Going back to school can be a big financial investment. We've already gone through application costs, so now we'll turn our attention to some of the big ticket items of attendance. Though these expenses can be significant, they should not deter you from enrollment. The whole point of gathering this information is to make school do-able for you. With a little preparation, you can budget better (or even get scholarships!) for an over-all less stressful experience.

There must have been a blackout nine months ago because babies are popping out like crazy lately. Now we all know babies are expensive, only not just for their parents. Everything is cute in miniature, so picking out gifts can be dangerous to the pocketbook. Read on for some tips on spoiling the little tykes without having to subsist on ramen afterward.

As some of us reclaim our student status with degrees and certifications, we often run into one of the great hidden expenses of education. Namely, our course materials. Textbooks and other assigned reading can end up costing as much as your class. And, that can be a lot of extra dough to have to come up with. Before you decide to stay dumb because it's cheaper, check out our suggestions for saving on textbooks.

The school of life usually teaches you a lot, but it’s not always appropriate for cocktail parties or nerd-tastic meet-ups. There’s quite a lot of information out there, so it’s easier to focus on one area at a time. Thus, if you want to hang with the English professors or just sound like the most well-educated kid on the block (and community college just didn’t quite prepare you), check out these ways to expand your knowledge base.

You may have slept in late this morning, but did you stop to wonder why? What is this whole Independence Day celebration about? Sure, throwing out "1776" and "Constitution" and "former British colony" may win you some points at a cocktail party, but what is America (and specifically the United States) all about? Here are our selections for a quick brush up on the roots of the land of the free and the home of the brave.

If you're about to get off for a summer vacation or just got fired, you may be wondering what to do with all that extra time. Sure laying on the couch is fun for a couple days, but too much sloth can lead to an overall feeling of blah. Since the economy still sucks, you may struggle to find work. So do some good (and build your resume up in the process) by volunteering at a local organization. It's much easier to have a meaningful volunteer experience when you pair yourself with a cause you actually care about; kittens, books, or homeless youth: very different, but they all could use your help.

We've all been hearing that sharing is caring line since kindergarten. It may feel cliche, but there's another aspect to the concept of sharing when you're low on funds: namely that borrowed, traded, and gifted stuff doesn't cost you anything. Additionally, other people's stuff is always cooler than yours. A pretty slick trick is to scout out which friends have the best stuff. It's a good bet that your handy construction worker buddy probably has a hammer. But what if you don't have a construction worker buddy? Then this is the article for you.