Hello, beautiful! In case you missed it, I'm now an (initiated!) member of Kappa Alpha Theta. Two weeks ago was my sorority's big-little week, and I knew almost instantly I wanted to share my experience with you.
Whether you're already a new member who hasn't gotten her big yet or thinking of rushing next spring, big/little week is probably already on your mind. So many girls say that big/little week is the highlight of sorority life - and while I disagree that sororities have nothing more to offer, I can't lie: big/little week is pretty darn amazing!
This post will share what big/little week is like from the perspective of a little, and all the little things you might not know to expect. So many people think this week is all about presents, but it's so much more special and exciting than that! I hope I can do the best I can to
Big/little week is more than just presents!
In my sorority at least, big/little week was part of I-week, or the week leading up to initiation. Throughout the week, we had activities every day, like ice cream socials and crafting nights! At those events, we had a "box" that our big would fill with presents for us. So, every day we not only got to collect our gifts, but also got to spend time with our sisters crafting, eating and sneakily speculating about who our bigs might be :)
Your big will make you a Facebook page
Before big/little week even begins, your big will create a Facebook page with a silly name for you (mine was called "AllHail MyLittleHaley") so the two of you can communicate without revealing her identity. But beware! As much as your big loves you, she also loves stalking you on social media and digging up the world's most embarrassing photos of you for your Facebook page. So, consider yourself fairly warned!
You should clean your room first...
...because your big will be breaking in! While our new member director told us that not every family breaks into our rooms (technically they're not allowed to), I don't know a single girl who didn't get a roomful of presents - and that's in addition to the boxes of presents they're already giving you. You might not necessarily know when your big is coming, so I would strongly advise straightening up before big/little week even begins. Plus, your big decorates your door, so make sure you take down anything that might get in the way! (And warn your roommate ahead of time so she knows to leave the door unlocked, though your big might have already reached out to her.)
You won't need to buy food for a month
Maybe the best part of big/little week is that you're about to be SHOWERED with all your favorite snacks! Not only did my big bequeath me with Oreos, homemade Thin Mint brownies (yes, I know), Kit-Kats, Starbursts and Fruit Rollups, but she also had an entire pizza delivered to my room and enlisted a fellow Theta to bring me Starbucks in class. But trust me, while you might think you can eat that much food now, I promise you you can't. Sharing is caring when it comes to big/little week - I gave a bunch of my snacks away to Ryan and let my roommate know there was pizza in the fridge!
You're about to be entrusted with the family heirloom
A lot of the shirts and things your big will give to you during big/little week are hand-me-downs, but that's not what I'm talking about: I'm talking about a special present that gets passed down from generation to generation of littles! In my family, it's a cute canvas that my ggbig made for my gbig. So, when you're given this gift, make sure you treat it like the special heirloom it is. Remember that it's a special privilege to be able to uphold your family and your sorority's traditions - and be sure to take good care of it for your future little ;)
Your big might lie to you
Prior to big/little week, I had no idea how much effort goes into keeping the bigs' identities a secret - which probably made me the perfect target for all of the misleading hints and clues they give you! While some of the clues they give you might be true (I even know one big who, honorably, never lied to her little), chances are your big will try to lead you down the wrong path.
Not everyone loves their families
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but not everyone has the same experience when it comes to my big/little week. One of my friends is a twin and feels totally left out and ignored by her big - but that doesn't mean she doesn't still love her little or have a great experience in Theta. At the end of the day, there's so many other girls in the chapter who will love you (and honorarily "adopt" you) if you don't love your fam. So while it sucks to not be happy with what you get in the end, I can assure you that you're not alone! Not everyone around you is as happy with their families as they seem.
It's not all about your big!
Before I joined a sorority, I thought big/little was just about the two of you. In actuality, when you get your big, you're joining an entire family! For example, I'm a part of the lion family, which not only includes my big, but also my gbig (grandbig), ggbig and even gggbig. Chances are, your family is much bigger (accidental pun) than you even realize. In fact, if members of your family are graduated, you might never even meet the whole of your extended fam!
TBH, who it is doesn't really matter
Girls in your sorority, your new member director (or whatever your chapter calls it), etc. will tell you for weeks that your big might not be your first choice, or necessarily even someone you know. My big was my first choice, and I knew from the very beginning that she would probably be my big (a friend of ours called it during recruitment, even though we hadn't met yet) - but there were still moments that I was worried I might be disappointed by getting my second or third or even fourth choice. Probably the most important thing I wish someone had told me is that by the time you see her face during reveal, it won't matter anyways. Your big is someone who's there for you no matter what and there to be your friend, confidante and sister. So, if there's anything I could go back and tell myself before big/little week began, it's don't stress so much about her identity! You'll love her no matter what :)
Your big is like an older sister (and that's kind of a *big* deal!)
When you get your big, you're not just meeting the person who's basically been your personal Santa Claus all week - you're gaining a big sister and an entire family! To someone like me who's never had an older sister (in fact, I'm the older sister to a younger brother), that was the most meaningful and special part of getting my big. My big Riley is someone who guided me through my first weeks in Theta and who I've always felt comfortable going to for advice, so I knew from the very beginning she would be the big sister I've never had! (Cheesy, but true.)
What should every little know about Big/Little Week? LMK in the comments below or @haleymarieblog on social media!
Hello, beautiful - and welcome back to another gorgeous day on Haley Marie Blog! Today, I want to talk to you all about a subject that's near and dear to my heart: self-care.
Admittedly, while I try to keep this blog upbeat and positive, we all know that college has its challenges. Like many of you, I'm constantly part of a hectic balancing act. Between school, the paper, Theta and my blog, I sometimes feel like I'm stretched too thin. As a result, anxiety remains a near-constant fixture in my everyday life.
Unsurprisingly, college is the perfect melting pot for stress, anxiety and depression to come together. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, 85% of college students reported feeling overwhelmed by their commitments and 30% of college students reported that stress negatively affected their academic performance.
With finals coming up and the semester heading toward a close, it's more important now than ever to keep unhealthy stress and anxiety at bay. That's why I'm walking you through one of my favorite self-care tips, step-by-step: how to create a self-care kit!
As someone with Generalized Anxiety Disorder, creating a self-care kit that I can carry with me throughout my day has really helped me transform my everyday routine. In addition to the portable self-care kit I'll be showing you how to make today, I also have a larger kit in my bedroom to help me unwind at the end of a long, stressful day!
In this post, you'll learn what self-care is, why it matters and how to create your very own self-care kit. In addition, I also have a kind of exciting announcement to make! I'll be hosting my very first giveaway here on Haley Marie Blog to give one lucky reader a spring self-care kit to help you unwind during the busy finals season.
Your potential prize! (Letters not included.)
If you win, I'll ship you a little basket full of Target goodies, including (but not limited to!):
Cute spring stationery, to help you finish out the semester strong!
A lavender face mask, to relax and rejuvenate your stressed-out skin.
Bigelow tea bags. What could be better during finals week than a hot cup of tea?
Marshmallow peeps, because it's *just* past Easter - and who couldn't use a sweet treat?
I was so excited to put this basket together for you, so I hope you're just as excited about it as I am! If you want to enter for your chance to win this spring self-care kit, read all the way to the bottom of this post to find out how you can win.
Oh, and for the full terms and conditions of the giveaway, be sure to click here! Now, let's talk about self-care :)
What is self-care? (And why practice it?)
First of all, I have to answer your age-old question: Why should I care about self-care? The term "self-care" gets thrown around a lot in holistic health and wellness circles, so many people assume self-care is only for that certain type of person. Others may think self-care is important only if you are suffering from anxiety or depression.
In reality, all of those assumptions are completely false! Taking better care of your mental health can benefit your life even if you aren't someone who is stressed, anxious or depressed. Self-care is something you probably do every day and don't even know it!
Put simply, "self-care" is exactly what it sounds like: taking care of yourself. If you got a good night's sleep, took a shower and/or ate breakfast this morning, you're already engaging in the most essential kind of self-care. Once you master the basics - like eating regular meals, sleeping enough, exercising and keeping up with personal hygiene (whether because you're busy, anxious or depressed, believe me: this can be harder than you think) - then you can start thinking about the type of self-care I'm going to talk about today.
Eating, sleeping and showering are all types of self-care essential to your health and wellness. However, it's equally important to engage in self-care benefitting your mind and spirit as it is to take care of your body.
As college students, we're almost eternally stressed - especially toward the end of the spring semester. If you're anything like me, right now you're probably struggling to figure out your summer plans for internships, jobs and travel while worrying about when you're going to finish all your long-term projects, study for your tests and register for next fall's classes (and going broke in the process).
Thus, self-care is especially important for college students. Taking good care of yourself can help you get a grip on your mental health, reconnect with your motivation and release some of that built-up tension amid all of those external stressors. So, if you're in college and this stressed-out, frazzled character doesn't sound like you, chances are it's because you're already killing the self-care game!
Meditating, coloring in an adult coloring book, playing with your dog or participating in a hobby you love all qualify as self-care for your mind. Furthermore, if you're someone who's religious or spiritual, it might be important to you to pray, read religious texts or devotionals, do yoga or meditate for your mental health.
Slowing down to do even just one of these things during a busy day can completely transform your mood and outlook on life - which is why everybody, no matter who they are or where they come from, should practice some form of self-care.
What is a self-care kit? (And why do I need one?)
In general, a self-care kit is a compilation of resources and small knick-knacks that make you happy. Your self-care kit should contain items you love and be something you can turn to on your worst days for comfort and relief.
Your self-care kit can be portable or stationary, depending on where you like to do self-care and when you think you'll need it. Additionally, your self-care kit could contain a number of items meant to cheer you up and calm you down, from relaxing scented hand-lotion to a favorite book of brain teasers.
But no matter what you put in your self-care kit, most importantly, all of the items should be personal to you and play some role in making you feel better when you're at your worst. Needless to say, don't put anything in your self-care kit that might make you feel worse. (So be sure to check any photo albums for pictures of your exes before tossing them in!)
A self-care kit can be useful in all kinds of situations. For example, if you suffer from anxiety and find yourself having a panic attack in a public space, sneaking away to the bathroom and pulling out a beloved item in your self-care kit can help you calm down fast. Or, if you're having a rough day and need a quick pick-me up, there might be something in your self-care kit to help boost your mood and give you that burst of energy you crave.
Personally, I have a small, portable self-care kit that I keep with me at all times for fast relief, as well as a larger one that stays in my room full-time. However, today I'm just going to be showing you how to make a portable one to help you cope when you're away from home.
How to create your self-care kit
First things first: to create a self-care kit you'll need to gather the necessary supplies. Boiled down, a self-care kit basically consists of some type of container and all of the items you're going to put in it. Assembling the kit is easy, but first you have to decide what goes in and what stays out!
For my container, I'm using a simple makeup bag given to me by my big during big-little week (more on that next week! I'm so excited to share my experience with you all!). This bag was perfect for this purpose because it's both roomy and portable. Plus, the little hello detail on the front is so adorable :) When she gave it to me, my big stuck a sticky note on it that said "it me" - get it, like the Adele song? So cute!
As for the goodies that go inside, this is where it really starts to get interesting! What goes into your self-care kit is up to you from this point forward. My only advice is to keep them small, portable and fairly mess-free - and avoid anything that doesn't make you happy, of course! If looking at, touching or smelling whatever it is makes you upset in any way, shape or form, that item has no place in a self-care kit.
As you can see from the above photo, my self-care kit initially contained just a few items designed to cheer me up and calm me down. Later on, I added a few more items and resources as I found them to make sure I would never be in a situation where I didn't have what I needed or wanted. Here's the full list of what went into my finished self-care kit:
Bath and Body Works Stress Relief hand sanitizer. The relaxing scent really does what it promises - plus, it's always great to carry hand sanitizer for sticky situations on the go! (Literally and figuratively...)
Dr. Bronner's All-One Hemp Lavender Pure-Castile Soap sample. I got this sample at a vegan and cruelty-free products/food fair in Boston and have been hanging onto it for the perfect occasion. I figured my self-care kit was a great place - that way when I'm feeling gross, I can slip into the bathroom and wash my face or hands with the soothing scent of lavender.
Fresh Sugar lip balm. This is my all-time favorite lip balm, and is left over from my very first Sephora birthday gift ever when I was only 13 or 14! I love putting on lip balm when I don't feel my best. It might not make sense, but somehow soft lips = a happy soul.
Play Dough. This mini play dough is leftover from self-care kits that Student Health handed out around finals last semester! Squishing the dough was an amazing distraction from the textbooks and stress, so I figured it would work the same on my anxiety.
Harry Potter Coloring Kit. As you can see from the photo, I bought this 20% off at Target...no shame! Coloring is one of my favorite activities to quell anxiety, and carrying it with me has saved me from stress a number of times.
Dark chocolate Hershey's kisses. From my big - because obviously, chocolate is an absolute necessity for relieving stress and soothing the soul.
Stress ball. Also from Student Health, if you couldn't tell from the picture! When I'm anxious, I like to do something with my hands to distract from self-harm or any other harmful activities. Squishing a stress ball, for me at least, does just the trick. (Side note, but I'm also looking into getting a fidget cube for the same reason - have any of you used one before? Do you like it? Which one should I buy? LMK in the comments!)
Tea bags. Sitting down with a cup of hot tea is my favorite way to be mindful during the day, and English Breakfast tea just happens to be my favorite blend. Trader Joe's makes an amazing one, as does Twining's.
Kleenex. Anxiety happens. So does crying. For me, it's usually at the same time... A girl's just gotta be prepared for anything, ya know what I mean?
Crystal Essence Mineral Deodorant Towelette (not pictured). This is another free sample from that vegan/cruelty free fair I went to. It might seem a little odd that I keep deodorant in my self-care kit, but I find that when I can tell that I'm sweating due to my anxiety (or just 'cause I'm a mess), I feel less confident about myself in general. So, in a pinch, deodorant silences any worries I have about the way I feel or smell!
French Lavender and Honey body cream mini (not pictured). Is there any feeling in the world better than smoothing lotion onto dry hands? In the wintertime, this body cream from Bath and Body Works is a must - and the act of rubbing it in completely melts away any tension I feel whatsoever.
Pain reliever (not pictured). If you have anxiety, then you know all about the unexplained aches and pains it can cause. From tension headaches to muscle aches, anxiety can be physically uncomfortable as well as mentally. While pain pills aren't a great long-term solution for controlling anxiety, I like to have them on hand so I can ease pain and discomfort and avoid hyper-focusing on any uncomfortable physical sensations I might have.
Index cards (not pictured). Okay, I don't just keep index cards in my self-care kit! More specifically, the index cards I keep have messages of self-assurance for all of my triggering situations. Additionally, I have another index card where I write coping strategies for dealing with anxiety attacks. For example, one of my favorites is the tight fist move that I learned about from the book Anxious in Love. To try it, you imagine all of your worries and anxieties gathering in the palm of your hand. Then, you hold those worries in your hand in a tight fist and imagine them dissolving into liquid. When you unclench your hand, imagine all your worries dripping to the floor like molten lava. Ahhhhh...doesn't that feel better?!
Anyways, that's just what I personally keep in my self-care kit! However, it's important to note that this isn't a formula. In reality, your self-care kit should be unique to you and include whatever it is that makes you happy! Here are some ideas for other things you might want to include (slash things I didn't include because I was trying to save money and not buy anything new...):
Headphones. For listening to music, audiobooks, meditations or whatever it is you love to do!
Mini toiletries, such as a toothbrush or face wash. I find that when I feel clean I feel so much better about my life!
Photos of your family, friends or significant other. I have these in my full-size self-care kit at home, but you could easily throw them in a portable self-care kit, too. I love looking back on happy memories with me and Ryan when I'm feeling sad!
Perfume. Ever noticed how a favorite scent can bring you back to a happy memory or a better time?
Snacks. Not that I condone emotional eating (though I am probably the world's worst offender of it), but let's be real here: being hangry never helped anyone when they were sad.
Starbucks gift card. Going out for coffee is one of those pick-me-ups that makes me happiest when I'm feeling down. Since I'm in college, I tend to just use my dining points for this - but a gift card can help if you're off-campus or if you're not in college at all!
Brain teasers or fidget toys, such as a mini Rubix cube or a book of sudoku. Sometimes just focusing your brain on something else can help when you're feeling down! (On that note, playing a game on your phone works just as well as a distraction!)
Essential oils. I'm a firm believer that specific oil blends can completely transform your mood. Check out the Worry Free roll-on by Plant Therapy for anxiety - it's my favorite!
Crystals. Though I've never tried it myself (I want to though!), some people believe that certain crystals have healing properties for things like anxiety and depression. Simply by carrying them with you, you might find yourself feeling better already!
Bubbles. Blowing bubbles is my favorite way to relieve stress! In my opinion, it's impossible to be sad when you're watching bubbles floating through the air :)
How to enter my spring self-care giveaway!
Congratulations - you made it to the end of my self-care kit tutorial! Now for the fun stuff :)
Entering my spring self-care giveaway is easy: just submit your information through the Rafflecopter widget below. The app should ask you to enter using either Facebook or email! (If that's not working or you're on mobile, click here to enter.) Then, to complete your entry, you'll be asked to complete one or more quick actions, like tweet about the giveaway or comment on my latest blog post!
You must have parental permission to enter if you are under 18.
The giveaway closes at midnight on April 30, 2017.
The winner will be notified via email.
No purchase is necessary to enter the giveaway!
I think that's it for the boring legal stuff now, so without further ado, here's the link to my spring self-care giveaway - good luck and happy spring!
Hello, beautiful! One of my paramount goals lately has been to get more sleep. Whenever I'm stressed out with a million things on my to-do list, sleep is always the first thing to go - and lately, I've been feeling the negative effects of it.
If you're in college, you probably know exactly what I'm talking about: you start reading for a class, going out to dinner with your friends, heading to a meeting, making flashcards, reviewing for an exam - and next thing you know, it's already 2 AM. Then, when you wake up the next morning, you feel groggy, anxious and distracted all day long.
Sound familiar? If so, this post is for you, girl! I'll be sharing my tips and tricks for making sleep a priority, establishing a bedtime routine and, eventually, reaching our goal of getting a good night's sleep.
Making Sleep a Priority
The first step to getting more sleep in college is making sleep your number one priority. As simple as it sounds, this can truly be the hardest step to getting more sleep! The busier I am, the more likely I am to let sleep slip into the background as I focus on tackling my colossal to-do list. However, poor sleep can actually interfere with your health, your happiness and your productivity. For a bunch of other reasons that will motivate you to put on your comfiest PJs and crawl into bed early, check out the list I made below! (And check out this article from the National Institute of Health, where I derived all of these fun facts and statistics.)
Sleep is when your body heals.
Though much of why we need sleep remains a mystery to scientists, we do know that sleep has tremendous benefits on your physical health because of its role in the healing process. During sleep, your body repairs damage to the heart and blood vessels - meaning without sleep, your body will recover from injury and everyday wear-and-tear much more slowly than usual.
Sleep helps you maintain a healthy weight.
Studies of teenagers have shown that with each hour of sleep you lose, the odds of becoming obese increase. Not only does sleep reduce the risk of obesity, but it also helps regulate the hormones controlling your appetite, ghrelin and leptin. It also plays a role in maintaining your blood sugar levels. In other words, when you get less sleep, your blood sugar might spike, increasing your risk for weight gain and diabetes.
Sleep affects your mood and mental health.
That's right, folks: sleep deprivation could be a factor in the college mental health crisis! Because sleep affects your ability to make decisions, focus on tasks, cope with change and control your behavior, sleep deprivation might cause your mental health to suffer. With consistent sleep deprivation, you could start having mood swings, make riskier decisions and become depressed or even suicidal.
Sleep improves learning and memory.
As students, sleep is an important factor in solidifying what we've learned throughout the day. According to the National Institutes of Health, sleep enhances your learning and problem solving skills and helps you pay attention, make decisions and think creatively. So, if you want to pass that exam or ace your GPA this semester, a couple extra hours of sleep might benefit you more than an all-night study session.
Sleep makes you more productive.
Though it might feel great when you're crushing your to-do list at 3 AM, people who don't sleep enough are actually much less productive than people who do. If you're sleep deprived, you might take longer to finish your work, whether due to procrastination, distraction or even just fatigue. Your reaction time and accuracy might also suffer, as people who don't sleep have been shown to act more slowly and make more mistakes.
Sleep could save your life.
And I'm not exaggerating! You might have already heard about the dangers of sleep deprivation after learning about media mogul Ariana Huffington's collapse at work. Unsurprisingly, there's many more risks to skipping out on a good night's sleep. For example, you might fall into microsleep (short periods of sleep occurring when you would normally be awake) without even knowing it, or endanger other drivers on the road...in fact, drowsy driving can be just as dangerous as driving drunk!
Establishing a Bedtime Routine
Now that you know why it's important to sleep, you might be feeling a little daunted by the task. Setting aside the to-do list and shutting out the lights when you still have a million things to get done can be a scary feeling. Plus, the anxiety of a million tasks running through your mind can leave you laying awake late at night, thwarting your good intentions of getting a good night's sleep. Thankfully, I've discovered some tried-and-true strategies for improving the quality and quantity of my sleep at night, and I've found that one of the most important ways to improve your sleep is to establish a healthy bedtime routine. So, if you want to get better sleep but don't know where to start, here are some positive habits to incorporate into your nighttime routine!
Go to bed at the same time every night.
As I mentioned, an essential component of a good night's sleep is a healthy routine - and one of the most important parts of any bedtime routine is consistency. If you've ever slept in too long on the weekends, you know that breaking from your routine can leave you feeling sleepy, sluggish and overall unwell. Going to bed (and waking up) at the same time morning and night can help train your body to know when it's bedtime and automatically start craving sleep.
So, how much sleep does the average college student actually need to feel refreshed and awake? Most students need 7-9 hours a night, according to researchers at Stanford University. So, be sure to plan ahead for this requirement so you won't end up sleep deprived (like 80% of Stanford undergraduates!).
If you want to start going to bed (or waking up) earlier, but don't want to end up laying wide awake at night, making the change in 30 minute increments over the course of a couple days can help. And, for the smoothest transition possible, be sure that when you say you're going to go to bed at a certain time, you actually DO it!
Eat a light snack (& drink herbal tea!)
Obviously, what or how much you choose to eat before bedtime is a personal decision unique to all of us. Some people can't fall asleep when they've just eaten; I can't sleep when I'm even the slightest bit hungry. But if you do choose to snack before bedtime, you should at least be aware of how eating before bedtime can affect your digestion.
That being said, bedtime snacks are NOT bad! Certain foods like almonds, yogurt, cherries, grapes and dark chocolate all contain chemicals known to help you get a good night's sleep. Pair your healthy midnight snack with a soothing cup of caffeine-free herbal tea for a great way to wind down and destress before bed.
Relax with a beauty ritual.
As a beauty blogger, it should come as little surprise that beauty rituals are an essential component of my bedtime routine. When I haven't taken the time to take care of my skin, teeth and hair before bed, I feel gross and therefore less comfortable as I'm falling asleep at night.
Lately, I've adopted a three-step beauty routine at night: gel cleanser, alcohol-free toner and dry skin moisturizer. On nights when I need an extra boost of pampering, I might also add in a relaxing face mask.
For the past few weeks, I've been using Philosophy's Purity cleanser to wash my face, a product I cannot possibly rave more about! (For the full description, check out my March favorites post here.) Then I follow up with the Mario Badescu Facial Spray with Aloe, Herb and Rosewater to tone my skin, and top it off with Pond's Dry Skin Cream. (If I'm feeling ambitious and want to throw on a face mask, the mask will usually go on before this step, after I've washed my skin.)
Recently, I was generously asked to try the VIICode Oxygen Eye Mask for dark circles and share my results on the blog. The VIICode eye mask is an overnight treatment that can be worn for up to eight hours to reduce the appearance of dark circles, which sets it apart from other sheet masks.
I wanted to include the mask in this post on sleep for two reasons: first of all, its cool, gel-like consistency really relaxed my eyes, making it the perfect overnight ritual for a good night's sleep. Secondly, I found it was extremely effective in reducing my dark circles, making it the perfect treatment to address many college students' history of poor sleep.
As you can see from the above photo, the VIICode eye mask is simple to use. Much like sheet masks, the gels come on a little strip. Then, you can simply peel them off and stick them on your under-eye area to relieve dark circles! For the best results, use them 2-3 times a week, up to three boxes for a full course of treatment.
Practice deep breathing exercises.
Another way I like to wind down before sleep is taking the time to breathe deeply before bedtime. So many college students I know are so busy that we rush from one thing to the next without slowing down to take it all in. However, failing to be mindful throughout the day can lead to stress, overwhelm and even anxiety, making it much harder to fall asleep at the end of a long day.
Like many of you I'm sure, I'm not the type of person who can just sit down and meditate - I need a little guidance to help me through it. The best way I've found to encourage myself to meditate is to use an app that offers guided meditations or breathing exercises. I'm fairly certain I've tried just about every meditation app on the market. After all of that research, here's a list of my all-time favorites:
Pacifica. Pacifica offers some guided meditations, but lately I've been gravitating toward their breathing exercises. They last about a minute each and are just the right length for inserting mindfulness into your busiest days (you can even set the length of your breaths!).
Meditation Studio. If you joined my 2017 Whole Body Reset this year, you're already super familiar with Meditation Studio! For just $3.99, you'll get access to dozens of guided meditations befitting any mood, situation or length imaginable.
Stop, Breathe & Think. Stop, Breathe & Think is incredible! Every day, you receive a notification asking you to check in - then, the app recommends a meditation for you based on your mood. This app requires a premium membership to access most of the meditations; however, I think it's totally worth it.
Anxiety Release. This app errs more toward hypnosis than meditation - it uses the EMDR method to relax you with bilateral stimulation of your brain. While it's not free (because EMDR is a copyrighted method), this app is recommended by my therapist, and is one of the most effective ways out there to relax almost instantly.
Ditch the phone and carve out time for a little self-care.
Self-care is SO important to relieve stress as a busy college student! While the most essential types of self-care are basic - like eating, sleeping and personal hygiene - self-care can also include relaxing activities like coloring, journal-writing, painting your nails or any personal hobbies you might have.
On the other hand, one of the worst habits you can get into before bedtime is one that I'm sure is familiar to all of us: scrolling through Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, you name it until it's time to fall asleep! However, that sneaky blue light emanating from your phone can actually inhibit your circadian rhythms, tricking you into staying up later than you intend to. (That's probably why you've heard so many experts say to shut off your phone an hour before bedtime!)
Alternatively, setting aside just 15-30 minutes before bed for self-care can transform your evening - and your sleep pattern! So, replace scrolling through your phone before bed with filling in a coloring book, unwinding with a little yoga, writing in your journal or whatever it is you love to do. Your mind and body will surely thank you for the switch!
Getting a Good Night's Sleep
You can prioritize sleep all you want, you can establish the best bedtime routine in the world, but the only thing that will actually help you get a good night's sleep? SLEEPING! (Duh.) Obviously, prioritizing sleep and winding down before bed with a healthy routine help, but if you can't fall asleep or you sleep restlessly, not even the best intentions in the world will save you from feeling groggy the next day. On the one hand, it might seem like how quickly you fall asleep is out of your control; however, there's actually many ways you can improve the quality and quantity of sleep you get. Here are some of my personal favorite strategies for getting a good night's sleep!
Wind down with a hot shower.
If you've ever taken a warm bath or shower before bedtime, you know how relaxing this routine can be. However, what you might not know is there's actually scientific PROOF that taking a hot shower helps you sleep better at night! According to Lifehacker, when you get out of a toasty warm shower and step into a cold (or even just a normal temperature) room, the drop in body heat signals to your brain that it's time to rest. Is that *cool* or what?! (See what I did there?)
Get nice 'n' comfy.
As obvious as this seems, something as simple as putting on your comfiest clothes can help you get a better night's sleep! But, here's another fun fact you might not know: if you're the kind of person who likes to sleep in your sweats, you might not sleep as well as someone who changes into your PJs. I can't remember where I heard this, but supposedly changing into PJs helps signal to your brain that it's time to go to bed. So, think twice about falling into bed at 3 AM with your leggings on and put on your cutest pajamas instead!
Take some time to digest.
If you're anything like me, you need to eat a snack before bedtime - which is totally okay! On the other hand, planning your meals ahead of time is key to getting a good night's sleep. If you eat too close to bedtime, you might sleep poorly and wake up feeling bloated. Some experts suggest not eating two to three hours before bed, which seems a little extreme to me. Personally, I think as long as you wait about an hour to give your body time to digest, you're probably good to go!
Roll on the aromatherapy.
Aromatherapy, such as using essential oils, has been getting a lot of attention lately - maybe because so many celebrities are jumping in on the trend. Personally, I'm a huge fan of essential oils, specifically for soothing anxiety and helping me relax. Plus, it's such an easy tip to incorporate into your own life! Bath and Body Works has a whole line of aromatherapy products, including a bunch targeted toward sleep. You can also try rolling on my favorite essential oil blend to relieve worrying before bedtime, or check out this adorable line of animal-shaped heating pads that exude the soothing scent of lavender.
Set the mood with some relaxing sounds.
Ever noticed that certain sounds just calm you from head to toe? For me, it's the sound of rain. Whenever I'm anxious or stressed, whether I'm studying or trying to fall asleep or having a panic attack, the sound of rain pattering on the window calms me right down. So, I've gotten in the habit of listening to rain sounds whenever I can't fall asleep at night. In particular, the app Relax Melodies has completely transformed my sleep, especially when I am anxious as I am trying to fall asleep. This free app lets you select the sounds you want and adjust their volumes, so you can concoct your own special blend of relaxing melodies.
Actually go to bed on time!
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, going to bed on time is key. You have to be firm with yourself about getting enough sleep at night, especially when you are trying to adjust to an earlier bedtime. If you don't prioritize sleep and let going to bed fall to the side while you work on other things, you'll never reap the benefits that a good night's sleep can bring. As easy as it is to say "I'll go to bed in ten minutes," or "I'll go to bed when I finish this," ten minutes can quickly turn into sixty, and "when I finish this" So, when you say you're going to go to bed at a certain time, actually GO TO BED!
Hello, beautiful! I'm back with another monthly favorites post for March 2017. Though the month isn't over yet, I've had the opportunity to try a lot of new products this month that I can't wait to share with you all.
Not all of my favorites are beauty-related, either. In this post, I'll be sharing everything from the album I can't stop listening to, to the tasty foods I can't stop eating. Spoiler alert: I went vegan! Well, sort of...I'll explain later ;)
In addition, I'm also revealing two new components of my monthly favorites in this post! First off, every month I'm going to be selecting a blogger of the month to share with y'all. My blogger of the month will be someone whose brand I believe in, whose posts I've really been enjoying lately and who makes me want to read more.
Every month, I'm also going to be selecting a cause of the month. As a former Girl Scout and now a member of Kappa Alpha Theta fraternity for women, service and philanthropy are close to my heart. Selecting a cause of the month is my way of sharing that love with my readers by educating you on an important issue I believe in and encouraging you all to give back to your community. So, in advance, I hope you will consider making a small donation to March's cause of the month!
Anyways, as long-winded as my intros usually are, I have an excess of favorites to share with you this month (aka I couldn't make my mind up), so I'll spare you the rambling and jump right in!
BEAUTY
Origins Original Skin Retexturizing Mask with Rose Clay
I got a sample size of this mask with my points from Sephora the other day when I was buying a new face cleanser (also mentioned below). I've only used it once so far, and already I can say it is hands-down the best face mask I have EVER used! Not only does this mask smell heavenly and dry at the speed of light, but it's also one of the only masks I've used that actually made a meaningful difference in the appearance and texture of my skin. I have combination skin, so I love the way it softened and moisturized my dry areas without clogging my oily pores. If you're interested in testing out the magic of this mask for yourself, you can get it for $26.00 from Sephora.
Philosophy Purity Made Simple
This month has been all about restoring my skincare routine for me. A few months ago, the depression and anxiety hit hard. As I was dealing with it, I fell out of a good skincare routine - and now that I'm back into a better one, Purity Made Simple has become the latest addition to my regimen. No cleanser I've ever used has removed dirt, oil and grime the way Purity Made Simple does. This product made a huge difference in my skin from the very first time I used it. My only qualm with this product is it doesn't remove waterproof mascara as effectively as I would like. However, this cleanser's miraculous effects on the texture and clarity of my skin far outweigh the drawbacks! Get it for $24.00 from Sephora.
Missha All-Around Safe Block Essence Sun SPF 45
Continuing my month of skincare obsession, I've been really interested to explore the K-beauty trend lately. In addition, with warmer weather heading my way (hopefully), I'm trying to get into using sunscreen more regularly. People in my life have suffered from skin cancer in the past, and while I know it's a fairly easy cancer to treat, I also know that skipping the sunscreen in pursuit of a tan significantly raises your risk. Missha All-Around Safe Block has been my first step in both of those directions! Unlike most sunblocks you can find at the drugstore, Missha All-Around Safe Block absorbs quickly and has a light, floral scent, without any of that sticky white residue. So, if you want in on this goodness, get it for $11.90 from Amazon Prime.
Crest Pro-Health Advanced with Extra Deep Clean Mouthwash
Hopefully y'all don't think I'm crazy for putting this in my monthly faves, but ever since my dentist's appointment I've made it a goal of mine to improve my smile. Flossing every day has been instrumental, but so has using this mouthwash. I was never big on mouthwash before I tried this one. However, Crest Pro-Health Advanced does EXACTLY what it promises: leave your mouth feeling healthy and fresh! Not only does this mouthwash contain fluoride to strengthen my teeth, but it also tastes amazing and kills any remnants of morning breath. Get it for $5.97 from Wal-mart.
Suave Kids Twirlin Swirlberry Detangling Spray
TBH, I've been a fan of this product since I was a little girl. The swirlberry scent smells amazing, and as a kids' product, this detangler is a lot gentler than more sophisticated brands I've used. But all defensiveness aside, this product really does its job of softening and detangling your hair. I revisited this childhood favorite because I've recently become a fan of sleeping with my hair in a messy bun - and while this certainly keeps my hair off my oily skin, it often leaves my locks tangled in knots. Thankfully, I rediscovered my old favorite detangler spray and found out I love it just as much as I did when I was little! No shame - get it from Target for $2.89.
FOOD
Teatulia Green Tea
Quirky story, but Ryan actually won me this tea in a natural foods gift basket as part of a raffle at his work! And I'm so happy he did, because otherwise I never would have discovered my new favorite green tea. Drinking tea is an important part of my daily routine. As someone with anxiety, unwinding with a cup of hot tea with a splash of almond milk or honey after class really helps! On that note, this green tea is so good it doesn't need anything added to it. Plus, I love the unique pyramid shape of the teabags, which make it easy to remove (and reuse 2-3 times, which I just learned from reading the website!). Get it online for $8.99.
Blackbird Doughnuts
OH. MY. GOD. If you live in the Boston area, you might have heard of Blackbird Doughnuts already, but whether you're from Boston or simply planning a visit, Blackbird deserves to be on your radar. Their blueberry cake donuts truly changed my life - they're perfectly sweet, just moist enough and as beautiful to look at as they are in your mouth. (The mocha chip, which I also tried, deserves an honorable mention for its rich, dark chocolate-y flavor, but pales in comparison to the blueberry cake donut.) To ogle the menu, visit Blackbird's website here or mosey on down to their shop on 492 Tremont Street!
Part-time veganism
I know this is kind of a strange follow-up to donuts, but lately I am committing myself to reducing the number of dairy products in my diet. If you've followed me for a long time, you might already know I've been a vegetarian for almost six years now, for a mix of animal rights and health-related issues. Awhile back, I also tried being vegan full-time for about a month - an experiment that was a spectacular failure, if you ask me - but found myself feeling restricted and starting to "cheat" on dairy products. Now that I've made my goal to eat vegan five days a week rather than seven, I find it a lot easier to passionately support animal rights issues without feeling deprived. Plus, since I know I can have cheese and yogurt and all the things I love whenever I want on the weekends, I actually miss it less and less with every passing week!
BOOKS
Can't Help Falling by Kara Isaac
Reading romance novels is something that's very close to my heart. As a blogger, writing book reviews is a huge part of my background. Whenever I'm in a depressive episode, I've found that reading for pleasure is the best way to soothe my soul and regroup. Back when I was in the worst depression of my life, reading (and blogging about the books I read) was how I healed. So, all backstory aside now, this book was one of the few novels I've had the chance to read for myself since I've gotten to college - and I loved it! At first, I picked this book up, truthfully, because I thought this would be a quick, easy read. True, this book was a page-turner, but I quickly found it had a lot of complex elements to it, beyond pure romance - namely, its sly incorporation of quirky C.S. Lewis references, as well as its sensitive treatment of religious differences between couples. Admittedly, this book could be viewed as a bit cliche by some, but it's meant to be a lighthearted read, and I got exactly what I wanted out of it! Get it for $10.39 on Amazon Prime.
MUSIC
"Shape of You" by Ed Sheeran
Like every other person on the planet right now, I am simply SO obsessed with Ed Sheeran's new album, Divide, and this wonderful song off it. "Shape of You" is one of those songs I HAVE to blast when it comes on the radio, and simply cannot resist singing along to. Not only is it catchy, but its sound is clean and simple - almost acoustic - which I love! Artists like Ed Sheeran should never be drowned out by tons of synthesizers or autotune, which really sets this song apart from other jams on the radio. Old person rant aside now, you should totally give "Shape of You" a listen if you haven't already! Here's the link to make it easy for ya.
APPS
Relax Melodies
My anxiety has come up a lot in this blog post so far, but that's not about to stop me from bringing it up again! If you have anxiety (or have ever been anxious before a big event, like prom or your SATs), then you know all about the insomnia that comes with it. Thankfully, I discovered this app, which is my quick cure for falling asleep fast with anxiety! Relax Melodies is a free app for iOS and Android that allows you to mix your own perfect blend of soothing sounds and melodies. Personally, I love the sound of rain when I can't fall asleep at night, so I listen to a blend of rainstorm and city sounds. (When I'm home from Boston, I crank those city sounds way up - the backroads I live on are way too quiet for me!) I've become so obsessed that every night, I know it's bedtime when I put in my headphones and listen to Relax Melodies. Get it for free on iTunes or Google Play.
Pacifica
Another mental health app! Are you sensing a trend yet? I used to use Pacifica fairly regularly to keep track of my moods and healthy habits, but fell out of the habit as this semester started to get busier and busier. Now that the app released a bunch of new updates, I've gotten re-obsessed with this app and all it has to offer. Pacifica is an amazing app for anyone who struggles with anxiety, depression or even just everyday stress. The app lets you track your moods and healthy habits, such as sleeping and drinking water, and view your progress over time. Additionally, Pacifica comes with a number of resources to help you cope with anxiety, depression and stress, like breathing exercises and a bunch of different thought diary entries, so you can tackle common thinking traps and triggers of anxiety. Though I'm not a huge fan of it (because the endless notifications stress me out), there's also an option to join a number of virtual support groups and chat with your peers about your problems. Most importantly, I love Pacifica's multifaceted approach to addressing anxiety in its users. Finally, I can get everything I need from Pacifica without cluttering my phone with a thousand different anxiety apps! Like Relax Melodies, Pacifica is also free on iTunes and Google Play.
Sunshine
As anyone who knows me will tell you, I'm always downloading and experimenting with new apps - but this is the last one for March, I promise! This month I tried the app Sunshine for the first time, and fell in love with it for a bunch of different reasons. For starters, what is Sunshine? Here's the best way I can think of to describe it: Sunshine combines a weather app with a mood-tracking app to predict how you'll feel based on the weather and give you personalized advice for self-care. Not only will Sunshine let you know if it's going to rain or snow, or be sunny and warm, but you can also record how the weather made you feel, whether that's hot, cold, freezing, happy, sad, etc. However you're feeling, Sunshine remembers that information and uses it to make personalized predictions! So, every day when you wake up, you'll have a new prediction from Sunshine letting you know if you should enjoy a cinnamon latte when it's freezing or put on sunscreen when it's bright and sunny. Get it for free on iTunes and Google Play.
BLOGGER OF THE MONTH
Yay! I was so excited to get to this part of the post and reveal this new component of my monthly favorites, especially because I am just so passionate about this month's blogger of the month.
In March 2017, my blogger of the month is Sarah of Lavender Life. Lavender Life is an incredible blog and resource about taking care of your mental health, living LGBTQ and being a feminist.
Recently I came across a tweet from Cole Sprouse that really rang true for me, which you can read here. As a blogger, I've really struggled to incorporate political activism into my posts without compromising my brand - but as soon as I read this tweet, I realized that was the problem, after all: who I am as a feminist, a poli sci major and an activist should be part of my brand.
You might be wondering what this has to do with my blogger of the month. Well, Lavender Life is a blog that I think accomplishes that goal in an incredible way!
Every day, Sarah's blog and brand advocates for a better world for those with mental health issues and people in the LGBTQ community. As a person with anxiety and depression, I've found comfort in the resources she provides on her blog, and also been inspired by how vocal she is on social media about the things she cares about.
Though I'm not LGBTQ myself, I am a feminist, and many of my friends are LGBTQ as well. As a member of BU's Feminist Collective, I feel passionately about including everyone in the feminist community - a value that lines up perfectly with Sarah's brand. Her unique intersectionality is apparent in funny, creative posts like 30 Things Bisexual Girls Are Tired of Dealing With and "It's just locker room talk" and Other Lame Excuses.
Starting a Menstruation Advocacy Month at BU is something I've been passionate about this semester. I've been a Clue Ambassador for about a year now and as a part of that community, learned a lot about using my voice to speak out for menstruation advocacy.
So, as part of a class where I have to volunteer, I reached out to our Center for Gender, Sexuality and Activism and worked with the Feminist Collective to start a series of events aimed to raise awareness about menstruation. A big part of that mission has been working with organizations like PERIOD.org to teach others what homeless people who menstruate go through every month on their period.
Imagine what it would be like to menstruate using a paper bag instead of your favorite tampons or pads. According to PERIOD.org, for many homeless people, this is a fact of life. PERIOD.org addresses this injustice by providing care packages to shelters, among other advocacy activities.
When you donate to PERIOD.org, 50% of that money goes toward buying and delivering menstrual products for people in need. On top of that, 25% goes toward legislative outreach, such as pushing for policy reform at colleges and advocating to eliminate tampon tax. The last 25% goes toward providing supplies to campus chapters so they can host drives of their own.
Menstruation advocacy is an issue close to my heart. I started menstruating at 11 years old and quickly found that my periods were heavier and more painful than those of my peers. After I went on oral contraceptives (not knowing what my other options were), I suffered from various vaginal and mental health issues that forever tied me to the issue of reproductive justice. (You can read more about my story with birth control here.)
Disclaimer: This article contains affiliate links - but don't worry, all the opinions are still my own! Sponsored content like the links in this post simply helps keep Haley Marie Blog alive for your enjoyment :)
Hello, beautiful! Today on the blog, I'm kicking off my new Adulting 101 series with a topic I've been wanting to cover for awhile now. For some, it's daunting; for others, simply boring. However, no matter what way you spin it, this topic is an important (not to mention unavoidable!) one.
What is it, you may ask? Personal finance, of course! I know, I know: finance is nobody's favorite topic, unless it happens to be your major or you're especially proud of yourself for sticking to your budget this month. But before you groan and click away, just hear me out!
Lately, I've been trying to learn as much as I can about personal finance so I can prepare for my future. As I've mentioned, I want to go to law school after college. Ryan and I are also (tentatively) planning a few trips for our future, so I'm trying to do whatever I can now to prepare for these big financial decisions in my life!
As a result, it's been important for me to start thinking about how I can save money in my day-to-day life. Beyond that, I've also been trying to take the first steps toward building a credit history, to make it easier for me to take out loans for grad school once I graduate. In fact, I just found out I was approved for my first ever credit card - so yay, one happy dance for me!
On paper, these goals seemed perfectly reasonable. I would open a second savings account, start putting away money for Europe and get a credit card to help me build credit for grad school. The problem was, even after some introductory reading, I quickly found myself more than a little confused as to how to do all of that!
Many millennials probably feel the same confusion that I do when it comes to finance. Most of us are responsible and motivated to take care of our finances, but we weren't given much information about it growing up. I mean, there certainly weren't any classes on personal finance at the public high school I attended. If we were lucky, our parents might have taken us to open our first bank accounts and showed us how to cash a check, but even for those small things, many of us were on our own. On top of that, we're constantly given conflicting advice - for example, do we apply for a credit card or avoid them like the devil? Open a 401k now or five years down the line? What even is a 401k? Decisions, decisions!
As a busy college student, many of us are motivated to learn more about money, but don't necessarily have the time to sit down and pore through endless books and websites for hours on end. Thankfully, I've done all the research so you don't have to! Granted, I'm no expert - I don't claim to know everything, or even most things about finance - but today, I've rounded up the basics so you can start saving money and building credit ASAP. So, without further ado, here's everything you need to know:
Part I: Your Credit Score
If you've ever watched TV before, you've probably seen one of those cliche commercials for a service to check your credit score...and, if you're anything like me, you probably wondered for the first 17 or 18 years of your life what the heck a credit score was in the first place!
In this section, I'll explain the basics of what a credit score actually is, what all those numbers mean and how they break down. Once we learn how a credit score breaks down, we then have the foundation we need to talk about building strong credit and raising your score!
What's a credit score?
First thing's first: what is a credit score? And why does it matter?
Your credit score is a three-digit number generated from the information in your credit report. Your credit report contains a whole slew of financial information, from the credit cards you have open to the loans you're responsible for.
Most credit scores range from around 300 to 800-900 points. Keeping a high credit score is absolutely essential to maintaining financial independence, as it affects whether or not you're likely to be approved for things like loans, credit cards, etc. In general, the higher your credit score, the better your financial prospects!
If you're like most college students, you probably don't have much of a credit score to speak of right now. Unless you went out and opened a credit card the minute you turned eighteen (or your name happens to be the one on your parents' student loans), your credit history is probably zilch. However, if you already have a credit history, you can check your credit score using a number of free sites - Cafe Credit has a great list on its website!
Theoretically, it would make sense to say that the bank can't make assumptions about you if you have no credit history - not the case. Unfortunately, no credit history means no credit score at all, which is sometimes just as bad as a low credit score when you're looking to take out a hefty loan.
That's why we say that someone who's never had a credit card or taken out a loan before is building credit - which is exactly what you need to start doing now if you want to ensure the best financial future for yourself after graduation. Building strong credit early on will help show banks that you're responsible, improving your chances of approval for loans, credit cards and even mortgages later in life.
How it breaks down
Because that three-digit score determines so much about your financial life, many millennials wonder how they can establish or raise their credit score. When it comes to building or improving your credit, it helps to look at how your credit score is determined by the ratings agency.
In general, your credit score breaks down to a number of individual factors. Combined, these factors determine the three-digit score that summarizes your creditworthiness for banks and lenders.
For starters, around 35 percent of your credit score is based solely off of making your payments on time! In other words, the majority of your credit score results from whether or not you pay your bills by the assigned due date every month. So, naturally, it follows that the easiest way to raise your credit score is to ensure you're making your monthly payments in a timely manner, and that whenever you have a late payment, you pay off your balance as soon as possible!
The next 30 percent of your credit score comes from what you owe. If you owe a lot of money on several credit cards or loans, chances are your credit score won't seem too hot. Alternatively, if you keep your debt at a minimum and always make your payments on time, your score should remain high.
15 percent of your credit score is determined by how long your accounts have been open. The longer your accounts have been open, the more points you add to your credit score. So, simply having a credit history - opening that first credit card or repaying that small loan - will improve your score.
10 percent of your score has to do with the various types of credit you possess. From loans to credit cards, the more diverse your credit, the better off you'll be in the long run. However, this does NOT mean you should rush to open thirty credit cards at once - diversifying is a marathon, not a sprint! Not only can opening several accounts at once damage your credit score, but taking on more credit than you can handle is a surefire way to acquire mountains of debt and dock tons of points from your score.
Finally, that last 10 percent of your credit score comes from new credit. Anytime you open a new account, your credit score takes a small hit for about a year - but as soon as that year passes, your credit score should bounce back in no time! That hit is precisely why you should never open multiple accounts at once, but spread your credit out over time.
People with the best credit scores perform the best in all of these categories. However, just because you have fewer points in one area - for example, you just opened a new credit card, or haven't established a lengthy credit history - doesn't mean you can't improve in another realm, such as making timely payments and diversifying your credit over time.
Part II: How to Build Credit
Now that you understand what your credit score means, you've probably gleaned a few important ways to keep your credit score high - making your payments on time, for example, or not opening ten credit cards at once. However, what do you do when your credit score isn't high or low, but simply doesn't exist?
If you're a college student who doesn't have a credit card and whose name isn't on your student loans (i.e. your parents took them out for you), you probably don't have much of a credit history to speak of. No credit history = no credit score = no bueno for trying to apply for credit cards and car loans later in life. So, it's important to start building strong credit now to prepare for your future! Here are three simple ways to get started ASAP:
Credit cards
Your parents might have told you that a credit card is a symbol of impending debt - but in reality, a credit card is one of the easiest ways to build credit as a beginner, as long as you use it responsibly. If you treat a credit card like plastic cash, of course you'll go into debt! But, if you make your payments on time and don't spend more than you can afford, your credit score will skyrocket as a reward.
As a college student, you have the benefit of choosing from a number of credit cards designed specifically for students. Companies like Discover, Capitol One and Citi Bank all offer student credit cards. These cards require you to prove your enrollment as a full-time student at a university, but offer lower credit limits and easier approval than other credit cards.
Look for one with a $0 annual fee and a low starting interest rate - for example, my Discover student credit card offers a 0% interest rate for the first six months, then sets an interest rate based on the timeliness of your payments!
Once you've applied for and been approved for your first credit card, it's essential to use your credit card at least once every month, and keep track of how much you're spending. While you don't want to spend too much, your credit report will show whether or not you used your credit card in a given month, so you want to make sure you're using your card fairly consistently. Find a balance between saving money and using your card so you can build credit without going broke!
When you've had your card for at least a year and have been making your payments on time, some companies will allow you to call and ask for a credit limit increase, essentially awarding you more credit as a reward for being "good." This reward will show on your credit report, and can be used to boost your credit score!
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, you should NEVER cancel a credit card! Cancelling a credit card can cause your credit score to plummet. Instead of cancelling, opt not to use your card that month. No purchases = no payments, no interest and no debt.
Loans
Credit-builder loans are designed especially for people just like you -beginners trying to build credit for the first time! These loans can help you build your credit score without requiring good credit to apply, and you'll generally find them at small financial institutions like your local community bank.
With a credit-builder loan, there's just one catch: you won't receive the money you borrowed until the loan is paid off in full. Assuming you make your payments on time, you'll receive the money as promised, and your credit score will get a nice boost.
If not, the bank will be forced to send a negative report of you to the credit bureau, and your credit score may take a hit. That's why, just as with any credit card or other form of credit, it's absolutely critical to make your payments on time!
Other kinds of loans that can be used to build credit include secure installment loans. These loans are given by your primary financial institution and backed by a deposit you already hold at that bank. Until the loan is paid off, that amount of money will be frozen - but once you pay it off, it's yours once again!
There's also online lenders like Self Lender, a site specifically designed to help you build your credit. Self Lender offers a special Credit Builder Account that allows you to repay a small loan over the course of a year. At the end of that 12-month term, you've paid off your loan and proven to the credit bureaus that you have a history of timely payments! So, as long as you pay off your loan on time, it's a win-win for everyone.
Lines of credit
Finally, lines of credit (LOCs) are another way to build your credit score when you don't have any credit history to speak of. Though I chose the credit card route, Ryan uses one to build his credit score, and he constantly raves about it.
Basically, an LOC is a cross between a loan and a credit card. With an LOC, the borrower requests a certain amount of credit, similar to a credit limit on the credit card; however, they are not required to spend the entire thing - only as much as they need or want.
The loan can be accessed incrementally, via either check or electronic transfer. Like a credit card, you only pay interest on the amount you have spent, not on your entire credit limit. Then, once the borrower repays what he or she has spent, the credit then becomes available again in a never-ending cycle!
Sometimes, banks offer something called a demand LOC. With this type of LOC, the lender can call the full amount of the loan due at any given time. So, the borrower can either make small, monthly payments or wait to pay off the LOC until the lender calls it due.
Most lines of credit require something called a prime credit score, a number in the 680-800 range. So, they might not be suitable for all students who are just starting out in building their credit scores! Rather, an LOC might be used as a stepping stone toward getting better credit once you've already established a credit score.
Part III: Saving Money
Perhaps the most important topic in personal finance, saving money is just as important - if not more important - as making it. If you don't have money in the bank, you won't have anything to pay off those new credit card bills with. Debt becomes inevitable.
In this section, I'm not talking about getting a part time job or how to slash costs from your budget. When it comes to making and saving money, you have to figure out what works for your life. Instead, I'll be giving you less obvious strategies for budgeting, keeping track of your spending, hustling and more!
Starting a monthly budget
The easiest way to assess where you're spending money and figure out ways to slash that spending is to stick to a monthly budget. Nowadays, there are many ways you can create a budget for yourself. Whether you go the old-fashioned route with a notebook or Microsoft Excel, or download one of many novel new financial apps, establishing a budget will help you save money in the long run.
Personally, I use the Mint app to keep track of where my money goes. Mint is a secure app made by the same people who made TurboTax. It allows you to directly link your checking and savings accounts and monitor your spending, plus create a budget based on categorical limits and assess how well you're following it. Plus, it's completely free to use!
Once you download Mint, my recommendation would be to start with a trial month. By that I mean, go through one month spending like you normally would without a budget. Mint will categorize your spending for you - then, at the end of the month, you can assess where your spending needs a little work!
See where you can cut costs, then create a budget based around what you're already spending. If you create a budget that's already fine-tuned to your distinct needs, you'll be more apt to follow it instead of going over your limits.
In case you're the kind of person who needs more structure than that, I'm also big fan of this rule followed by my fave leading woman, Sen. Elizabeth Warren! She's a proponent of the 50/30/20 rule, where 50% of your money is spent on necessities, 30% on personal wants and 20% on savings. If you're new to personal finance, this rule is one of the easiest ways to simplify your budget.
Finally, I also want to share with you this tip from one of my favorite personal finance blogs (that's right, y'all - I read finance blogs sometimes...but only when they're pretty and pink), From Pennies to Pounds! Francesca advocates for something called a net zero budget. In other words, she argues that you should allocate every last dollar you make toward something that can benefit you, whether it's saving or spending! Check out more in her post about it here.
Keep close track of your spending
Ideally, you should always know exactly where every last dollar of your money goes. It's the wisdom behind every rule in budgeting, whether you're a 50/30/20 kinda girl or more of a zero sum gal yourself.
There's lots of reasons why you should keep close track of your spending. For starters, you want to monitor your spending activity to make sure that no suspicious characters have stolen your card number. You also want to make sure you're not spending more money than you're taking in, whether it's on one too many Chipotle burrito bowls or so-called "quick runs to Target" (trust me, we've all been there before).
As I mentioned previously, the Mint app is a great way to collect all of that information in one place. You can link all of your bank accounts, both checking and savings, to one app, and it will automatically categorize your spending for you. With one glance, you'll be able to tell how much money is flowing in, how much is flowing out and where it's going, all in one convenient place!
When it comes to making sure your identity is protected, enabling alerts with your mobile banking app is a great way to keep track of any suspicious spending. Whenever your bank notices a risky transaction, it will give you a push notification on your phone, so you'll never be in the dark about what's going on with your money.
Looking at your bank statements every month is also super important. Even if you just give it a quick-once over, you need to make sure every purchase checks out. If something on your bank statement doesn't look familiar to you, that's an instant red alert that your card number may have been compromised.
Personally, I would advise ditching the paper bank statements and going completely digital. Don't get me wrong, I love paper - but cutting out the clutter of having to file away my bank statements every month really helped me get organized with my finances. So, instead of putting my statements in my file box, I now have a separate folder in my Gmail inbox dedicated solely to financial stuff!
And, speaking of going digital, I may have mentioned that I'm a huge fan of apps for keeping track of your financial info. That being said, I'd like to give a shout out to my absolute FAVORITE money app out there: Venmo!
Venmo is a college essential nowadays. With Venmo, you can easily send your friends money and receive money they owe you in return, all through this secure system. It's also fun to use and lets you see who's transferring money to who - it's almost like Twitter for finances!
When a friend owes me money, I'm often hesitant to call them out - but when you don't follow up over and over again, those dollars start to add up. Luckily, Venmo makes it easy to request money from a friend and for your friends to pay you back at the touch of the button. So, you have no excuse not to collect what's rightfully yours anymore!
And, lastly, my last tip for managing your money and keeping track of your spending is to avoid automatic payments whenever possible! What I mean is if you're like me and you're not a person who has a ton of money in their checking account, like most college students, then avoid subscriptions that automatically renew.
Why, you may ask? Automatic renewal makes it easy to lose track of what payments you owe when. Not to mention, when you set up automatic payments, you run the risk of overdrafting, or accidentally withdrawing more money than is in your checking account. For example, if your Amazon Prime subscription renews automatically every year, costs $50 and you only have $30 in your checking account at the time it goes through, you might accidentally charge too much to your debit card and face some hefty overdraft fees from whatever bank you use.
Don't get me wrong - I love Amazon Prime as much as the next girl - but whenever you have the option to renew your subscriptions manually, please do so! On top of protecting you from overdraft fees, this will also save you more money in the long run because it forces you to reevaluate your purchases and whether or not they were truly worth the investment.
Start an "emergency" savings account...
...or, alternatively, an account to help you work toward a goal, such as grad school, a car or travel. Whatever the purpose of your savings account, make it a separate account from your primary savings or checking account - and, most importantly, DO NOT SPEND IT!! Until it is time to make that big purchase, go on that exciting trip or pay your way through that devastating financial emergency, your savings account should remain untouched.
One way to ensure you don't touch that savings account is to avoid linking it to a debit card or checking account. If you're physically unable to transfer money into your checking account or "accidentally" spend it on a shopping binge at Target, your savings will remain unscathed no matter what poor financial choices you make in your life. That way, even if you spend every last cent in your checking account, you can still go to grad school, pay for that trip home or take care of your bills when shit hits the fan (so to speak).
As for building up your savings, it's important to allocate a certain amount of money to that account every month. If you're not depositing money consistently, it's safe to say your savings won't grow all that much, with the exception of maybe a couple cents in interest every year.
Setting up an automatic transfer from every paycheck into that savings account can really help you grow your savings, without spending money you don't already have. However, there's also more fun ways to achieve this goal, too! If you've been on Pinterest lately (or really ever), you might have seen some 52-week savings challenges. These challenges are not only a great way to build up your emergency or goal-oriented savings account, but it's also kind of fun to challenge yourself to see how much you can save!
Another "fun" way to save money that I'm currently using is something I'll call a "bad habit tax." For me, that bad habit is complaining. Because I struggle with my anxiety and depression every day, I have trouble looking on the bright side of life. So, this month, every time I complain, I'm charging myself $0.50 (I'm keeping tally in my notebook). At the end of the month, all of the money I lost by complaining will get transferred into my savings account so I can use it for travel later on!
Get a side hustle or moneymaking hobby
This tip is my absolute favorite, because it's one you'll actually enjoy doing! If you're doing it right, you'll love it so much you won't even notice your hobby has become your side hustle.
Especially in the age of the Internet, it's much easier than you think to start a business, and even easier to make money doing something you love. For example, if you love knitting or crafting, you might open an Etsy shop and sell your creations worldwide. If you love to write, you might consider checking out freelance opportunities local to you. Or, if you love skiing or baking or makeup or whatever it is, you can start a blog or YouTube channel, work to grow it and eventually monetize.
Unfortunately, there is a bit of a catch when it comes to making your own income through a side hustle. When you make money through freelancing, blogging or any other kind of self-employment, you're subject to self-employment tax. If you're making less than $400 in a calendar year, then you don't need to file these taxes. However, if you're making more, it's absolutely essential to file your taxes diligently to avoid a penalty later on.
When it comes to self-employment tax, the good news is almost any expense you put toward growing your business is deductible. So, be sure to keep good track of every dollar you spend on your side hustle! Personally, I keep a Google Sheets spreadsheet with all of my income and expenses. That way, when tax season rolls around, I'll know what went toward what!
Granted, I'm no tax expert. Thankfully, if you're still confused, Melyssa Griffin has an amazingly clear explanation on her blog. Though her article centers on taxes for bloggers, this information truly applies to anyone who self-employs in any side hustle, from Etsy to freelancing!
