Congratulations! Your sister, a close friend or that distant cousin you rarely talk to is engaged and you’ve been asked to put on a dress of her choice, arrange brunches, walk down the aisle with a guy you hardly know, and raise a glass on the big day. In other words, you’re a bridesmaid! No matter how excited you are for the happy couple it’s no secret that being in a wedding requires a lot of time and cash. Even if your best bud is no “bridezilla” (and we have our fingers crossed that she’s not), some costs are unavoidable. (more…)

A WWOOFer at work in Costa Rica

It snowed for what seems like eternity, your day job is going nowhere, and you’re so ready to grab a one-way ticket outta here. I’ve been there! I don’t recommend my exact plan (read: don’t quit until Starbucks calls you for an interview; it could be a while), I do suggest WWOOFing as an atypical getaway. Forget hostel fees and the thought of surviving on a pastry and coffee till dinner: World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms is an international network of farmers who host volunteers and share sustainable living tips in return for help with chores. For the price of a plane ticket and some manual labor, you could be herding goats overseas and eating leafy greens until your heart’s content.  Once you’ve settled into your tepee on a farm in the south of Portugal, 20 euros could last for weeks: I mostly spent cash on just beer and ice cream. (more…)