Putting in a 40-hour week can be stressful and long. By Friday you just want to have fun with friends and co-workers. Leave the office behind and break the ice with some of our tips!

Break the ice

• Meeting someone for the first time? Have a strong handshake. A handshake is
  the initial contact you make, so make it memorable and don’t give the person a “dead fish”. To learn more from Donald Trump click here.
• Find out what you have in common. Discovering common interests will lead you
  to good conversation.
• Ask open ended questions instead of questions with one word answers.
  An example of this would be, “What are your plans for this up coming weekend?” rather than, “What is your favorite color?”
• Actively listen; make sure you are genuinely interested in what the other person is saying. To learn more about active listening visit Mind Tools
• Make eye contact. Don’t be staring off into space or looking passed the person you are speaking to.
• Smile!

What to keep in mind

• Work will continue on Monday, so do not do anything that will embarrass you.
• Picking a venue is important. The venue sets the atmosphere for everyone. If your focus is on conversation and interaction you may want to pick a comfortable café or if you are more focused on letting loose, a club with loud music and a bar maybe a better venue choice.
  

Dos and Don’ts

Do

• Do get to know them better people better. Make conversation with co-workers that allows you get to know them.
• Do have fun, relax, and enjoy yourself.
• Do be yourself. Don’t put on an act or pretend you are someone else.
• Do use manners; be polite, be respectful, open doors, use please and thank you, and excuse yourself when necessary.
• Do be aware of the amount of alcohol consumption.
  

Don’t

• Don’t be inappropriate.
• Don’t be too personal. You do not need to let everyone know your life story and remember not to pry at personal information of other co-workers.
• Don’t come dressed in inappropriate attire. Make sure slogans on attire are not offensive.
• Don’t gossip about other employees.
  

Overall, make sure that you have a great and relaxing time out but keep these tips in mind. You want to be able to go back to work with your co-workers and have them still respect you and your hard work.

Hello everyone! In this economy, everyone is looking for ways to stretch their dollar and pinch their pennies. You shouldn't have to sacrifice your lifestyle just to save money. Well, I have a few tips on how you can save money in fashion, food, fitness, entertainment, relaxing, and dating. Every month I'll have a new tip for each category for all your recessionistas and recessionistos out there, looking for ways to be thrifty!

Fashion
Tired of your wardrobe and want to revamp? Clean out your closet of all the clothes that either don't fit or you no longer want to wear and visit a cosignment shop. Stores like Buffalo Exchange will allow you to sell your clothes for either money or store credit. If you choose store credit, you'll have a great selection of clothes for a great price.

Food
Want something easy to cook that's also affordable? Albertsons has a deal called 4:15. You buy certain products that will make you a meal to serve 4 people for under $15. The food is easy to make, tastes great, and in your budget. Invite your friends or save the servings for leftovers.

Fitness
Can't afford a gym membership? Make a workout out of your surroundings. Walk around the neighborhood or on campus for at least half an hour; it's free! Try to hit those steep hills to increase intensity.

Entertainment
Want discounts on tickets to the movies or amusement parks? Your school's student union should have a place where you can buy tickets at a discounted student price. Use it to your advantage!

Relaxing
There's an app available at the iTunes App Store called Mind Wave. Listen to binaural tones that manipulate your brain waves. The app has a tones for studying, sleep induction, relaxation, deep meditation, getting you mentally refreshed, boost your energy, boost your creativity, getting you focused, weight loss/smoking, treating headaches, relieving PMS, and more! The cost is $1.99.

Dating
Bust a movie marathon! If you get a Netflix membership, you can set a weekly date with your sweetie to watch a movie or three. Memberships cost as much as $16.99 a month with unlimited time and the availability to watch some movies and television episodes online!

I hope these tips help you in your quest to reduce spending and maximize your savings! I'll be back with more tips next month.

Briana

Are you an allocentric traveler, a midcentric traveler or a psychocentric traveler?

• Allocentric:
  o Is intellectually curious about new place
  o Prefers a day filled with varying activities and challenges
  o Prefers unique underdeveloped destinations
  o Travel more frequently and for longer amounts of time
  o Purchase mostly authentic local arts and crafts instead of souvenirs
  
  
• Psychocentric
  o Are more cautious and conservative in their daily lives
  o Like structure and routine
  o Wants to travel to places similar to home
  o Prefers popular, well known brands of consumer goods
  o Do not seek out new ideas or experiences
  o Are more restrictive in spending

• Midcentric
  o Lies in-between the allicentric traveler and the psychocentric traveler
  o Enjoys new experiences within their comfort zone
  o Likes scheduled out trips but is flexible
  o Travels for relaxation
  o Desires a change of pace but only to the point in which it will not impinge on their ability to enjoy their travels
  o Travels to escape from daily life

So which one are you? Allocentric, psychocentiric or Midcentric? I personally am a midcentric person because I like to travel to new places but I also like to have some familiar comfort items. I also travel to relax and have a change in pace. I do think that over time your type can change depending on the stage of life you are in. With this information you can now determine where you should travel and how much you will enjoy your travel time and destination. And don't forget to travel as green as possible!