I’m only left to wonder when good old fashioned lifestyle ambition became so unfashionable? Why can’t you just want what you want? Oh that’s right, we’re in a recession–wanting things is wrong.

A thoughtful piece from 25-year-old Melody Serafino, recently published in Newsweek. Serafino writes that she is surrounded by few peers who work towards financial independence. Here’s an excerpt…

As a stock investor, I continue to search for ways to boost my returns. Today, I’ll talk about two things I have done recently to boost my return even while some of my stocks are losing value.

Everyone has those once-in-a-while expenses that require some planning and preparation in order to pay: car insurance (once or twice a year), yearly dues or memberships, and even taxes. They’re a bit odd because they’re not recurring monthly bills, so you’re not always thinking about them, but when they hit, they can hit pretty hard.

Negotiating things like salary, time off, flexible work schedule and vacation leave shouldn’t be like a trip to the dentist, but it is for some women. This is while men walk into such situations thinking of it as a “game” on which they are intent on winning.

Did you know that there are companies whose whole foundation is based on taking your money while giving you nothing in return? These companies exist, they are very real, and most people continue on paying them for nothing, you probably are right now. The primary example of this that comes to mind is your Gym membership.

I’m not gonna say we haven’t hit the bottom, but I’m not gonna tell you we have either. Why? Because it really doesn’t matter.

There. 7 different tactics to take - you should be able to find one that fits your unique personality!

Just mindlessly dumping part of your paycheck into that standard 401k won’t get you where you need to be. Here’s are a couple other ideas that can contribute to your successful financial future.

The vast majority (90 percent) of student financial aid administrators said they are concerned about the student loan crunch and more than half (52 percent) believe that the recently enacted Ensuring Continued Access to Student Loans Act (ECASLA) does not do enough to ensure future loan access for students…