Young & Free Indiana

Oscars 2012: Big Victories for Jim Rash & Bret McKenzie

Matt Mills — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 15:44:54 +0000

Hey all,

I watched the Oscars last night with a bunch of friends, and while I could choose to write this blog post on how The Artist won pretty much everything, or how neither George Clooney nor Brad Pitt were able to take home the big award, I'm instead going to talk about about two minor celebrities who made me cheer the most last night: Jim Rash and Bret McKenzie.

(I know what you're probably thinking: who?!)

Image source

Jim Rash

Along with Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon, Jim Rash took home the award for Writing (Adapted Screenplay). Why do I care? Two reasons: first, he instantly made twitter/the blog universe explode with praise for getting up on stage and thrusting out his right leg in hilarious mockery of Angelina Jolie. Which, come on, was priceless.

Second, because--along with writing award-winning screenplays--Jim Rash also plays the ridiculous Dean Pelton on my favorite show, NBC's Community. So how could I not cheer for such a minor character getting to shine in the big lights?

And, of course, writing never came easy for Dean Pelton anyway.

Image source

Bret McKenzie

Taking home the Best Original Song Oscar for "Man or Muppet," some of you may have recognized Bret McKenzie from his infamous comedy/songwriting duo, Flight of the Conchords. While he may not be as famous as most of the stars up there, his band and the subsequent HBO series about them have made him a cult icon; I myself have been following his exploits since early college. Thus, it was a treat for me to get to see him hoisting the Oscar...albeit a little strange.

Plus, did you know he was in Lord of the Rings?

Did you have any favorite moments from the Oscars? Leave a comment below or let me know on facebook!

Cheers,

Matt

Spotlight of the Month: Morgan Trowbridge

Matt Mills — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 15:55:30 +0000

Hey all,

Spotlight of the Month is here again! This month, I sat down with Morgan Trowbridge of Morgan Ruth Photography and heard all about what it's like to start your own photography business.

To find out more about Morgan, visit her facebook page!

Do you have someone you think would make a great Spotlight of the Month? Submit their name for consideration!

Cheers,

Matt

Change Your Own Oil

Matt Mills — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 16:14:45 +0000

Hey all,

I just got the oil changed on the Young & Free Indiana car, and it cost an arm and a leg. While it's certainly convenient to just drive your car to an oil change place, it might not be the most cost-efficient for those of us strapped for cash. So, it got me thinking: what if I wanted to save some money and change my own oil?

If you've ever wanted to do the same, here are some steps from frugalliving.about.com on how to do your own oil change:

Image source

What You'll Need:

Oil (check your owner's manual to find out what kind)
An oil filter
A filter wrench (optional if you have a filter with a built-in grip coating)
A socket and ratchet
A funnel
An oil catch pan
Shop rags

Get Your Car Ready

First of all, you have to lift your car. You can either drive it up a ramp or use a floor jack and jack stands, but you need to be able to get underneath your vehicle. Also, make sure that you're using a level, paved area. Then set the parking brake and chock the rear wheels to prevent your car from rolling back at all while you're underneath it. Don't forget to do this, as it's important to your safety!

Drain the Old Oil and Remove the Old Oil Filter

On the underside your car, find the oil drain plug at the bottom of the oil pan. Place a catch pan underneath it--you don't want the oil going all over your driveway--and then remove the drain plug. Allow all the old oil to drain out, and then replace the drain plug again (don't overtighten it, though).

Then, find your old oil filter and place the catch pan underneath it. Remove it carefully (you don't want to spill it except in the catch pan). You may need a filter wrench to remove your oil filter, depending on whether it has a built-in grip coating or not.

Ready the New Oil Filter

Get your brand new oil filter and put a small amount of oil all around the gasket. This will allow you to install it smoothly without breaking it. Prefill the new oil filter halfway so that your car will have fresh oil upon starting up, then carefully install your new oil filter. Screw it on until it connects with the base, then turn it one more time for good measure (don't over or under tighten it, though, since that could result in leaks).

Refill the Engine With Oil

Now it's time to actually change the oil. Open up the hood of your car, remove your oil cap, and fill your engine with new oil using your funnel. Don't overfill it, though--even though you drained your car, there will inevitably be some old oil still left in it, so hold back the last half quart of oil or so.

Finally, start your car for a minute or so to allow the oil to circulate. Wait three minutes and then check the dipstick. Add oil if your level is still low, but if your oil is at the appropriate level, you're done!

Cheers,

Matt

Think Before Donating Money, Food, and Clothes

Matt Mills — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 17:09:49 +0000

Hey all,

It's become quite trendy to give money away to international relief causes. Which, on the one hand, is awesome; it's great to see young people with a desire to help the poor in third world countries, something that our generation has become very in sync with. I'm proud to be a part of that, and it's incredible to see it happen.

However, on the other hand, it's become increasingly hard to know when our money is actually helping...and when it's hurting.

Image source

What do I mean by that? Well, as Phil B puts it, it seems that too many international charity programs are focused on donating money, food, and material items like clothes.

"Wait," you may say. "What's wrong with that?"

Well, on the surface, nothing. Most people who donate money, food, and clothes to suffering countries have the best intentions at heart. After all, these programs raise awareness and do address a short-term problem. The issue, however, is that these programs tend to make the long-term problem even worse: giving a child in Africa a pair of shoes may address the needs of his feet, but it does nothing to address the situation that made him shoeless in the first place. Indeed, it only serves to reinforce the bad economic environment of those countries.

Remember, as Kelsey Timmerman says, the problem is not shoelessness. The problem is poverty.

Richard Stupert further outlines the problem with this mentality in his article 7 Worst International Aid Ideas by addressing an organization that wanted to donate one million free t-shirts to Africa:

Dumping a million free shirts is inefficient. What it would cost to pack them, ship them, and transport them overland to wherever it is that they are meant to go would cost close to the manufacturing cost of the shirts in the first place. That’s just incredibly wasteful. If you wanted to get people shirts, it would be far more cost effective to simply commission their manufacture locally, creating a stimulus to the local textile economy in the process.

The truth is, as good as our intentions may be, donations of this kind might do more harm than good. So, what should we do instead of donating money, food, and clothes? As Phil B says,

The best way to help the people of a very poor country is to stimulate the local economy there. For instance, starting a business in or doing business with these countries would create jobs. These jobs would be better, because they would permanently help pull the poor out of poverty.

Does this mean you're a bad person if you support organizations that only donate money, food, and clothes? No, of course not! After all, you've only had the best intentions; wanting to help the poor of third world countries is an admirable quality, and one worth pursuing.

The important thing just is to really think about who you are supporting. Instead of just donating some food or a pair of shoes, do your research to find out if your organization of choice is actually helping the local economy...or hurting it. When it comes to actually ending poverty, this makes all the difference.

Cheers,

Matt

Fill-Up Friday is This Friday!

Matt Mills — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 17:03:51 +0000

Hey all,

The 24th is the last Friday of the month, which means not only will you get a brand new Spotlight of the Month, but also our second Fill-Up Friday!

So, want a chance to win $50 for gas? Just check out the Fill-Up Friday tab on our facebook page, upload a photo of your ride, and get the most votes before Thursday at midnight! Pretty easy.

So, be sure to get your entries and votes in for our second-ever Fill-Up Friday, coming this week!

Cheers,

Matt

Living Young & Free Show Episode 056: Cheap De-stressing, Conscious Spending & Gone Phishing

Y&F Indiana Team — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 17:00:31 +0000

Lee in Alabama shares how to de-stress without spending money, Jenn from St. Louis looks at ways to be more conscious about your spending and Matt from Indiana covers the warning signs of phishing scams.

You can also download all of the episodes as a podcast from iTunes and you can watch all previous shows!

The Y&F Indiana Team

Planning for Your Future with 3Rivers and TurboTax

Matt Mills — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 16:59:09 +0000

Hey all,

It's Friday again, which means it's time for another video! Since tax season is coming up, I thought I'd talk a little about taxes, planning for your future, and retirement. (Retirement? Say what?)

So, don't wait until it's too late to start doing your taxes and saving for the future. Check out 3Riversfcu.org/turbotax to get started on your taxes, and visit 3Riversfcu.org/myfuture to start planning for your future today!

Cheers,

Matt

Introducing the Young & Free Street Team!

Matt Mills — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 17:34:29 +0000

Hey all,

I'm pleased to introduce you all to the new Young & Free Street Team! Every few months here at Young & Free Indiana, we're going to be bringing in a team of new people to help hype the program up at events and online. I'm pretty pumped about it, and I thought today would be the perfect time to get to know our three new Street Team members...

Andrea Robbins

Q: What are you doing now? A: Currently I go to IPFW for Anthropology. I also work for 3Rivers and have been here since November 2011.

Q: What's awesome about Young & Free? A: It's designed for young people so it helps them learn great money management skills and can help with building credit!

Q: What are some of your interests? A: Some of my interests include mostly outdoor activities like sports and being at the beach.

Q: What are your favorite movies? A: The Red Violin, Beauty and the Beast, and Pride and Prejudice.

Q: What's your favorite ice cream topping? A: I love caramel in most treats!

Courtney Keane

Q: What are you doing now? A: I'm not in school right now, but I plan to go back. I've been at 3Rivers since May 2011. I got married June 4, 2011 and live with my husband and two dogs (Kona, a pure husky, and Frisco, a husky/collie mix).

Q: What's awesome about Young & Free? A: Young & Free lets younger members feel independent without needing to worry about big fees. It also helps them get into good habits that will help later in life!

Q: What are some of your interests? A: I'm interested in sports, dancing, singing, and having a good time!

Q: What are your favorite movies? A: Jurassic Park, The Notebook, and Aladdin.

Q: What's your favorite ice cream topping? A: I like hot fudge on my ice cream!

Hana Hawash

Q: What are you doing now? A: I'm currently a full-time Service Representative at the West Jefferson branch at 3Rivers. I'm also a full-time student at IPFW working towards a degree in Psychology with a minor in Journalism.

Q: What's awesome about Young & Free? A: My favorite aspect is the Livin' Free Visa Card, which is an actual credit card. With a sensible limit, you can be sure you won't get yourself into any crazy credit card debt. Plus, it helps establish good credit if payments are being made on time. At some point or another, everyone needs to start building credit so might as well start early.

Q: What are some of your interests? A: I love meeting new people, traveling to new places, and listening to new music. I have a passion for fashion and beauty (I'm a make-up artist, too!) and journalism. I like giving advice and helping people out. I also like hanging out with kids because they're so cute and, believe it or not, a lot of stuff they say makes more sense than some adults I know. ;)

Q: What are your favorite movies? A: Not gonna lie, The Hangover is one of my favorites. I really like era, period, and Punjabi movies, too.

Q: What's your favorite ice cream topping? A: I don't like things on top of my ice cream, but I like brownies, almonds, and waffle cones inside of my ice cream.

Have a comment for Andrea, Courtney, or Hana? Leave one below or on our facebook page!

Cheers,

Matt

Are You Actually Making Progress on Your Student Loans?

Matt Mills — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 17:07:35 +0000

Hey all,

This week I decided to take a good hard look at my student loans (again). What I realized was a little disconcerting: by only paying off the minimum balance each month, I had barely made a dent in my actual student loans.

How is this possible, you ask? How is it that the huge wad of cash I've been shelling out each month has barely scratched the surface of my student loans? The answer: interest.

Image source

Turns out, by only paying the minimum payment each month, a large majority of my monthly payment was only covering accrued interest, leaving just a tiny amount to go towards the actual loan amount. It was like trying to dig a hole that was rapidly filling with water: every shovel-full was 90% water and only 10% dirt. When your goal is to get rid of the dirt, that's not good progress.

Fortunately, there are great calculator tools online to help in exactly this type of situation. Finaid.org, for example, has a good calculator that will help you determine how much interest you'll actually have to pay with the payment plan you're currently on. It's quite stunning to realize that if you simply pay $100 more each month, you could actually save yourself thousands of dollars in the long run (this is just an example, it's different for everyone depending on your loans). While it may suck to be shelling out an additional $100 each month, it'll be great to save those thousands down the road.

3Rivers also has some great loan calculators, and not just for student loans; there's one for auto payments, whether or not you should lease or purchase a car, how making extra payments will affect your student loans...all kinds of good stuff! Check 'em out!

Cheers,

Matt

Why I Love 3Rivers

Matt Mills — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 15:31:05 +0000