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  • Building Out Your Productive Summer — Tips for Students

    After weeks upon weeks of stressing over deadlines, submitting assignments, and cramming for exams, the light at the end of the tunnel begins to appear a little brighter. It’s almost summer break!

    When your long-awaited vacation finally arrives, you realize that the lack of items on your to-do list has left you with a lot of time to fill. With this newfound freedom, the possibilities might seem overwhelmingly endless. Here are just a few ideas you can try throughout your summer break to ensure that these next few months will be both productive and self-fulfilling.

    Learn Something New

    The thought of jumping back into classes right after a stressful finals season may seem daunting at first, but hear me out. Take advantage of summer courses offered by your university, local community college, or even various online resources. While you can definitely utilize this chance to get ahead on your graduation requirements, there are also a variety of entertaining classes that you can sign up for to learn something new or even discover a new hobby. While learning in the classroom has its own advantages, you may enjoy learning at your own set pace. Some fun ideas to explore are guitar playing, cooking, and even vegetable gardening!

    Travel/Study Abroad

    For over a year now, the pandemic has put a halt on a lot of people’s summer plans, but the recent availability of the COVID vaccine has offered a lot more opportunities for transportation and travel, whether it be casual roadtrips or booking flights. Additionally, a lot of universities have begun reopening their study abroad and virtual study abroad programs as well. There is no better time than summer break to check out the places that you have been waiting to check off of your travel bucket list. Stay safe and explore!

    Develop Your Resume

    Now that you are finished with the semester, you can finally take time to reflect and update your resume with all of the new skills you have gained throughout the past semester. If you’re looking to gain even more experience, look into applying for volunteering opportunities, summer internships, or jobs on various career resources such as LinkedIn, AngelList, and Handshake.

    Work on Yourself

    Outside of academic and professional growth, one of the most valuable things you can do for yourself is focus on personal growth. This can come in a variety of forms, ranging from small lifestyle choices to large scale habit building. Working out, learning a new skill, taking hikes are all productive activities that will keep your mind and body healthy and productive throughout your break. If you’re looking to develop good habits, you can try creating a list of short and long term goals, bullet journaling, or working on your personal finance!

  • A Recent Graduate’s Guide to Controlling your Finances

    In many ways, graduation feels like the finish line of a long race. You’ve been dreaming about not having to attend classes or write twelve pages on the molecular structure of a twig. What happens when you get there and realize that graduation is just the beginning of an adult life? Well if you are anything like me you may have come to the realization that there is much that school didn’t prepare us for so non-finance majors, listen up.

    Take Stock of any Debts

    First thing is first, take stock of any debts from that $50 you owe your friend to those thousands of dollars accumulated in student debt. Pay off those small debts as soon as possible to get into a good habit for future finances. As a student, acquiring debt is pretty easy but unfortunately keeping track of it is not, especially since many need to take out different types of loans to cover the cost of college. As a fresh graduate, understanding your options is important and thankfully the student aid website has all your public loans in one place with helpful visuals no matter where you are in your loan journey. For those private loans, log in to the lender’s site or check your credit report if you’ve lost track of that information. While in many cases repayment does not begin right after graduation, it is important to know your debts and pick a repayment plan. This can start with low payments and increase over time or you may want to plan for future repayments. Either way, it’s best to address any debts before time goes by and it seems too daunting to find accounts and information from years ago.

    Address Current Finances

    For this step you’ll need to pull up all bank accounts and piggy banks. Thankfully we have the benefit of banking apps which allow you to view account summaries, transfer money, and pay bills. While some apps include more advanced features like depositing checks, checking rewards, and a breakdown of your spending based on categories, you may need to supplement with a third party tracking app or personal spreadsheet including any cash purchases. For this you will want to track how much you spend on popular categories such as housing, transportation, food, etc as well as some personalized ones for hobbies, pets, or guilty pleasures such as your personal sneaker fund.

    As you take a closer look at your accounts, now is the best time to review the organization of your finances. My personal favorite debit account setup utilizes banking on the go by having direct payments go into savings first and periodically logging on to your accounts to move money from savings to checking. While this is a great way to make spending more purposeful, it does take some diligence to ensure that you do not over withdraw and many institutions have a monthly limit of six transfers. An easy solution is to open a credit account which works in virtually the same way by keeping your spending and savings separate while allowing you to take advantage of cashback rewards and build credit. For this you will want to look for cards without any fees or apr such as the Tomo credit card, which also offers a weekly repayment plan to increase the number of full payments and build credit faster.

    Anticipate Future Expenses

    Now that we have gotten organized, it’s time to look to the future by accounting for any upcoming costs. For example, if starting a new job, you may want to anticipate the costs of transportation, appropriate clothing, necessary technology, and housing. Other costs can include those that your parents may have been covering such as phone, insurance, and household items which can add up quickly. Depending on your situation, it may be time to consider these expenses seriously or just in a general sense. Either way, being aware of any upcoming spending will help you start saving or make any necessary changes to ensure that you are both mentally and financially ready. There is no one-size-fits-all route or financial plan, so take this time to reflect and explore what your priorities are and how to best make those happen!

  • Simplify Your Finances and Your Life in 5 Easy Steps

    Simplifying your finances can improve your quality of life by decreasing money-related stress and freeing up time to do the things you love. Everyone has to deal with their finances differently, and some are more organized than others. Every individual would benefit from getting a hold of their spending, budget, and personal finances to live a stress-free life. Below are five tips to simplify your finances so that you can start living your best life now.

    1. Consolidate Bank Accounts and Credit Cards. Check the number of credit cards and bank accounts you have accumulated throughout the years. Most people only need one checking and one savings account, allowing you to simplify all of your finances into one account. This will streamline your bank statements and make it easier to plan your budget, evaluate your finances, and stay organized. Reevaluating the number of credit cards in your wallet and the bank accounts attached will also simplify the organization in your wallet and your online bank account. Cutting back on the number of credit cards will simplify your life and your spending. It would, however, be beneficial to keep some credit cards to build credit and reek the benefits. When picking what card is right for you, it is essential to look at each card’s benefits and evaluate which one offers the most valuable rewards. It is important to ensure that your cards are building credit and have cash back options when finalizing your card decision.
    2. Get Rid of Paperwork. As the world is turning digital, you might want to consider doing the same to all of your finances. Bank statements, water bills, energy bills, etc., primarily have included a paperless billing option which will allow you to handle all of your finances online without the hassle of receiving bills through the mail. This leaves your finances at your fingertips and will keep you organized without keeping track of paper within your home. Companies have rolled out perks for signing up for their paperless option to encourage more customers to join while also giving benefits such as a cut on payment and no added fees. A bonus of going paperless is that you are contributing to saving the trees and the environment.
    3. Pay in Cash. Paying for goods and services when outside the house with cash will allow you to easily budget and track your spending. Using money will allow you to map out your purchases, keep you from overspending, and helps stop impulse buys. Using actual cash will simplify your budget and your credit card bill. This is an excellent tactic to have better peace of mind in knowing you spent what your budget was. Understanding how much cash you have can also include reevaluating your cards’ benefits and seeing if there is a cashback option. This feature will allow you to get cashback on your spending and use it towards other purchases.
    4. Cut Services. Check all of your billing statements and the app store’s subscriptions to evaluate what services you are currently paying for. There are many streaming platforms, app subscriptions, and other memberships that you might be paying for monthly without even knowing it. It is very easy to accidentally sign up for a plan and be credited each month without using the service. To avoid this, take time to review your bank statements each month and check to see if you are still using these services. Cutting down on subscriptions and memberships will simplify your financial life and allow you to use that money towards other products or services that will be of greater benefit to you.
    5. Stop Looking at Your Screen. Now that you have simplified your finances, it is essential to go outside and live your life without the stress of being unorganized. The average American spends half of their day staring at a screen, while that number has only increased during COVID-19 lockdowns. With vaccine rollout, the reopening of businesses, and the loosening of restrictions, there are more opportunities to go outside, put down the screen, and start to experience life on a deeper level. Simplified finances will allow you to spend your money and time on things and experiences that bring you joy.

  • Take Control of Impulsive Spending

    Let’s be honest, we have all found ourselves victim to the temptations of impulsive shopping. It’s difficult to resist the calling of a seasonal sale, especially when this offer comes with the promise of an updated summer wardrobe or a new device for your productive home office set-up. However, the shame outweighs the benefits when we find that our email inbox is overflowing with shipping notices for items that we don’t even remember adding to our online cart. Being increasingly connected online also means being constantly bombarded with advertisements in the form of cleverly written articles and discreet social media posts, all of which may contribute to an increase in impulse shopping. One of the smartest ways to care for your financial health is to understand how to identify episodes of impulsive shopping and learn what you can do to avoid this type of unhealthy consumption.

    Understanding temptation

    Getting to the bottom of impulsive spending habits is much easier said than done, but it is a necessity in order to help rewire the financial decision making process. Everyone turns to “retail therapy” for various reasons; most times, these reasons allude to deeper emotional needs. Instant gratification is one common reason that many people turn to impulse spending. This stems from a misconception that material items provide aspirational characteristics. Take a second and understand why that “add to cart” button seems tempting. Step back from the checkout page and consider whether these items are truly necessary or if these purchases are being used to distract from something else.

    Take inventory

    The dangers of overconsumption are very real especially when it comes to items like clothing or cosmetics which can be easy to purchase an excess of, leaving you drowning in backups of backups. Avoid getting into a habit of over-purchasing and stocking up on items especially during sales. If it takes 3 months to get through a bottle of sunscreen, think before buying 4 more bottles during annual cosmetic sales. These items can oftentimes spoil before they fulfill their utility, and you may find that your preferences have changed over time. For clothing, keep a working inventory of your wardrobe in any way that is helpful to you, this can be mentally or written down in your notes app. Know which clothing items you actually wear to avoid buying pieces that seem more aspirational than practical.

    Virtual cleansing

    Email marketing is effective. Your favorite retailers know this, which is why you get weekly emails detailing sales and deals to your inbox. Some of these may be helpful when you are in the market for certain purchases, but most of the time, these emails are constructed to convince you to buy things you wouldn’t have purchased otherwise. Cleanse your inbox regularly by unsubscribing from pesky marketing emails that got your information from previous purchases. This will help by providing an out of sight, out of mind approach.

    Budget for impulse

    Impulse shopping is most unhealthy when this habit interferes with your financial health. Knowing when you can afford to indulge in a little bit of instant gratification makes all the difference from using impulsive spending as a crutch for other issues. Every week or so, put aside a bit of your spending budget so that you can make a guilt-free purchase at the end of the season. Financial health involves mindful habits that allow for both necessities and luxuries without worry.

  • Avoid Fooling Around with your Food Budget

    As we head into April and COVID-19 restrictions allow for restaurant reopenings, it is essential to reassess your food budget. Most people have come across the thought process of choosing to eat a meal out or stay in and eat what is at home. This is a typical expense that people experience daily. There are convenience and lots of other factors involved in the decision-making process. This is important to any budget when choosing what to eat and where to spend your money.

    50/30/20 Budget:

    Divide your budget into three main categories: needs, wants, and savings. Breaking down your budget will allow you to get a clear sense of where to allocate your money and understand how much you have to spend out on food. This budget consists of spending 50% of your after-tax pay on needs, 30% on wants, and 20% on savings. This rule may not apply to every budget, but will help you better understand managing your funds appropriately. This rule may not apply to people living in areas where it costs more to live, and therefore the budget cannot be applied to the generic spending rule. While not every individual can follow this rule, the general idea is to keep the “30%” or spending money allocated towards dining out and other expenses. Dining out should be categorized as spending and not needs because making your own meals will always be cheaper and more budget-friendly.

    Use Coupons

    Coupons can be found online, in magazines, in stores, and in the newspapers. There are several spending websites such as Groupon, Restaurant.com, etc. These types of coupon sites may offer deals to discount your dine-out meal and grocery shopping. There are also particular times such as Happy Hour that many restaurants take advantage of to offer discounted prices on their food and drink menus. This could be the perfect opportunity to get the experience of dining out while budgeting for a lower price.

    Menu Plan

    When choosing a restaurant to spend out at, take a look at the menu before to understand the prices and options on their items. This will allow you to plan on your expenses while dining at the restaurant and choose which items to purchase beforehand. One example is beverages- water is available for free at restaurants,, while other drinks will cost more. If you decide to have a glass of wine for dinner, you could call the restaurant ahead of time to get a price for their corkage fee, while bringing your bottle could be more affordable.

    Food Delivery Convenience

    While many Americans face the hassle of meal prepping and cooking, there has been a rise in food delivery services. There are some budget-friendly delivery services, however, most of them continue to charge high prices. Food delivery includes meal kit services such as Blue Apron, to restaurant delivery such as DoorDash or UberEats to grocery delivery like Instacart. These big delivery services profit from the convenience craze but at a higher cost than doing it yourself. Before using delivery apps, take a look at the price breakdown and reevaluate if it makes more sense to do it yourself. Eating out at restaurants is costly, while food delivery services offer similar prices. When considering a food delivery service, it is important to check the pricing of your different options to know which one is most suitable for your budget. It could help understand and price the difference between eating out vs. food delivery when thinking about where to spend your money on meals.

  • Avoiding Cabin Fever: Tips for Wellness in Social Isolation

    It was around this time last year that the strangeness of social distancing would soon become our new normal. The necessity to physically isolate from others has led to massive lifestyle changes that revolve around working, socializing, and studying from the comfort of home. Modern technology and software has helped us create new traditions that ease some of the loneliness of social distancing, but we also now understand that essentially living through our computer screens causes a new type of mental exhaustion. When the rhythms of life are interrupted and our daily routines consist of orbiting the virtual world through computer screens, it can feel challenging to find a balance between previously separated aspects of our personal and work lives. This lack of separation can be felt as a sort of restlessness, or cabin fever, that is only intensified by a lifestyle that consists of more sedentary activity and less outdoor adventure. As we move into a new spring season, the symptoms of cabin fever may manifest as the feeling of being burnt out, restlessness, and seasonal blues. As spring rolls around, the extra hours of sunlight provide us with a bit of relief from winter cabin fever. Here are some ways to stay mindful of your wellness and cope with seasonal blues.

    Check-In With Yourself

    During times of crisis, it’s possible that negative emotions such as stress can cause us to be easily irritable towards others. Doing a regular check-in with our emotions is a great mindfulness practice. Do a quick RAIN check. This is a practice developed by Tara Branch, the acronym RAIN stands for recognize, allow, investigate, and nurture. Internally recognize the current state of emotions you may be going through. Then, allow yourself to take these emotions and instead of repressing, let yourself feel them. Investigate why you may be feeling a certain way. Finally, nurture yourself. Find the root of the cause and apply a relevant course of care.

    Give Yourself a Routine

    A routine does not need to be the same every single day; it can change according to your needs and desires. When seasonal and personal changes arise, it could be worthwhile to start a new routine when the previous one starts to seem tedious. Try to incorporate a routine that you enjoy, such as spending time outside everyday before work or reading a few chapters of a book every night after dinner. It doesn’t need to be a major lifestyle change. Allow yourself the flexibility to include small goals into your daily routine to help you feel some sort of autonomy over your time.

    Have One News Free Day

    More screen time means that many of us are constantly checking the news. While wanting to stay updated on current events is understandable, the news can also be a source of anxiety for many people. Overdosing on the news regularly can be overwhelming. Especially with many tragic events regarding social issues that cover our newsfeeds, it can be easy to feel hopeless and overstimulated. Giving up the news for one day a week doesn’t mean being completely unaware and uneducated about the causes that matter to you. If there is a recent issue in the news that has been occupying your mind, use your news free day to explore relevant resources such as books, podcasts and films. Take advantage of this time to take control of your social concerns and allow yourself to learn and grow by being an informed citizen.

  • Spring Clean Your Finances

    Spring is just around the corner, giving us an opportunity to welcome the new season through some much needed spring cleaning. Along with tidying up your house, it’s a smart idea to check your finances and get ready for the rest of the year, along with the approaching tax season. Here are some easy steps for tidying your finances:

    Clean Up your paperwork

    Most Americans have mass amounts of paperwork lying around their house or office, now is the smart time to go through all of those bulky amounts of paperwork to organize and throw away any you no longer need. Another aspect of this is to consider going digital. As we live in a digital world, you can reconsider the need to keep important paper documents by going paperless this spring. There are many options and tools to help you declutter your workspace such as scanners for digitizing important documents, Google Drive for organizing in the cloud, and an iPad for annotating.

    Cancel Unused or Unnecessary Subscriptions

    Throughout the year, you might have accidentally or intentionally signed up for a subscription that went unused. Keep an eye out for subscriptions such as gym memberships or delivery services that may not be useful to you currently. Understand which subscription services are unnecessary and identify the ones that you actually need. With many businesses having a subscription model, it’s easy for your monthly bill to become cluttered with various memberships. This is common as it can quickly happen with a click on the wrong button or the intention of using the subscription goes unused. Checking your subscriptions will save you from wasting money throughout the year.

    Review your monthly budget

    By taking the time to reevaluate your spending habits, you can see unnecessary costs and expenditures throughout the month. A quick reevaluation will allow you to see exactly how much you are purchasing and if you need to rethink your spending. You can budget through apps, saving a percentage of your paycheck, and setting up a monthly budget plan. Overall, understanding where you can cut spending will help you clear up finances for things that really matter or setting up an emergency fund. Budgeting can also help you save money on unnecessary expenses and will leave you with money to spend on other things such as a mini-vacation or a nice dinner.

  • 4 Ways to Enhance Your Virtual Networking Experience

    For college students and recent graduates, working and studying remotely for almost a year has created much uncertainty surrounding career growth and future development. Understandably, it can feel overwhelming to sort through a myriad of virtual resources. From career fairs to professional panels, here are 4 ways to get the most from online networking opportunities.

    Find a balance between exploration and goal-setting

    Goal setting may already be familiar to you. As a student, you start your higher education journey with the goal of graduating with a degree in a field that you have spent years studying. In between, you spend these years exploring your interests and setting more goals in between. When networking, find a balance between allowing yourself to explore your opportunities and setting concrete goals to reach in the near future. This could consist of having a goal of a specific industry that you want to break into, and in order to do this you are exploring different roles and responsibilities through networking, volunteering, and attending virtual events. Exploration is important throughout your life and career, but as a student it’s even more valuable as you begin the early stages of your professional development.

    Do your research

    You wouldn’t walk into a room full of professionals without having an idea of what they do. The same principle applies to virtual networking. Although you attend virtual events and network online to learn more about companies and roles, it’s impressive to do your homework beforehand. When looking for opportunities, do some research on the companies that intrigue you. Understand their mission and purpose, and look for openings that you’d like to learn more about so that you can ask for details once you meet company representatives. These representatives and recruiters often have little time to interact individually, so it’s essential to make a good impression and ask questions you couldn’t have found the answers to otherwise.

    Take a growth-first approach

    Any student and recent graduate will tell you that networking is one of the things they miss the most about pre-pandemic life. Reasons for this often revolve around career opportunities, but there is also a social and personal aspect to networking. It’s easy to come off as ingenuine when you enter a networking situation with the sole purpose of getting an interview; remember that building out your networking means creating real connections with people. Although networking today is primarily online, try to see past the screen and use your time to learn about a person’s journey to where they are today.

    Alumni resources

    Whether you are a current or former student, many universities offer opportunities to connect with an expansive alumni network. Check in with your school’s career center. In addition to many other resources, you’ll likely find links to access an alumni network that is willing and open to connect with students and recent graduates. Some schools will have a directory to profiles that you can explore and find alumni who are working in an industry or role that interests you. This is a great way to connect with working professionals, as they will likely be more open to networking with students from their alma mater.

    One advantage of virtual networking is that you have access to a larger pool of professionals available for career chats. Find someone who aligns with your interests and remember that they are human just like you. Ask about their growth in the role and how your own path can grow parallel to that. Also keep in mind that networking is a hit-or-miss process. Don’t get discouraged if your conversation doesn’t lead to an opportunity; use that experience to revise your approach and try again.

    Looking for opportunities? Tomo Credit is launching our Tomo Talk webinar series! Join us as experienced professionals and entrepreneurs from top companies discuss their experiences and provide advice.

    Follow Tomo Credit on Facebook and Instagram for updates.

  • How to Budget as a College Student in 3 Easy Steps

    Managing money as a college student is not an easy task. As you start your college journey, there are many activities to manage such as school work, extracurriculars, social life, etc. Most students quickly learn that it is essential to be cautious of the money you spend in order to continue with daily activities. Here we will tell you three easy steps to budget your money in order to get the full college experience and take off stress.

    Gather your financial details

    This is an important first step in order to understand how much money you will be spending. You can do this by talking with your parents, checking your bank account cash flow, and searching for scholarships and grants that your university offers. By gathering all of this information, it will allow you to see exactly how much money you will have to manage.

    Predict and Plan your Expenses

    This includes anticipating how much money you will be spending on rent, food, textbooks, clothing, transportation, and extra cash for fun. Having a clear understanding of what you have to and would like to spend your money on will help you form a direct plan. This will help you stay cautious of where your money will be spent while at school.

    Track Your Spending

    This is an important final step in budgeting your money as you will need to keep track of all your expenses. By doing this, you can see exactly where you spend your money in case you need to reevaluate your spending. This helps to see where you can cut back or have room to spend more.

  • What I Spend in aWeek as a College Student in Berkeley, CA

    As a college student, it’s been difficult to balance studying with managing my finances. Being a student living in Berkeley, it’s also hard to fight cravings for late night boba or ramen, which can add up fairly quickly if done too often. Since I love reading Refinery29’s Money Diary series, I decided to do one of my own. Looking back and seeing my expenses for the week really helped me open my eyes to my spending habits so that I know how to better manage my finances in the future.

    Day One

    I woke up right before logging onto zoom for my morning class and had two shots of espresso with dairy-free creamer. I am addicted to caffeine so I purchase a bulk pack of Nespresso pods from Amazon ($1.50/pod = $3)

    I ordered some necessities from Target since I was running low on dental floss and facial cleanser. I also ordered some mouthwash and toothpaste since I would run out of those things eventually. ($30)

    I also decided to purchase a new workout set from Girlfriend Collective. I have a set in black from them already, so I know that I love their fit and quality. I went for a matching sports bra and legging set in moss green. ($100)

    Day Two

    I knew today would be really busy for me, so I braced myself for a day of classes and meetings with another cup of doubleshot espresso with creamer, courtesy of my housemate’s Nespresso machine. ($3)

    I grabbed lunch and dinner at the dining hall during my short breaks since I have an off-campus meal plan. I don’t know how to cook, and I don’t have a car so going out to buy groceries is often a pain for me. Each meal comes out to an average of $9 or less. ($18)

    Day Three

    It was another busy day for me that started off with a doubleshot and creamer. ($3)

    After a morning class and meeting with my college advisor, I had to hop on Amazon and order a new office chair for my desk. I’ve been borrowing my housemate’s chair since they don’t use it, but it’s too uncomfortable. I used an Amazon gift card so the total was less than I expected. ($18)

    Then I grabbed lunch, which was sun-dried tomato pasta, tri-tip, and seasoned cabbage. ($8)

    Day Four

    I’m taking a class about Wall Street this semester, so everyone is talking about Reddit’s power on the stock market. After browsing some subreddits for a bit, I noticed that DogeCoin was getting some attention. DogeCoin has interested me for a while, so I decided to put a little money in just to see what would happen. ($10)

    For dinner, I couldn’t resist the temptation of spicy ramen and milk tea. Before my last class of the week, I placed an order for red tonkatsu ramen and a black tea latte at my favorite ramen place across the street. No regrets. ($15)

    Day Five

    It’s the weekend! The day escaped me, as I took the time to recharge and relax. One huge perk of living in Berkeley is that so many restaurants are open late at night. I went out for a late night snack and grabbed a slice of pepperoni pizza and a banana cream pie milkshake. ($14)

    Day Six

    I got breakfast with a friend at a cafe across the street from my apartment. They do really good eggs, so I went with an eggs benedict with french toast and fruit. ($15)

    Later in the day, I got a taro boba as a reward to myself! I also got red tonkatsu ramen again since the cravings were overpowering my sense of self-control. ($15)

    Day Seven

    Rent is due today. I have autopay so I don’t have to worry about it, but I log into the payment portal anyway just to make sure my payment went through. ($650)

    For lunch, I picked up a sandwich at a cafe on campus using my meal plan points. The sandwiches there are pretty good, but they are only a tad more expensive than picking up a meal at the dining hall. I got a salmon and coleslaw sandwich on a brioche bun. ($12)