatic effects. He has had to work more hours and not necessarily make more. He lives in Methuen, goes to school in Worcester and works in Woburn, and traveling to these three locations on a daily basis have made it difficult to save extra money.

Chad has noticed tip and check averages have decreased. “Peoples attitudes and dispositions are not as pleasant as usual”, says Chad.

These four employees of Fridays all have one thing in common. They are all hopeful for the future. They are well prepared for the future and know what they must do when the worst of it comes. In the meantime, servers should stay positive, save as much as possible, and know that things will begin to change eventually.

How Does a Shopaholic Survive a Recession?

Sarah Jessica Parker was recently quoted by E! News saying that if Carrie Bradshaw, her Sex and The City character, were around in this recession, she would "end up in a hospital". I think that many shopaholics can relate to this statement.

I am a waitress, student, and a shopaholic. These three things do not go well together. The recession has had a big impact on everything. Casual dining has suffered, and it so happens that the restaurant I work for is considered casual dining. It is rare to have a wait for tables lately at work. Less tables equals less pairs of shoes, which has been hard for me to deal with.

During this recession, it seems almost impossible to go to school full time, work five days a week, and pay down credit card debt. As I write this in class, I have to rush to work now. The five hours I'm about to work will probably buy me a new pair of shoes. More to come...