New Year Ushers in Era of Mindful Spending


Savvy alumni learn to stretch dollars in tight economy by Linda Hass


career as site manager for a Canadian-based tool supplier, has a comfortable apartment in Ontario, and a good start on a savings account. Still, he is inclined to think twice before


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spending hard-earned cash on a whim. Like many Americans, the Ann Arbor native has emerged from the recession wary about taking anything for granted—including his salary. “Before buying anything, I always ask myself,


teven Hill doesn’t think of himself as cheap. Hill (BS07), the former captain of the EMU Men’s Swimming and Diving Team, has a successful


‘Do I really need this?’” said Hill, whose degree in mechanical engineering technology has yielded an unexpected bonus: the ability to use Excel spreadsheets as a personal budgeting tool. “I always track my spending to make sure there’s more money coming in than going out,” he said. But frugality has not prevented Hill, 27,


from donating to worthy causes, including fundraisers for EMU’s swimming and diving teams. “I want to make sure others enjoy the same benefits I did,” said Hill, whose green and white roots run deep and whose parents—Dennis and Liz Hill of Ann Arbor— received their master’s degrees from Eastern.


24 Eastern | WINTER 2012


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