Two years ago I graduated from Emerson College, kissed my parents goodbye, and flew from the East Coast to the West, ready to flaunt my hard-earned college degree and extensive (college) resume in the faces of my new peers. The plan was generic: get job, work hard, rise through ranks, meet Matt Groeing, get hired to serve coffee on "Futurama," achieve life dream. I was prepared for sacrifice, and for coffee runs, and for small gigs in reality television. I was prepared. For work, that is. I forgot about life.

I just saw another Walmart commercial talking about how layaway is back for Christmas. Who's pumped!?! Well at least 2,841 people who took a poll on about.com are excited along with the 829 who supported a Facebook campaign to bring it back to Walmart are. This is a pretty interesting move to get people spending more on the holidays.

I’m borderline obsessed with getting the best deal and it’s a fact that buying in bulk can be a great way to save money. If you share a place with other people or team up with the apartment across the hall, that's even better! This is a great way to save cash and stock up the pantry or gear up for your next party (here in CA they have great prices on beer, wine and liquor - although I’m still a HUGE fan of BevMo!.) Because I love saving money, I’m a huge proponent of shopping at bulk discount stores.

One of the easiest way to keep your savings account growing is simply not to spend money. It would make sense to always search for and go with the best deal, but that’s not always the case. Their are two other important aspects to consider when bargain shopping: time and long term value. The cheapest items can sometimes end up costing you a great deal more than you’d think.

My budget may protest, but my split ends and raggedy cuticles are begging for some attention. In order to broker a peace treaty, I’m checking out beauty schools. Though it’s a risk (we all remember Frenchie from Grease), there are some big benefits to allowing a student to take a scissor to your locks or rub some cream into your hands. Namely, it’s usually pretty cheap. There are, however, some things to keep in mind before you head into the student salon.

Before you buy, get quotes and brush up on your negotiating technique. My mom used to tell me to let my fingers do the walking and call places before driving around to see if they had what you were looking for. The same thing goes with cars. Online quotes are your golden ticket to the best deal.

Whether you’re looking for a loan or to pay with cash, look at your budget and determine the maximum you can spend. It is important to determine this price or monthly payment before even researching or getting ready to buy. It’s easy to see different models or more features and think the price in manageable in the heat of the moment. Be honest with yourself about what you can afford, as much as your car is a statement as to who you are and your style, most importantly it’s a tool and a big financial commitment.