Indebted for life

We have all heard the crazy statistics of how much the average U.S. citizen holds in credit card debt. The average American is said to be in debt $8,400 but not all experts agree.

Either way, access to easy money, compounded with the slow economy may be our next "housing bubble."

We cant have everything we want, right?

A 2007 and 2008 poll by CreditCards.com shows that consumers are becoming steadily dependent on their plastic “buy now, pay later.”

But as students, there is little we can do to escape plummeting into the abyss. With 41 percent of students having a credit card, not only are we in that desirable bracket marketers love, we have less responsibility (i.e. children and mortgages) and capital.

The average four-year university student who have loans is 65.6 percent, and the average cumulative debt is $17,277, according to FinAid. This coupled with the credit freeze, has put plenty of students who rely on loans in a predicament as well.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is set to increase the Pell grant by $17 billion. The educational federally funded grant helps an estimated 7 million students. However the money will not be dispersed until July 2010.

While I understand that debt may be inevitable at times, it is best to avoid what we can as students. But until then, here are some ideas for saving money:

1. Move back in with your parents.


Come on you know they miss you. Plus, you can totally avoid step 2.


2. Stop eating, or at least learn to live off 800 calories a day.


If step 2 seems near impossible, refer back to step 1 or my recipe for Ketchup soup.

3. Get a rich boyfriend/girlfriend


You may have to compromise what you are really looking for in a mate (i.e. personality, age or/and personal hygiene)


4. Become a rock star


5. And if you have burned through all four with no luck, you can always get a credit card.

Its just too easy.

Sorry B-list celebrity movie: I’m just not that into you.

Every year, in fact multiple times throughout the year, a chick-flick (i.e. girl gets dumped, girl reinvents herself, girl falls for unassuming hot-guy who has been pining for her since at least the first 15 minutes of said movie) that attempts to relate to its audience

“Confessions of a Shopaholic” is not that movie.

I must point out at this juncture that I have not, nor intend, to see this movie.

However, this does not mean I’m unqualified to passed judgment on it.

Just face it Hollywood, we already mainlined a fat piece of “Sex in the City” before you could say “trailer” and pretended to ignore the unrealistic plot line of “The Devil Wears Prada.”
But how is a story about a girl addicted to shopping follow in the shoes of amazing chick-flicks like Pretty Woman and Dirty Dancing? (editor’s note: neither Pretty Woman or Dirty Dancing follow the “chick-flick” template, however the two movies reflect a high-point in chick-flick cinema)

Now I ask, who are Shopaholics’ creators intending to reach to with this plot?

Is it estimated that 17 million Americans (yup, both men and women) are shopaholics or compulsive buyers. “Oniomania,” is a compulsive disorder that includes the urge to buy beyond ones reasonable means and is thought to be genetic.

Please!

If genetic they mean that the last 100 years of American culture has been about keeping up with the Jones’? Then yes, we are genetically predisposed to shop till we drop.

But hey, aside from the environmental impact and the degradation of our collective character, what is the harm?

The American government does not set the best example by being the largest debtor nation. What happens when China wants their $800 million back?

Art imitating life is always interesting, but "Confessions of a Shopaholic" only reflects our consumerism on a micro level.

So why, I ask, would I want to see a movie depicting this sad reality?

It seems totally unrealistic and contrived. Plus the fashion doesn't even look that great.