First post!

Hiya! I've been reading a number of PF blogs for a while now and I've finally decided to take a dip into the blogosphere.

$pending $marts is meant to be another voice for how to navigate young adulthood not only making smart choices about how to save and spend while managing to have some fun, too.

I'm a midwestern girl and recent college grad who is present in the middle of the epic first-real-job-out-of-college search. With the current financial downturn, timing could have been better, but I'm trying to stay optimistic about it!

So, enough about me; let's start things off:

A Few Favorite Money-savers

1. HSBC Direct - I've had my internet savings account for about two years now. If you don't have one, what are you waiting for? Whether its with HSBC, ING, or one of the others, online accounts are one of the easiest ways to make your money work harder for you.
2. Hulu.com - Hulu is a new favorite. A good and continually-getting-better streaming selection of films and TV shows. The quality is very good and the ads are pretty manageable. If you haven't seen them, my top picks to watch free: "Arrested Development," "Twin Peaks," and Raising Arizona, to name just a few.
3. A glass of water - Too old school for a hyperlink, but a glass of tap water is always smart. Accompanying a meal out at a restaurant by opting for a glass of water instead of a soda is an easy way to save a couple of bucks.