| The art of being broke: The student guide to saving cash
Managing your money at university is an art form, but one that most of us can master with a bit of effort. Budgeting your money does not need to be a boring and time consuming task, and it means that you will have more cash to spend on books, beans and beer at the end of term. First-year students are now racking up on average a record £6,000 in debt and are expected to leave university owing more than £17,500, according to the most recent Push survey on student debt. So it is more important than ever to know how to get the most for your money. Smart banking Before you head off to university make sure you have your money sorted. The Student Loans Company should be your first stop; they offer both loans and grants for tuition fees as well as maintenance costs.
Animal patients beam over laser success
Sam loves chasing squirrels in the backyard of his Urbandale home. But one squirrel got the best of him.
He was on the tree-climbing, acorn-hording rodent's tail when it suddenly changed direction. Sam tried to quickly compensate and - snap - his anterior cruciate ligament, more commonly called the ACL, was torn.
But thanks to advances in medicine being adopted by local veterinarians, Sam will be up and running after the bushy-tailed foe in no time. .
Shop moves to old shoe shine parlor
Mike Carman has moved his Elite Shoe Care shop to a new downtown Decatur location with the help of local businessman Michael DelSignore.The shoe restoration service now is at 130 E. Prairie Ave., next to the Fox’s Den. The space most recently was occupied by Macon Ice Cream before it moved across the street.It once was home to Milton Shoe Shine Parlor, from which Carman is using the old bench. The shop now has a 26-inch television and serves coffee while Carman works on shoes.He uses a special mixture that is available only to professionals. The process not only polishes the shoe but restores it, Carman said."You can’t buy the stuff I’m using," Carman said.He said shoes need to be properly cared for, especially during winter."The heavy salt used in Decatur in the winter will wreak havoc on shoes," he said.The shop is open 9:30 a.m.
Books make aging a thing of beauty
The self-help category has a new niche: beauty books that instruct baby-boomer women on how to transform themselves from crone to cougar, from old to hot, from withered to wow. The reason is demographics, says writer/director Nora Ephron, 66, whose 2006 best-selling memoir "I Feel Bad About My Neck ... And Other Thoughts on Being a Woman" is just out in paperback. "There is a huge number of women in their 50s who are discovering the truth about aging. Let's be clear. Yes, it's better to be in your 50s and 60s than to be dead. But they can't pass the mirror without averting their eyes." At work on the film "Julie & Julia," starring Amy Adams and Meryl Streep, Ephron believes there is no single reason for this anti-aging mania. "For some people, it's denial, and for some people, it's 'if I can fix it, why shouldn't I?' " .
|
