SoFi Blog

If you’re thinking about going green with your home, good for you! Benefits of doing so can be significant for the environment and the economy, and in terms of making a positive social impact. Green buildings use less energy, less water, fewer natural resources, and can even have a net positive effect in creating energy. Economically, you can save money on utilities, while living in a healthier environment. You can find a significant amount of information about these benefits from the World Green Building Council .

More specifically, the council shares the following message: “The world over, evidence is growing that green buildings bring multiple benefits. They provide some of the most effective means to achieving a range of global goals, such as addressing climate change, creating sustainable and thriving communities, and driving economic growth.”

And the good news is that there is no one “right” version of environmentally-friendly homes. You can choose from a huge range of strategies to go green, some large and significant, while others are small yet mighty. To help you go green your own way, we’ve scoured the web for resources to help.

It’s that time of year again, when the leaves change, the weather turns a bit colder and summer vacation seems like a distant memory. And if you graduated from college or an advanced degree program last spring, your student loan vacation is over, too.

In general, high school students are encouraged to apply to colleges during the summer before their senior year. This creates a doable timeline, one that allows them to choose the best college fit for their needs. People who are going back to school after time in the workforce generally follow the same guidelines—applying to school about 10 to 15 months prior to their targeted start date.

But how many colleges does it make sense to apply to? The Princeton Review recommends: two target schools, two reach schools, and two safety schools. Selecting a thoughtful balance of schools generally leads to less stress throughout the application process, especially when compared to students who apply to dozens of universities, expecting responses from all.

By carefully curating a list of schools, students are generally left with options within their financial reach and a little less anxiety. Although no one application strategy applies to every single student, hopefully this list is a good starting point.

There’s an old rumor floating around out there about how much to spend on an engagement ring, and it goes like this: When you’re ready to propose, you should spend the equivalent of two months’ gross salary on the engagement ring.

Two months? That’s a lot of money.

Well, we have good news: it’s simply not true. The two-month “standard” holds no weight or authority from any expert. In fact, it’s nothing more than an old marketing campaign that fed its way into the lexicon via catchy slogans and peer pressure. What’s more, the digital age has allowed us to grow into savvy shoppers who understand that making a large purchase based on hearsay isn’t the way to go.

If you’re already planning a destination wedding, or just starting to daydream about tying the knot under the stars on a beach in Bali, you’re not alone. Destination weddings are on the rise as couples look to make their big day an unforgettable experience, not only for each other but for family and guests. In fact, more couples than ever are choosing unique weddings over traditional black tie affairs, and a whopping 25% of couples chose destination weddings last year.

Destination weddings, which are technically any wedding held more than 100 miles or so from your home, are increasing in popularity for a few reasons. On one hand, more and more families are spread out, which means that you might pick a wedding venue that is an equidistant trip for most guests out of convenience.

On the other hand, many couples see destinations weddings as a chance to create the ultimate wedding experience for them and their guests, whether that means coming from California for a blow-out wedding at the New York Public Library, or meeting your friends for a weekend on the Riviera Maya for an oceanside ceremony.