4 Ways Students Can Save Thousands a Year
Photo:uniinnsbruck
Whether you are heading to school for the first time or going back for another year, you’ll quickly have to face a sad paradox. College is expensive and students are perpetually broke. Forget tuition and room and board, the cost of textbooks, software, transportation, and just about everything else is enough to put any aspiring student into debt. It’s almost like there is a target on your back (or your wallet). Rather than sit back and let the debt pile up, try these four simple cost savings strategies to save thousands annually.
Photo:psychobabble
1. Stop Buying, and Start Renting your Textbooks.
Remember those $150 textbooks that you skim through once out of guilt or fear? Every time I went through the checkout line I held deep-seeded resentment about paying outrageous sums for textbooks that I would barely use and then end up selling back to the bookstore at the end of the semester at a fraction of the price I paid for them. You would think that having three different bookstores on campus would result in competitive pricing, only to find that they were all charging the same obscene price right down to the penny.
Studies show that the average student spends over $900 per year on textbooks. But you may not have to anymore. There are now a number of textbook rental sites that claim to offer up to 70% or more off of retail price to rent textbooks for a semester. For starters, you may want to check out Bookrenter, Chegg, and Campus Book Rentals. Additionally, you may be able to find used versions of your books on Amazon, Abebooks, or Ebay. A little competition in the marketplace is a beautiful thing.
Average Savings: At 50% off – $450 per year
2. Ditch the Office!
At some point, we’ve all had to write a paper, present to a class, or use a spreadsheet for a math project. Yes, we’ve all needed to use an office software suite and if you go the Microsoft route when purchasing software, you’ll end up paying approximately $120 for Office 2007.
That’s one option. Fortunately, there are a few other options these days:
Open Office: Powered by Sun Microsystems, Open Office is an open source office software suite that is nearly identical to Microsoft Office. The best part is that the full suite is available for a free download at Openoffice.org. You are even able to share your files in Microsoft office program formats if you need to share them with others.
GoogleDocs: GoogleDocs is a suite of “cloud-based” word processor, spreadsheet, and presentation applications. Although the features aren’t quite up to par with MS Office or Open Office, the programs let you collaborate with others and can import and export into other formats. This makes it a great option when working on projects with other students in real (or delayed) time.
Best of all, they’re free.
Together, these two free options should be more than sufficient in meeting all of your document needs.
Average Savings: $120 per Office version
Photo:Ihoon
3. Rolling Down the Street – In a Bus.
Before the macho types lynch me for suggesting that they give up an opportunity to impress their sorority dream woman, here is a difficult to hear truism: the right date will not only care less that you take the bus versus riding around campus in an SUV, but they may actually respect and like you more for it.
Even if you’re able to find a modest used vehicle at $200/month, you will probably need to add at least another $100 or more per month for insurance and fuel. Additionally, you will be able to avoid all of those extremely frustrating parking tickets (how do they always find you??). In contrast, a search for my alma mater’s bus system yielded a semester-long bus pass for a mere $50.
Average Savings: $2,600 (for a $200/month vehicle with $100/month in insurance and fuel expenses)
Photo:Editor B
4. Open a Local Bank or Credit Union Checking Account.
Even as we trend more towards a plastic society, ATM fees for college students can add up quickly. If you’re attending a school out-of-state or even just out-of-region, your bank or credit union may not have authorized ATM’s. Starting up a free checking account for these petty cash transactions can be a huge money saver.
In 2008, the average cost of using another bank’s ATM was $3.43 per transaction, up 13% from 2007. Back in the day, it wasn’t uncommon for students to make at least one or two ATM withdrawals per week. Avoid this unnecessary expense!
Average Savings: $110 annually (1 withdrawal per week)
What tips do you have for savings money while attending school?
For more of GE Miller’s writing, visit personal finance blog 20somethingfinance.com.
Stick to your Workout Schedule with these Five Steps
Do you have an exercise routine? How do you help yourself stick to it?
Have you ever started on an exercise regimen, hoping to get fit, lose weight, or tone up? How long did it last? We've probably all had the experience of starting off keenly, going to the gym three or four times a week. That is until life gets busy, enthusiasm wanes, and we end up skipping just one or two workouts. Before we know it, those few missed workouts have become a month of no exercise.
So how can you help yourself stick to an exercise routine? Well, it's not just a matter of will power: don't tell yourself that you're just not disciplined or determined enough. Rather than beating yourself up for being lazy, think about how you can create a structure that supports your exercise routine.
Here are five easy steps to doing that:
Either go to a regular gym class (most run on a weekly basis) or pick a set day each week to meet up with a friend to do something energetic. There are two big motivational benefits to this approach:
Get hold of a little notebook or diary that you can jot down details of your exercising in. This doesn't need to be an obsessively detailed training log - just write down what you did, and for how long.
It's motivating to look back on all the successful days in your log, and writing it down can be enough motivation to get off the sofa and go for a jog: you don't want to skip a planned session.
Another approach to this is to tick off or mark the days on a calendar when you've met your exercise target: again, you'll find that you're motivated by not wanting to break a good run.
If you're struggling to prop your eyes open all day at work, you're unlikely to feel very keen to hit the treadmill afterward. Plus, your performance will be under par if you're tired. It's much easier - both physically and psychologically - to stick to an exercise routine when you're well-rested.
Even if you are tired, try not to use it as an excuse to skip a planned session. Go a bit easier if you have to, but you'll probably find that the exercise is a great way to wake up and get some energy back.
When you're exercising regularly, it's particularly important to eat healthily and sensibly. That means making sure you're not trying to work out straight after a heavy meal - or on an empty stomach. It also means getting enough protein (for muscle growth) and carbohydrates (for energy).
Unless you're training intensely, you don't need energy gels, bars or shakes - just eat a snack an hour or so before working out. Good snacks are a banana, oatcakes with peanut butter, a small sandwich, or plain popcorn. A Mars bar might give you an initial sugar rush, but it won't provide the lasting energy you need to see you through a work out.
When you're exercising for weight loss, make sure that you are eating enough. Your body can't perform without fuel, and you could risk injuring yourself. Cutting your calorie intake too low has health risks.
This is such a simple tip, but it can make all the difference in your chances of success. Pack your gym kit, and any equipment you need, the night before. This means you won't be scrambling around in the morning rush before work, trying to get everything together.
If you exercise first thing in the morning, lay out your running kit and your trainers (or your yoga mat, or your exercise DVD) - then you can jump straight out of bed and get going, rather than wasting time (and talking yourself out of it) while looking for things.
Written on 8/24/2009 by Ali Hale.Ali is a professional writer and blogger, and a part-time postgraduate student of creative writing. If you need a hand with any sort of written project, drop her a line (ali@aliventures.com) or check out her website at Aliventures.
Photo Credit: TexasDarkHorse
Secret Secret Dino Club - Dot Com
Shared by Eric
Officially one of my new favorite songs, found thanks to LMFAO radio, thanks to Krysta. <3
Dot Com by Secret Secret Dino Club
why facebook is sooo gonna get you fired
even more dangerous than friending your parents on facebook? friending a) your boss and b) the cubicle-mate you kinda can’t stand.
exhibit a)
exhibit b)
exhibit c)
related: busted by facebook
extra credit: study says facebook is like totally ruining your life …and gonna get you fired [mashable]