What do the Royal Wedding and Financial Aid Renewal Application have in common?

April 29th is an important day for two reasons: it is the deadline for the renewal financial aid application for Brandeis and the day of the Royal Wedding of William and Kate!

Assuming you already completed the CSS, the FAFSA and sent in your tax returns to IDOC, you can shift your focus to the Royal Ceremony! We at Savvy Student decided to take a peak on the estimated budget for the Wedding. Here is what we found out:

- The total estimated cost of the Royal Wedding: $32M
- The total estimated cost of the Chelsey Clinton Wedding: $3.3M
- The total estimated cost of an average US Wedding: $27, 000

- The Royal Wedding Cake: $80, 000 (4 semesters of Brandeis tuition and $134 per slice!)
- An average wedding cake: $ 540 and that is only $ 4 per slice (Cake slice in Upper Usdan $2.99)

- The Royal Wedding Bridal Dress: $ 434, 000
- An average wedding dress: $ 1, 099

So, who is really going to pay for this?

According to the official Royal Media briefing document: "The Royal Family, with a private contribution from the Middleton Family, will pay for all those aspects of the day that constitute the wedding (e.g. the Abbey service, flowers, dresses, carriage procession, reception and dinner). The Government and other bodies will pay for costs that are consequential to the wedding."

The flowers, the dress, the reception, then, will technically be financed by the families of the bride and the groom. However, the security for the big day, crowd control, clearing of the streets, etc. will be paid by British tax revenues.

The engagement ring is perhaps the only technically free (as it is inherited) part of the ceremony along with Kate's gorgeous smile, of course.

You can follow the Royal Wedding Live (for free) on the Royal YouTube Channel this Friday.
And if the wedding fever hits you, you can estimate the cost of weddings in your state here.


Happily-ever-after,
Savvy Student

References:

http://www.officialroyalwedding2011.org/
http://thebudgetsavvybride.com/2011/04/22/the-royal-wedding-budget-vs-the-average-american-wedding-budget/
http://bltwy.msnbc.msn.com/politics/the-cost-of-kate-and-williams-royal-wedding-9495.gallery

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Last Minute Tax Help

As the tax deadline approaches (MONDAY, APRIL 18, 2011) and you feel the beads of sweat beginning to form just take a breath and try to relax. Although we, both SFS and Savvy Student are prohibited from providing tax advice, we can still give you tips on where to go for help. First and foremost your online best friend should be IRS.gov. Make sure to submit your materials on time, otherwise, if you owe money you risk facing fees.

Second and arguably as important- Make Copies! A good rule of thumb is to keep copies of your personal return on file for three to seven years. Copies are useful when you need to reference your returns for such things as the financial aid application process. Also, The IRS has three years from the date you file to audit your return, so it will be nice to have a record of your return if any bumps arise.

Our third tip is to make sure your return is complete - check the IRS website at http://www.irs.gov/index.html to see what schedules and forms may be helpful or required for your return. These may include various versions of the 1040, a business or self-employment schedule, attachments, and W-2's. You can also answer many of your other questions using the sources on this page, and the student specific section can be found here: http://www.irs.gov/individuals/students/index.html.

Finally, you should also consider taking a trip to Bentley University in Waltham. Bentley students are offering free tax help to Waltham residents, and Brandeis students count! You can find more information in our Monday March 7, 2011 post and here.

Of course, if you need them, there are commercial tax-help products and services - but try the above first!

As always, let us know if you have any other information, tips, questions, or leads on Savvy services!

Sincerely,

Savvy-Student

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Ways to Conserve Energy and Save Money

With fuel prices expected to spike, incorporating simple energy conservation measures into your daily routine makes more sense than ever. Radical steps aren't necessary; when it comes to conservation, a little bit goes a long way.

At Home:

• When replacing appliances, look for the Energy Star label. Although these appliances cost a bit more, they use less energy.
  

• Compact fluorescent bulbs last more than six times longer than regular light bulbs, and can save you about $601 a year.

• Many plugged in gadgets, including TVs, DVD players, and Dustbusters, use energy even when they are turned off, and can account for five percent of your energy bill. No one is suggesting that you unplug everything before leaving for work every morning, but yanking a few plugs before going on vacation or away for an extended amount of time might not be a bad idea.

• Clean naturally. You can go green with natural cleaning products that won't harm the environment. To make furniture polish, mix two parts cooking oil with one part lemon, or use baking soda to scour pans. Cleaning a car, boat or bike this summer? Be sure to use a soap that is environmentally safe if the run off is going into the ground or water and use a hose with an automatic shutoff nozzle.

• Avoid saturating your lawn and garden with chemicals that seep into the groundwater. Create natural fertilizer with compost. Fruit and vegetable peelings, coffee grounds, nutshells, dead flowers, all add beneficial nutrients to the soil.

• Showers use less water than baths, meaning shorter showers can save lots of water and lots of cash.

Transportation:

• Educate yourself on ways to commute, check with your local community transportation representatives to see if your area offers buses, trains or even carpool listings. Brandeis students can check the public safety website for shuttle times here.

• According to the Consumer Federation of America, you can improve your mileage by more than 15 percent a year by cleaning your air filter, checking alignment, pumping up tires, and keeping to the speed limit.

• Avoid accelerating or braking unnecessarily quickly to save gas.

• Additionally, check your gas cap. Missing or broken caps allow gas to evaporate. About 150 million gallons of gasoline evaporate every year.

• Unloading 100 pounds of gear from your trunk can save four cents a gallon!

• You'll also reduce fuel consumption if you don't idle your car.There are many ways to be green. All you have to do is a little research and choose a few that are right for you.

Stay Green--literally,
Savvy Student

reade more... Résuméabuiyad