HowToZilla: How To Do Anything: Student

Showing posts with label Student. Show all posts

How to Get Free Textbooks Tips for Students

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: center;">
Let's start with techniques to procure 100% free textbooks, and then move on to talking about various penny-shaving techniques.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
 </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYcVhRMd0M-KWXTpyyFG5vHXjJdkVelSibEl1FdSpK32n6TOCrc2dWJ7Enl097imPUkAD3-6LrGZxumSsKZPf6RrTGRttD6HWtpuRzrJLJG3Gpa36AmsSV66hJdkCJqJ_JJYVCi4mxFFjo/s1600/free+g.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYcVhRMd0M-KWXTpyyFG5vHXjJdkVelSibEl1FdSpK32n6TOCrc2dWJ7Enl097imPUkAD3-6LrGZxumSsKZPf6RrTGRttD6HWtpuRzrJLJG3Gpa36AmsSV66hJdkCJqJ_JJYVCi4mxFFjo/s320/free+g.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
 </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Freebies:</div>
 
Review Copies. Publishers regularly send out gratis review or 'press' copies of books to various periodicals so as to garner some (hopefully positive) publicity for the tome in question. After procuring a list of required textbooks, you can then note their publishers and proceed to find out the mailing addresses and/or fax numbers for their publicity departments (browse their websites or call/email and ask them). For instance, Harvard University Press' site states "if you would like to request a review copy of one our books, please: Fax your request on your publication's letterhead to..." (<a href="http://hup.harvard.edu/journalists/review_copies.html" rel="nofollow">hup.harvard.edu/journalists/review_copies.html</a>). 
 
Next, design a little logo for your periodical, and write a full (<a href="http://jobsearchtech.about.com/od/letters/l/bl_block_p.htm" rel="nofollow">http://jobsearchtech.about.com/od/letters/l/bl_block_p.htm</a>) or modified (<a href="http://jobsearchtech.about.com/od/letters/l/bl_mblock_p.htm" rel="nofollow">http://jobsearchtech.about.com/od/letters/l/bl_mblock_p.htm</a>) block letter, providing a brief explanation of your periodical (target audience, numbers of subscribers, etc), as well as the request for the book(s) which are to be reviewed in an upcoming issue (don't forget to include the ISBN in your request). Keep the letter pithy and short; it shouldn't exceed one page. 
 
You can then proceed to either snail-mail or fax your request to the publisher. Unless you go the full nine yards and register a domain name that matches the name of your periodical, I wouldn't recommend emailing the publisher, as a request for a professional book coming from a yahoo account may raise a few eyebrows. 
 
After receiving your book, if you want to remain on good terms with the publisher so as to be able to request more textbooks in the future, go ahead and write a small review of the book and send it back to the publisher, complete with a little personal note attached saying something along the lines of 'here's an advance copy of the review, it'll appear in next quarter's issue!' Publishers want copies of reviews (particularly those of the positive, but not fawning, variety) to use excerpts from them in their own publicity stunts, as well as in those 'Praise For...' pages oft seen in books. 
 
[A small aside: your review copy will come with a nifty 'promo sheet' providing bullet-style points of the main features of the book. These things are literally designed for reviewers who don't get around to reading the full book anyway, so feel free to use these points in your own review. In fact, if you do a search for all reviews of a particular book, you may start noticing that many of them actually say the exact same shit verbatim...now you know why ;)]. 
 
Nota Bene: Press review copies are not the same thing as professor/instructor review copies. Many textbook publishers also offer review copies of books to instructors who are considering using the books for their courses (thereby, at least in theory, guaranteeing the publisher fuckloads of that sexy green). The catch, however, is that these review copies are often time-based trials, meaning you may have to send the book back after 60 days or so, and require you to provide all sorts of fun info like your department/university, phone number, etc. Though if you're interested in testing the waters in this area, go right ahead :) (for an example of instructor review copy offers, as opposed to the aforementioned press review copies, see <a href="http://www.sagepub.com/reviewCopy.nav" rel="nofollow">www.sagepub.com/reviewCopy.nav</a>). 
 
Shoplifted Copies. Stealing (err...liberating excess surplus or reasserting use value rights of reclaimed brainwork commodities) books is easy as shit. Beginning and aspiring shoplifters would do well to start out jacking treeware to get their game down and their confidence up. 
 
Most books do not come with any sort of electronic article surveillance (EAS) anti-theft measures. For the most part, they do not have tags both on the inside/outside like CDs or DVDs. There is, however, a relatively new craze fueled by all this recent RFID noise called source-tagging. A very small percentage of books in the market today thus potentially have a small RFID chip imbedded in their spine. This is not the same thing as the blatantly obvious magnetic strip found in library book spines (and discussed in the previous section). Chances are you will not be able to determine if the book has this spine source-tagging. 
 
The good news, though, is twofold. First of all, I have never seen or heard of a source-tagged book being out in the wild, that is to say outside of being talked about in trade publications, these contraptions are apparently not actually being used in books as of yet (note that I say in books, they are certainly already being used in DVDs, CDs, and so on), but as the technology itself exists, and is clearly being marketed for the purpose of inventory/loss prevention, this may all change very soon. This then brings us to the second piece of good news: as these source-tags are based on radio-frequencies, all one has to do to defeat them is wrap the book completely in a few layers of tin foil, or place it in a bag/backpack that is also completely lined with impermeable foil. Shoplifters call this a magic bag, physicists prefer to call it a Faraday cage. Look it up in a physics textbook you just procured :-P. Alternatively, you can just run a knife through the tag to break the circuit and render the tag impotent. 
 
Aside from the 90% of books with no protection, and the 1% (I'm pulling numbers out of a hat...which is to say my ass) of potentially source-tagged books, a small percentage of books have a primitive stick-on RF barcode sticker. These puppies typically look like so: 
 
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX_oqe43u3ApDOcyuV1x64MEm0hligRk7CDVmYQZTjP1xawfdVGZDOszFLW7O36ovcByEepSQrdX8OHMYz3D46doDloe0WnThnp68D7cugErN8_CH_qPa0m8M9fCW8vi7hS1lmJIB8uVDZ/s1600/rfbarcodetag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX_oqe43u3ApDOcyuV1x64MEm0hligRk7CDVmYQZTjP1xawfdVGZDOszFLW7O36ovcByEepSQrdX8OHMYz3D46doDloe0WnThnp68D7cugErN8_CH_qPa0m8M9fCW8vi7hS1lmJIB8uVDZ/s1600/rfbarcodetag.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
 </div>
 
Figure 4. A RF barcode sticker that functions as a security device, complete with a tank circuit on its back. The tag can be made useless by breaking the circuit, for instance by slicing through the sticker with a razorblade or Xacto knife. 
 
 
The shiny circuit side is usually adhesive and is either stuck unto the inside/outside covers of the book, or simply tossed betwixt the pages, without the paper from the sticky side even being removed. In case of the former, one can easily either peel the tag off or use the aforementioned magic bag technique.  
 
In case of the latter, simply flip through the book and toss out the tags (keep in mind that there may be more than one in the same book), or—better yet—stick the tags on unsuspecting consumers to help create confusion in the store as the EAS towers start beeping each time every other shopper walks out ;). 
 
Remove the tag (if any) or foil-wrap the tome you desire, and then simply walk out holding the book by your side. One may wish to use a random receipt (that nonetheless obviously resembles those given out from the store, i.e. go fish one out of the trash outside) as a credibility prop, and either have the receipt prominently sticking out of the books, or (even better) pretend to be carefully looking over the receipt—to make sure you didn't get scammed by the store, of course!—as you walk out. 
 
Nota Bene: The advantage of lifting books from a college bookstore around the start of the semester is that the places will be crowded as all hell. The disadvantage is that this may also be the time the college wastes more of your tuition on hiring special loss prevention officers (typically uniformed so as to serve as grisly, intimidating deterrents) to watch over the college bookstore.  
 
If you're therefore feeling particularly nervous, fuck the high-stress college scene altogether and go over to your favourite retail chain with minimal-to-the-point-of-being-virtually-nonexistent security (Barnes & Noble comes to mind in the US). If the retail chain store doesn't have the particular textbooks that you need (they probably wont), you'll want to be sure to go there a few weeks before you'll actually need the books for classes or whatnot, and have them place an order for you at the store. They'll ask for a name/address/phone, all of which aren't verified, so no worries there. 
 
'Found' Copies. Walk around campus. Look around cafeteria tables, libraries, student halls/commons rooms, study kiosks, and so on. Chances are you'll find a bunch of textbooks that have been forgotten.  
 
Hell, why not have a try at the lost and found as well. Books from courses you're not taking can still be appropriated and then exchanged for cash at college book buyback events at the ends of semesters, or sold online. Want a copy of the teacher's version of the book? Stop by zir office when ze's (gotta love these 'gender-neutralizing' pronouns ;)) not around and help yourself. 
 
And yes, this involves stealing shit from your "fellow students" (all of whom are marvelous, virtuous people, may we all be so blessed as to be given the opportunity to shower in their shit...that surely goes without saying), so if you've got any moral hang-ups about this particular technique, there's plenty of others offered in this text. Simply gloss over this one and spend the time fuming about it masturbating to your Mother Teresa pics instead. 
 
Other Digital Copies. Aside from scanned books, you can also check out projects like Wikimedia's Free Textbook Project (now called Wikibooks), at <a href="http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Main_Page" rel="nofollow">http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Main_Page</a>. Most "classics" used in classes that are out of copyright are also legally available from Project Gutenberg (www.gutenberg.org), which currently has 20,000+ ebooks online. You can also take a quick look through the online databases that your school may have access to (see the free ebooks and journals section above), on the off chance that a book used in the course comes to mind. The NetLibrary database may be particularly handy if your college has a subscription to it. 
 
<div style="text-align: center;">
Discounts:</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
 </div>
Now that I've covered a few simple methods for procuring free textbooks, there are also a couple common sense things you can do to chop a few bucks off the cover price: 
 
'Missing' Copies. After placing a bulk order from your online vendor of choice, wait a couple days after you receive all of the package(s) for your order, and then call up customer service and start complaining. "What kinda game are you sneaky motherfuckers trying to play here? Only 11 out of my 15 books showed up, planning on sending the others any time soon?" Obviously you don't want to be quite that rude, but you do want to come off as being rightly pissed off at the merchant for fucking up your order.  
 
Adding in something along the lines of "my classes start in two days!" will also net you free overnight shipping for the 'missing' copies. It should be equally obvious that you'll only be able to pull this con once from the same company, and that it is most effective on bulk orders, where a certain percentage of bungling is only to be expected. You can then return the duplicate to a bookstore for store credit, or hawk them online or to "fellow students" (there's that term again...) for a cheaper price in exchange for some good ol' cashito. 
 
Used Copies. The used textbooks at the local college bookstore are going to be overpriced as shit, no doubt there. Visit a local used bookstore outside of the college, and you're bound to find some cheaper buys.  
 
The standard big wheelers like Amazon and B&N also offer used books, as do auction sites and sites devoted to selling used books like <a href="http://www.campusbooks.com/" rel="nofollow">www.campusbooks.com</a> or <a href="http://www.urshelf.com/" rel="nofollow">www.urshelf.com</a>. But now we're drifting off into the world of the dreadfully mundane, so time to bring this section to a close :).</div>

How to Get Free Textbooks Tips for Students

Let's start with techniques to procure 100% free textbooks, and then move on to talking about various penny-shaving techniques. ...

9/05/2015

How to Get Free Miscellanea from Other Students

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
One of the juiciest cows to milk on campus is none other than the student zirself. Spoiled (if you attend a university you are spoiled, financial aid or scholarships notwithstanding, you're still sucking on someone's tit, so don't **king kid yourself) students often leave their belongings unattended, ripe for the picking. Here are a few prime locales and situations to exploit. 
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh05YTQ3dBLt124CvX7A0PWFCkEwbZJXinKfSh8f4PhbfIKaAgB7yFAN1h3cS1073Oj8wZmuOOdUhQ7viw0VqMYZ8BO2irPk8V5qPBALu6JvUrR3aqSgY0SVB2oS3Uo1ANYckxycCx4dDrk/s1600/s13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="102" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh05YTQ3dBLt124CvX7A0PWFCkEwbZJXinKfSh8f4PhbfIKaAgB7yFAN1h3cS1073Oj8wZmuOOdUhQ7viw0VqMYZ8BO2irPk8V5qPBALu6JvUrR3aqSgY0SVB2oS3Uo1ANYckxycCx4dDrk/s320/s13.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
 </div>
 
Libraries. Find a particularly isolated and lucrative study area where a student has that nice laptop or mp3 player you want, and wait for zir to leave the goodies unattended. A trip to the bathroom, a cell phone call, a study break, or even the succumbence into a dream realm (read: taking a nap); all present the perfect opportunity to whisk away that coveted item. 
 
Dorm rooms. Dorm rooms are routinely left unlocked. To help assure that there will be no occupants at your desired time of entry, gain access to a dormitory, press the fire alarm, and then proceed to clean out the rooms, putting the gear into a backpack and leaving through a side door. Should you actually stumble into a room that's not empty, take on the authoritative role of a resident assistant and chastise the students for not evacuating the room, proceeding to explain how remaining in a room during a fire alarm is grounds for expulsion and so on and so forth in a similar vein. 
 
Mass herd gatherings. Any social clustering is ripe for pillaging. Parties, athletic events, assemblies, nightclubs, and so on, all present various opportunities to collect unattended items. A particular item of interest to look for is the ever-present unattended purse. Take one from under the seat in an assembly, left at the side of the table at a nightclub, or from under the bleachers at a sporting event.</div>

How to Get Free Miscellanea from Other Students

One of the juiciest cows to milk on campus is none other than the student zirself. Spoiled (if you attend a university you are spoiled, fin...

9/05/2015

How to Get Free Food Tricks For Student

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: center;">
Let's start off by finding some shit to eat. If you can't find free food on a college campus then you really must not be keeping your eyes open. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
 </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJIXk1zq7MMakz54rn-JpEDbte9T8VAcg26jblC56IA6F8IE3RIpxVXH29fAyrPXKfkBanzOg5alBiz824pJZaY4sjG1VZxVAlRwbXBcpUNAHjzRCOLBNbbgr_qVe4iFhTFFayhXLNw3Yb/s1600/a120.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJIXk1zq7MMakz54rn-JpEDbte9T8VAcg26jblC56IA6F8IE3RIpxVXH29fAyrPXKfkBanzOg5alBiz824pJZaY4sjG1VZxVAlRwbXBcpUNAHjzRCOLBNbbgr_qVe4iFhTFFayhXLNw3Yb/s320/a120.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
 </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
 </div>
Unfortunately, all too many schools are now forcing students into mandatory meal plans, which you can nonetheless try to weasel out of by taking one of three usual routes: a) dietary/medical restrictions (will require detailed diet plans/notes from a dietician/doctor), b) religio-cultural beliefs (will require letters from your religious/cultural 'leader'), or c) personal convictions (will require you writing a substantial letter explaining your beliefs, as well as providing supporting letters or testaments to your credibility/'the strengths of your convictions' by family members or/and former teachers).  
 
The goal of taking the third route is to point out how the food served on campus, and thus the college meal plan, is contradictory to your beliefs (perhaps something along the lines of you only supporting organic, fair trade food produced by unionized workers...). Contact whoever's responsible for your meal plans for further college-specific information. Anyway, here are a few tips on scoring some free grub, college style. 
 
Clubs. Look around any flyer boards for announcements of any upcoming club meetings. Towards the start of the semester chances are your local college will also have a club or student organization fair of sorts to get the new students interested in signing up for various clubs. Many of the clubs will have email lists on their tables, and will be all too thrilled to add your name to their spam list. Sign up for as many as possible! Each time a club meeting or activity is announced you'll then get email. More often than not, to entice more attendance, you'll also see the key words "free food." Show up, mingle, and get some free eatin'. Colleges have hundreds of different clubs, so don't worry, you'll hardly have to keep sticking to the same ones. 
 
Special Events. As long as you're looking at flyers, look for some announcing any upcoming events or speakers. Key phrases to look for include "reception to follow," "lunch to be provided," "refreshments served," and so on. Browsing to the college's website, check the online calendar for a complete list of upcoming events. There are many happenings each day, so chances are you'll stumble onto at least one that will be serving free food. Similarly, free booze can be procured by looking around for any upcoming party flyers, or the stereotypical 'wine and cheese' events (yeah, they really do have those). 
 
Deliveries. Doubtlessly you've often seen food delivery cars darting around campus from the local eateries. You've also probably noticed that many times the vehicles are left empty, as the deliver dude waits to gain entry into a dorm or is busy sprinting up the steps to the fourth floor of wherever. Simply open the car door, grab some yet-to-be-delivered goodies and take off. Can't find a delivery car around anywhere when you've got the munchies? Then up the ante a bit by trying the age old con (Abbie popularized this one in Steal This Book, available online at <a href="http://www.tenant.net/Community/steal/steal.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.tenant.net/Community/steal/steal.html</a>) of taking the liberty of calling up an order and giving a particularly inconvenient location (say, the top floor of the dorm furthest from the parking lot, or/and the address of that one kid whom you don't particularly hold in high esteem), and then raid the (hopefully unlocked) car while your dummy order is being delivered. 
 
Cafeterias. Ah, college cafeterias. Who doesn't love these delightful delicatessens serving delectable delicacies, good not only for their free food, but for free silver and dinnerware? There are essentially two types of cafeterias (pay as you enter and pay as you leave), and your techniques should, as always, be custom-tailored to suit your particular environment. 
 
Pay as you enter: If you're charged before you're allowed entry into the cafeteria, the obvious solution is to find an alternate entry point. The thing is that after eating most folks have to be able to leave, and the exits are usually left unguarded. They may, at best, be locked to anyone trying to open them from the outside, in which case you can just wait for someone to come out. If you're ever questioned, simply utter something along the lines of "I forgot my backpack," and keep walking without pause. Remember that pausing acknowledges and therefore perpetuates the illusory authority of whoever's telling you to stop in the first place... 
 
Pay as you leave. Much like you enter through the exit in pay as you enter eateries, with the pay as you leave ones you can just turn right around after getting your food and leave through the entrance. Hold an old receipt in your hand that you found lying around or in the trash as a credibility prop, and if questioned, a simple "I already paid" retort should suffice, as you once again keep walking without slowing down. You can also try to find alternate exits, such as walking through the dining hall's kitchen (don't worry about the workers in there, they (usually) don't bite) into another part of the university. Look around and explore. 
 
For both scenarios it may behoove you to find out the exact hours that the cafeteria is open, and show up in the midst of the rush hour, so as to be able to blend in with the crowd. 
 
Culinary schools. OK, not exactly free, but pretty f**king cheap. Culinary schools often offer full restaurant-quality (read: fancy as f**k), three course meals to the public for something like less than ten dollars a meal. If your local college doesn't have a culinary or cooking department, look up a specialty culinary school near you at <a href="http://www.cookingschools.com/" rel="nofollow">http://www.cookingschools.com</a>, or any other similar directory you can find through your favourite search engine. Then just call them up and ask if they offer meals to the public, what times, the cost, and so on. 
 
Gardens and Co-ops. Many colleges have student-run fruit and vegetable gardens, typically being vaguely associated with the school's environmental science program or whatnot. Look around the college's website (or just keep your eyes open on campus) to see if your local college indeed has one, and then pay it a little after hours visit to get your fill of some fresh pickings. Some colleges also run food collectives or co-ops that sell organic foods, and will let you buy shit at a discount if you start volunteering for them. Though if you're interested in genuinely free co-op food, something that's not strictly college-related (and so I won't go into it in any depth), that you could check out nonetheless, is your local Food Not Bombs collective Get some cool stuff here <a href="http://www.foodnotbombs.net/" rel="nofollow">www.foodnotbombs.net</a> 
 </div>

How to Get Free Food Tricks For Student

Let's start off by finding some shit to eat. If you can't find free food on a college campus then you really must not be keeping y...

9/04/2015

How to Get the Most Bang from Your Bank

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: center;">
 </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
How to Get the Most Bang from Your Bank Tips for College Students</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
 </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioPm9uW6Lwk9d371AwDDJL-UiygK8nxPKEhHp3tNQINB5FV8fyzygyAZRZeIqKEFGPSGF7xdVj0dasWxKeGa6_cnAsajVczS_bh8K1IcdTABxk0ItY7oLPVICO0Z4pj9kQZCvSbdbEAElu/s1600/atm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioPm9uW6Lwk9d371AwDDJL-UiygK8nxPKEhHp3tNQINB5FV8fyzygyAZRZeIqKEFGPSGF7xdVj0dasWxKeGa6_cnAsajVczS_bh8K1IcdTABxk0ItY7oLPVICO0Z4pj9kQZCvSbdbEAElu/s320/atm.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
 </div>
 
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li>Most banks offer four types of accounts: checking, savings, money market, and certificates of deposit. A checking account is a must for college students. A savings account is a good idea if you receive student loan money or financial aid money in a lump and will be using it over the course of the semester, or even if you just want to tuck away a little money for emergencies. Make your money work a little harder for you by choosing an account that will pay interest.</li>
<li>With a checking account, you can get an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) card, which gives you instant access to your cash. Choose a bank that gives you unlimited free ATM access without any fees.</li>
<li>Some banks offer a special kind of ATM card, called a debit card, which you use to make purchases instead of using cash or a check. Using debit cards saves the expense of having checks printed and can help you control your spending. They're convenient, there are no fees, they give you instant access to your money, and they limit your spending to what you actually have in your account. This is a good thing.</li>
<li>Guard your debit card carefully, and don't leave it lying around. Some debit cards require only a signature instead of a PIN number when making a purchase. If you have this kind of card and it gets into the wrong hands, someone could forge your signature and steal your money.</li>
<li>Some banks offer free checking to students, so ask around before setting up an account. Call or visit several banks, ask about their student checking accounts, and get a list of fees, interest rates, and branch locations so you can make the choice that best suits your needs.</li>
<li>When choosing a bank, ask about fees. Some banks charge a flat monthly fee for checking accounts, some charge a fee only if your account drops below a certain minimum balance, and others charge a fee for each check you write or each deposit you make. Choose the best account based on your personal situation and how you intend to use the account. For example, if you write lots of checks, you'll want an account that has a flat fee; if you write very few, it may be cheaper to pay for each check.</li>
<li>Some checking accounts pay interest, but usually require a higher minimum balance. If you're going to have low balances at certain times of the month, it might be cheaper to pay a flat fee in order to have an account with a lower minimum balance.</li>
<li>As soon as you arrive on campus, decide on a bank and set up an account so you'll have access to your money without having to pay transfer fees from home.</li>
<li>If you're unsure how to balance your checkbook each month, record ATM transactions, or write checks, ask the bank staff to show you how. A good understanding of these activities can prevent you from making costly mistakes.</li>
<li>If you use an ATM card to access your bank account, plan ahead so you can avoid incurring ATM fees at out-of-network ATMs. Why pay money to access your own funds?</li>
<li>Don't use the ATM to check your balance or review recent transactions unless you're sure your bank doesn't charge a fee for this service. Most banks provide other methods for you to check this information, either online or through an automated telephone system.</li>
<li>If you don't have enough money in your bank account to cover a check you've written, the check will bounce (be returned by the bank for insufficient funds) and your bank will charge you a fee of $25 to $35. If you wrote the check out to a business, they'll add their fee to the bank's, for a total of up to $100 or more. To prevent this, balance your checkbook, record all your ATM withdrawals and debit card transactions, record any automatic deductions, and double-check your math in your check register.</li>
<li>Sign up for overdraft protection; then resolve not to use it except to cover you when you make an error in your checkbook. You'll be protected from bouncing checks when you do make a mistake, so you'll avoid fees for insufficient funds, which usually start at $25 per check.</li>
<li>Balance your checkbook every month. Banks do make errors. More likely, though, you'll make an error in your checkbook or forget to deduct an ATM withdrawal. Balancing your checkbook can help prevent any nasty surprises and overdrawn accounts resulting in yet more fees.</li>
<li>When balancing your checkbook, be sure to add any interest you earned to your checkbook register balance and deduct any fees so your checkbook register is always up to date. Even being off a dollar can result in bounced checks.</li>
<li>You've heard the dumb blond joke: "I can't be overdrawn on my bank account. I still have checks left!" Just because you have checks doesn't mean you have money in your account, so keep your checkbook register up to date and know how much you have in your account before writing a check, using your debit card, or making a withdrawal.</li>
<li>When writing a check, fill in all of the blank spaces and draw a line through the blank unused portion. Write the check amount as a number in the box provided, and spell it out on the long line below. These precautions will help prevent your check amounts from being altered.</li>
<li>Always sign your checks as you write them. Never sign a blank check. If you make a mistake, write "VOID" in large letters across the check or shred it so nobody else will be able to use it. Note the voided check in your checkbook register and write a new one to replace the one you voided.</li>
<li>Don't use an easy-to-guess personal identification number (PIN) for your ATM, like your birthday or part of your phone number or social security number. If you lose your card, it will be very easy for someone to drain your bank account if they can easily guess your PIN.</li>
<li>Never give your bank account number or other information printed on your checks to anyone over the phone. They can use the information to fraudulently remove money from your account by submitting what's known as an electronic (paperless) check.</li>
<li>Question your bank's fees. They may seem like small potatoes, but they're big business for banks. If your bank charges a fee for a certain service, make sure it's something you really need, even if it's only a few dollars a month.</li>
<li>If your bank charges you to talk to a live teller, change banks. Originally, ATMs were supposed to save banks money by letting you do simple banking without using a live teller; then banks started charging fees to use the ATM. Now some banks are charging a fee if you use a live teller. Never pay a fee to access your own money.</li>
<li>Online banking makes it easy to keep your checkbook register up-to-date because you can quickly scan the recent activity in your account and spot any ATM withdrawals or debit card purchases you forgot to record. Don't rely solely on your online balance, though, because checks you've written may not have cleared yet, so your balance is rarely what shows up online.</li>
<li>Don't pay bank fees for check printing. Your bank will give you a small supply of starter checks. Order additional checks from a discount check printer for a fraction of the cost. Try Checks Unlimited (www.checksunlimited.com) at 1-800-204-2244, Checks in the Mail (www.checksinthemail.com) at 1-800-733-4443, or CheckWorks (www.checkworks.com) at 1-800-9714223.</li>
<li>Avoid using nonbank ATMs whenever possible. Scammers sometimes install scanning devices in ATMs that track your PIN and account numbers. The scammers then remove all the money from your account.</li>
<li>Never write your PIN number in a conspicuous place or give the number out to anyone. It's like giving them a license to steal from you.</li>
<li>Make sure you know whether your bankcard is a debit card or a credit card. They're used interchangeably, but when you use your debit card, the money comes out of your checking account right away. If you're not aware of this, you could overdraw your account and incur a bank fee.</li>
<li>Debit cards are a great way to control your spending without carrying a lot of cash around with you, because you can only spend what you have in your checking account. This prevents the build-up of credit card debt and interest expense.</li>
<li>Just because your bank account balance shows you have enough money available to cover checks you've written or are about to write doesn't mean you won't bounce a check. Ask your bank how long they hold deposited checks before the funds are actually available to you, and then plan accordingly when writing checks or using your debit card. This will help you avoid bounced checks or overdraft fees.</li>
<li>If you bounce a check, and you've never done it before, call your bank and ask them to waive the fee. Many banks will do this for your first offense. A quick phone call is worth the potential $25 to $39 savings.</li>
<li>If you've used your credit card responsibly for at least a year, call your credit card company and ask them to lower the interest rate. Many will do so.</li>
<li>If your bank merges with or is bought by another bank, call and ask about any changes in fees and policies. You'll probably receive notices stuffed in the envelope with your bank statement, but you could easily throw these away without being aware that the bank merger could be costing you money in additional fees or higher interest rates.</li>
<li>Be sure to transfer money from your savings account to your checking account before using your debit card. If your accounts are linked, your bank may charge a fee to make this transfer for you when your checking balance is too low to cover the debit charges.</li>
<li>Keep your money in the bank, not in your pocket. It's too easy to spend impulsively when you have easy access to cash.</li>
<li>Stay away from check-cashing stores. Their fees take a bite out of your budget.</li>
<li>Take advantage of the magic of compounding. Money saved in an interest-bearing account will grow more quickly because you earn interest on both the principal and the previously earned interest. The more frequently the compounding is performed, the more money you'll end up with. Over time the difference can be significant, so don't hide your cash under your mattress or in the cookie jar.</li>
<li>Keep close tabs on the whereabouts of your ATM card and report a lost or stolen card to your bank immediately. If you report the card missing before it's used without your permission, you'll be protected against unauthorized withdrawals.</li>
<li>Before setting up a bank account in your college town, find out if there's an on campus credit union. You may get better deals on interest rates and loans, pay lower fees, and earn higher interest on deposits.</li>
<li>Bounced checks not only result in costly fees, they can show up in your credit report and may make it difficult for you to open a checking account in the future. Banks don't like customers with a history of bouncing checks.</li>
<li>By federal law, your liability for unauthorized use of your bankcard is limited to $50 if you report your card's loss within two business days, and $500 if you report the card's loss within more than two but less than 60 days. If you discover your card is missing, don't hesitate to report it.</li>
<li>"Free" checking often comes with a hidden price. The money you leave in your account to meet the minimum balance requirements for free checking could be earning interest in an interest-bearing account. If your minimum balance requirement for free checking is more than a five hundred dollars, check around for a better deal.</li>
<li>If you use a debit card, it's easy to lose track of the exact balance in your checking account unless you record the debits in your checkbook register immediately. Dipping below the minimum balance in your checking account, even for a day, can result in bank fees.</li>
<li>Don't write checks unless you have money in your checking account to fully cover them. The days of getting "float" on your money (the gap between the time you mail your payments and the time they clear your bank account) are gone, and e-checks are here to stay. Merchants send an electronic copy of your check to the bank instead of mailing it, so your checks clear much more quickly.</li>
<li>When choosing a bank, look for one that doesn't charge a fee to use any ATM or that reimburses you for fees charged by an ATM owned by another bank. This is a convenient perk because you won't have a limited number of ATMs that you can access free.</li>
<li>When choosing a bank, also compare the minimum balance requirements (if your balance falls below the minimum for even one day, you'll be charged a fee), availability and location of ATMs, hours of operation and convenient locations, availability of online banking, whether the bank pays interest on the balance in your checking account, and whether the bank is FDIC-insured.</li>
<li>If you bounce a check, be sure to record the vendor's bounced check fee and your bank's fee in your check register. Otherwise, you could get into a vicious circle of bouncing more checks and incurring additional fees.</li>
<li>Avoid using ATMs not in your bank's network. You could incur what's known as double-dipping fees, where you're charged a fee by a bank that's not in your network and a surcharge by your own bank on top of that. This can cost you as much as $4 just to withdraw a little cash from your account.</li>
<li>A little advance planning can help you avoid ATM fees. Use a debit or check card when you make purchases at stores and get cash back at the same time, instead of withdrawing cash from the ATM and incurring a fee.</li>
<li>Banks often lower fees for customers who use direct deposit, so sign up for direct deposit on any checks you receive regularly, like paychecks. Even if you already have a no-fee account, direct deposit will save you time and protect you from having your checks stolen.</li>
</ol>
</div>

How to Get the Most Bang from Your Bank

How to Get the Most Bang from Your Bank Tips for College Students Most banks offer four types of accounts: checking, savings, m...

9/03/2015

How to Cut Transportation Costs 26 Tips

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUZr4ZB9WrFM1RvDdlmXOrRthJCa-pXjxe7pbbr_nd7unaUywZSTAvWr3Rx74Z6TzeDj6xfOZeRBA1F_dmDZkUqGtgJ3dT8hFF1HfUFgHfLDyiH3MUGvw0Lgvjjzd9ERlU1BL1zScLnG7r/s1600/travel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUZr4ZB9WrFM1RvDdlmXOrRthJCa-pXjxe7pbbr_nd7unaUywZSTAvWr3Rx74Z6TzeDj6xfOZeRBA1F_dmDZkUqGtgJ3dT8hFF1HfUFgHfLDyiH3MUGvw0Lgvjjzd9ERlU1BL1zScLnG7r/s320/travel.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
 </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
How to Cut Transportation Costs for Colleges Student</div>
 
 
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li>Some colleges have free shuttle service on campus to help you get around easily and quickly. If yours offers this service, there's no sense in bringing a car onto campus, where you'll probably have trouble finding parking and may end up getting a parking ticket. Take advantage of the shuttle service instead.</li>
<li>If you're in the market for a car, buy used. You can get a like-new two- or three-year-old car for nearly half the price of new because cars depreciate in value so quickly the first few years.</li>
<li>Resist the urge to use your limited funds to add cool additions to your car while you're in college, like raising or lowering it, adding decals or a spoiler, getting a custom paint job, or installing a fancy CD player or stereo system. You'll end up borrowing to cover other expenses. Wait until you're out of school and have more expendable income.</li>
<li>Gasoline expands in the heat. If you buy during the cool part of the day, when gas is less dense, you'll get a little more for your money. Also know it doesn't make sense to "top off" your gas tank. When gas expands in the heat, you'll lose some down the overflow tube. Besides, those short bursts on the pump handle run up the meter but don't really deliver much gas to your tank.</li>
<li>Don't buy premium gasoline. It's considerably more expensive and only cars with high-performance engines require it. That doesn't include your Honda Civic or your VW Bug. Like most cars, they're perfectly happy with regular.</li>
<li>Check the pressure in your tires every week. Every pound of underinflation costs you 6 percent in gas efficiency. If you normally pay $60 a month for gas, and you're riding around on tires that should have pressure of 32 psi but only have 29 psi, you'll end up paying an extra $11 a month in gas.</li>
<li>College students can be sitting ducks when it comes to auto repairs. Repairs can be expensive and the auto repair industry has more than its share of rip-offs. Check around in your college town for a reputable repair shop and ask locals for recommendations before you need work done. You'll be able to act quickly when you have a problem, without the stress of finding a mechanic on short notice, and you'll reduce your chances of getting ripped-off.</li>
<li>Check your oil often and have it changed every 3,000 to 4,000 miles. It's the number one way to extend the life of your car's engine and help avoid costly repairs. If you're handy, you can do it yourself. Just be sure to use the type and weight of oil recommended by the manufacturer.</li>
<li>Learn a little about cars so you can spot small problems before they turn into big, expensive problems. Learn what looks like trouble, sounds like trouble, smells like trouble, and feels like trouble, and act promptly when these symptoms appear.</li>
<li>Stay within the speed limit. Speeding tickets are expensive in more ways than one. You'll not only get slapped with a substantial fine, you'll have a speeding ticket on your driving record, which will raise your car insurance premiums.</li>
<li>If you have a car at school, transportation may be one of your biggest expenses after tuition and room and board. Drive a gas-efficient car, not a gas-guzzler like an SUV, and keep your driving record clean to keep your insurance costs down.</li>
<li>If you're planning to rent a truck to haul your stuff to college, consider UHaul's free online bulletin board that helps you hook up with other students headed in the same direction. By sharing a truck and taking turns driving, you can save money and make the trip more enjoyable.</li>
<li>If you rent a truck to move your belongings to or from college, check with your insurance company to see if your auto policy will cover the truck. If not, be sure to sign up for the insurance offered by the truck rental company so you're protected from any liability.</li>
<li>If your car isn't covered on your parents' auto policy, shop around for auto insurance. You may be able to save hundreds of dollars a year by choosing one company over another, so get quotes from at least three.</li>
<li>Save big bucks by keeping a clean driving record. Auto insurance for anyone under twenty-five is very expensive (especially for men) and a speeding ticket or drinking violation can add thousands of dollars a year to your costs.</li>
<li>Contrary to what Detroit would have you believe, you aren't what you drive. Buy cars based on reliability, quality, safety, price, and cost to maintain, not on looks alone.</li>
<li>If you'll be buying a car to take to college, look beyond the purchase price or the monthly payment, and consider the cost of ownership. Does that model have a good repair record? Is it a gas hog? Will it cost more to insure? You might be able to afford to buy the car but not be able to afford to own it.</li>
<li>Gas has become a major expense for anybody who drives a car. Save money on gas by driving the speed limit, making smooth starts and stops, keeping your car tuned, and keeping your tires properly inflated.</li>
<li>If you buy a used car to take to college, check out its history by using an online service like www.carfax.com. Provide the car's vehicle identification number (VIN), usually found on a metal plate inside the windshield, and for a reasonable fee ($20 or so) you'll receive a history of the car's repair record. Stay away from cars that have been in serious accidents or floods, have a history of costly repairs, or have had their odometer tinkered with. Cars that were previously rental cars may not be the best choice (driven hard by many people), but leased cars are often good buys (taken care of because they have to be turned in at the end of the lease).</li>
<li>Warming up your car by letting it idle wastes nearly a quart of gas every 15 minutes and is a habit that can add up to a chunk of change over time. The engine actually warms up faster when driving than it does when idling.</li>
<li>You may be used to having a car at your disposal to get you around at home, but chances are you won't need one in college. Most campuses are compact and well laid-out, making a car unnecessary. You'll save a lot of headaches and a lot of money by leaving the car at home, at least for the first year or two.</li>
<li>Your auto insurance premiums are affected by your credit rating, so keep it squeaky clean. Pay bills on time, don't have too many credit cards, and don't max them out. You'll pay lower auto insurance premiums.</li>
<li>When buying a car, new or used, consider the total purchase price, not the monthly payments, which can look very attractive when stretched out over a longer period of time. Try to buy a car that you can pay off in three, or at the most, four years, or you could end up still making payments on a car that is worth less than you owe on it, which means you're stuck with it whether you still want it or not. You'll also pay much more interest.</li>
<li>If you decide you just can't do without your car at school, you'll save money on car insurance if you get good grades. Most major insurers offer a 25 percent discount to students under 25 who are on the Dean's List. Make sure your insurance agent knows you're a good student.</li>
<li>Leave your car at home and walk or bike whenever possible. You'll save money on gas, reduce wear and tear on your car, avoid parking tickets on campus, and keep off the infamous "freshman 15."</li>
<li>If you have a car at school, consider raising your deductible for collision coverage. If your car is more than eight years old, drop the collision coverage altogether and keep only the liability coverage. If you have an accident, your insurance will only pay the book value of the car, and after about six years, the book value on most cars is very low.</li>
</ol>
</div>

How to Cut Transportation Costs 26 Tips

How to Cut Transportation Costs for Colleges Student Some colleges have free shuttle service on campus to help you get around easi...

9/03/2015

Eight Tips for Avoiding Parking Tickets for Student

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: center;">
The best way to avoid parking tickets is to avoid driving a car on campus. Walk or bike instead. Your body and your wallet will thank you for it.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
 </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6UZe7dSo2BIOJM9t969tbDv46U7l0lge3Zm7PH4syHXJvhPRGjcZ3KMOvZbrnf_otArqqJWCd5wLbsleolHkPJcgCsZKwQz8oqHd377NoOJLQ5fygrhriUEfClFFBmuPJQP90H7ghBvg5/s1600/parking.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6UZe7dSo2BIOJM9t969tbDv46U7l0lge3Zm7PH4syHXJvhPRGjcZ3KMOvZbrnf_otArqqJWCd5wLbsleolHkPJcgCsZKwQz8oqHd377NoOJLQ5fygrhriUEfClFFBmuPJQP90H7ghBvg5/s320/parking.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
 </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Eight Tips for Avoiding Parking Tickets for Student</div>
 
 
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li>Parking is big business in college towns. For instance, fines for parking violations at the University of Colorado at Boulder totaled nearly $1.25 million last year. This is money students can ill-afford to throw away. Know your campus parking regulations inside and out and make a concerted effort to follow them.</li>
<li>Be careful where you park in town near campus. Because parking is so often in short supply on campus, students who can't find oncampus parking try to park as close to campus as possible. Local police patrol these areas looking for parking violators. Many cities collect millions of dollars a year in student parking fines, in addition to the fines collected by the school for on-campus violations.</li>
<li>Don't park in handicapped parking spaces on campus unless you have a handicapped sticker. At $50 to $300 per occurrence, it's one of the most costly parking mistakes you can make.</li>
<li>If you hate to clock-watch, avoid metered parking spaces on campus. Some of the places you'll most likely want to park have short turnover times because they're high traffic spots (like the bookstore). If your meter runs out you could get a $15 ticket or worse.</li>
<li>The parking violations that typically carry the greatest fines are parking in a handicapped space without a valid handicapped permit, parking in the fire lane, blocking traffic, and displaying a lost, stolen, or counterfeit parking permit. If you feel forced to park in a spot you know may earn you a ticket, at least try to avoid these particular infractions.</li>
<li>If you park in the tow-away loading zone in back of campus buildings or your dorm, your chances of getting slapped with a fine are high. It's better to park farther away and walk.</li>
<li>It's bad enough to get a $15 parking ticket, but if your car is towed because of a parking violation, you could pay up to $100 in towing costs. To avoid an expensive fine, allow plenty of time when going somewhere in order to increase your chances of finding a legal parking spot.</li>
<li>If your car does get towed, make sure to retrieve it the same day. Otherwise, you'll pay not only the towing fee and parking ticket, but also an additional $25 or more per day for storage until you retrieve your car and pay your balance.</li>
</ol>
</div>

Eight Tips for Avoiding Parking Tickets for Student

The best way to avoid parking tickets is to avoid driving a car on campus. Walk or bike instead. Your body and your wallet will thank you ...

9/02/2015

How to Cut Your Insurance Costs

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw_7lAOJ1wgGAx_aciz9obgA1zBVeGCkiZbz4GYZfrhAPJetL5SO1baiGQHUmfEE-mf2-kYC9sIR62y9Y2Yc1P08sla55J6UkAy_bLObdrQ-h7NZmewYGQkmcPHl1fG6089XDzj2T7LJE5/s1600/2012-11-cost-cutting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw_7lAOJ1wgGAx_aciz9obgA1zBVeGCkiZbz4GYZfrhAPJetL5SO1baiGQHUmfEE-mf2-kYC9sIR62y9Y2Yc1P08sla55J6UkAy_bLObdrQ-h7NZmewYGQkmcPHl1fG6089XDzj2T7LJE5/s320/2012-11-cost-cutting.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
 </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
How to Cut Your Insurance Costs Best Tips</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
 </div>
 
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li>Understand how auto insurance is calculated so you can make decisions that will reduce your premiums. The cost of your auto insurance is based on factors such as your age and driving record; the age, repair record, and cost of the make and model of the car you drive; your credit history; the distance between school and home; and your grades. Some of these things you have no control over, but you can reduce your costs by maximizing the things you can control that affect your rates.</li>
<li>If you attend school at least 100 miles from home and you don't take your car with you, make sure you or your parents inform the insurance company. The premiums should go down substantially while you're not using the car on a regular basis.</li>
<li>If you own a car, don't ever go without auto insurance. You risk your financial future. Without insurance, you could be sued and forced into bankruptcy, ruining your credit for many years. Even if you drive an old clunker and decide it's not worth covering for collision damage, make sure it's covered for liability.</li>
<li>If you belong to a fraternity or sorority, an honor society, or other student organization, let your auto insurance company know. Some insurers offer discounts to members of various clubs and other organizations.</li>
<li>Your auto insurance will be dramatically cheaper if you can stay on your parents' policy while in college. Once you're listed as the primary driver on a vehicle, you're considered a higher risk and your premium costs will probably double. Whenever possible, stay on your parents' policy as a secondary driver so you can benefit from the price break that their age provides. Your parents will also receive a discount for having a multi-car policy.</li>
<li>If you take a car to school, make sure you notify the insurance company of where the car will be located. If you don't, they may not cover claims for theft or damage.</li>
<li>You can save money by getting on the Dean's List. Ask your insurance company if they offer a "good student" discount on auto insurance.</li>
<li>Ask your parents to call their insurance agent to make sure your stuff will be covered while you're at school, especially any computer or electronic equipment you take with you. These items are often targets of thieves and are easily stolen (especially laptop computers and other electronic equipment).</li>
<li>Don't buy insurance you don't need. This includes credit insurance, the collision damage waiver on car rentals (check to make sure your auto insurance includes this coverage), flight insurance, and extended warranties.</li>
<li>Don't fall for sales pitches for credit card loss protection insurance. The law already protects you from fraudulent use of your credit card if it's lost or stolen. Buying this "insurance" is throwing away your money.</li>
<li>Don't "go bare" (we're not talking about skinny dipping here). Going bare means not being covered by insurance--in this case, health insurance. If you have a serious illness or accident, it could wipe out not only your own finances, but also your family's if they have to pay your medical bills.</li>
<li>If at all possible, stay on your parents' health insurance policy through graduation from college. Most policies allow dependent students enrolled full-time (at least twelve credits per semester) at an accredited college to be covered under their parents' policy until the age of twentythree. You may have to show proof of enrollment as a full-time student once a year.</li>
<li>If your parents' health insurance coverage is a managed care program, like an HMO, which requires you to use medical providers in a local network, you may not be able to benefit from their plan. It will make sense to continue your coverage only if your college is close enough to your parents' home to enable you to return there when you need medical care.</li>
<li>If you can't continue to be covered under your parents' health insurance policy, check into the school's health insurance programs. The coverage may not be great, but it's usually relatively inexpensive, and you should never be without any coverage at all. Being young and healthy doesn't guarantee you won't need medical care, and uninsured medical costs can force you into bankruptcy.</li>
<li>If you're in a fraternity or sorority, you may be eligible for group health insurance coverage provided by your national chapter at a reasonable rate. Contact the national headquarters for details.</li>
<li>When you borrow money for a car or other large purchase, or sign up for a credit card, you may be offered a payment protection plan, or credit insurance, which claims to cover your payments if you become disabled or unemployed. Most of these plans actually pay only your minimum payment, which isn't enough to pay down your balance and barely covers your interest costs. These plans are just another moneymaking tool for credit card companies and a waste of your money.</li>
</ol>
</div>

How to Cut Your Insurance Costs

How to Cut Your Insurance Costs Best Tips Understand how auto insurance is calculated so you can make decisions that will reduce ...

9/01/2015

How to Save Money on Clothing and Laundry

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihIAAREQhRSmfNTcH0hFoqZ1CqKL11WljyLiIhl0e_F-yITcjr-NFyYcj_CgsUJCaeUneDJOb9eOjtH23z-kRkja8dCiV-L8fYwq3HxfmfAK5vQKo2YUR8D5b-Xt1430LTFBSwbXLes3py/s1600/clouth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihIAAREQhRSmfNTcH0hFoqZ1CqKL11WljyLiIhl0e_F-yITcjr-NFyYcj_CgsUJCaeUneDJOb9eOjtH23z-kRkja8dCiV-L8fYwq3HxfmfAK5vQKo2YUR8D5b-Xt1430LTFBSwbXLes3py/s320/clouth.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
 </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
There are 25 Tips specially for studends: How to Save Money on Clothing and Laundry</div>
 
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li>Don't buy clothes that require dry cleaning. They're expensive to maintain and cost money every time you wear them. If you buy a skirt on sale for $25 but it requires dry cleaning, you'll have doubled your cost after cleaning it five times (assuming the average $5 dry cleaning charge for skirts). Stick to clothing that is easy and inexpensive to care for.</li>
<li>Do full loads of laundry. Those quarters you feed the washers and dryers add up, not to mention the cost of detergent and fabric softener. Also, clothes dry faster when there's a full load in the dryer.</li>
<li>If you pay for your own utilities, use cold water for washing clothes whenever possible, and always rinse in cold water. You'll save money by avoiding the cost of heating hot water.</li>
<li>Always set a timer so you can add fabric softener to the laundry cycle at the appropriate time. Adding softener at the end and then putting the load through an additional rinse cycle adds up to significant additional costs if you're paying for your own water, because it takes approximately ten gallons of water for the typical rinse cycle.</li>
<li>Cut fabric softener sheets in half. You won't even notice the difference in the results, and a box will last twice as long.</li>
<li>Frequent washing wears out clothing. If you wear a piece of clothing gently, you shouldn't have to wash it every time you wear it. Hang it up when you take it off. If you throw it in a heap of dirty clothes on the floor, you'll have to wash it whether it needs it or not.</li>
<li>If your parents' home is close enough to college to go home once or twice a month, take your laundry with you. You can save $2.00 per load to wash, and $1.05 per load to dry at $.35 per ten minutes, plus soap, bleach, and fabric softener, for an average of $3.50 per load). At three loads per week, that's a savings of $10.50 per week, $42 per month or $168 per semester.</li>
<li>Love your laundry. Proper care of your clothing will make it last longer while still looking good. Taking care of your clothing according to the fabric and the care instructions on each item will reduce the cost of your wardrobe.</li>
<li>You know that throwing a wool sweater into the dryer will reduce it to Barbie doll size, but did you know that washing rayon in hot water could do just as much damage? Know your fabrics, and launder accordingly. Handwash delicate fabrics and hang them to air-dry.</li>
<li>Invest a few bucks in a couple of goodquality stain removers--one for washables and one for dry cleanables. As soon as you spill something on a piece of clothing, treat it with the appropriate stain remover and launder it. Stains that are allowed to set may never come out and you'll have to toss the item or use it for doing housework.</li>
<li>Buy a box of stain remover towelettes, like Shout, in individual packages and tuck a few in your purse, your car, and your backpack so you can treat stains promptly no matter where you are.</li>
<li>Zipper not working? Instead of throwing the garment out and buying a new one or relegating it to the back of your closet, rub the stubborn zipper with a bit of bar soap or paraffin and soon you'll be slip-sliding away.</li>
<li>Turn your clothing inside out before you throw it in the washer. It helps prevent abrasions on dark fabrics and will reduce annoying and unsightly pilling of knit fabrics.</li>
<li>Whenever possible, hang your clothes to dry instead of throwing them in the dryer. They'll last longer. Heat is hard on fabrics, especially knits or anything with spandex or elastic. If you must use the dryer, use the lowest heat setting possible.</li>
<li>Sort your clothes before washing. Separate dark, white, and light colored clothing into separate loads to prevent ruining clothes when colors bleed from one fabric onto another. This is especially true when you are washing new, dark clothes. New clothes will surely bleed during the first wash.</li>
<li>If the color from one piece of clothing bleeds onto another, use color remover sheets (available at your grocery or discount store in the detergent section) to remove the extra color. Do it as soon as possible for best results.</li>
<li>Don't leave your laundry unattended in the laundry room. You may find yourself having to fork out some hard-earned cash to replenish your wardrobe. Dorms are notorious for disappearing clothing left unattended in the washers or dryers.</li>
<li>When planning your school wardrobe, buy items that coordinate and mix and match so that one item (blouse, sweater, or jacket, for instance) can be used with several different outfits. It will make your wardrobe appear larger and you won't get as bored with your clothes and feel the need to buy more.</li>
<li>Plan your wardrobe. Don't buy clothes on impulse. Ask yourself: Do I need this? Do I really want it? Will I still want it tomorrow or next week or next month? Can I live without it? If not, can I buy it later (maybe for less)? Will it be on sale soon, or could I buy it somewhere else for less? Does it go with other clothes I already own so I can make more outfits by mixing and matching? Does it fit my lifestyle? If you answer these questions before you plunk down the cash, you won't have clothes hanging in your closet that you never wear or that you paid so much for that you feel you have to save for special occasions.</li>
<li>Buy clothes at the end of the season, not before or during the season. Summer clothes are usually cheapest in August and September, winter clothes in March and April. Back-to-school sales usually take place from midAugust to mid-September. Plan your shopping accordingly.</li>
<li>Always pay cash for clothes. Clothing is one of the categories that college students overspend most on, and paying with a credit card encourages overspending. Using cash will help you stay within your budget.</li>
<li>When shopping for clothes, go directly to the clearance rack. If there's nothing there you absolutely love or really need, leave empty-handed and come back another time. In addition to saving you money, bargain hunting can be fun.</li>
<li>Buy good quality shoes at a reasonable price. When the heels or soles begin to wear, take them to a shoe repair shop. You'll get more mileage for your money than you would if you bought cheaper shoes more frequently.</li>
<li>Match your clothing to your activity. Don't wear your best jeans to do yard work. Don't clean the bathroom in your cashmere sweater or silk blouse. Don't hike in the woods in your expensive shoes. Dress appropriately for your activity and you'll save money by making your clothes last longer.</li>
<li>Don't buy a new wardrobe for your first semester away at college. The weather may be totally different than it is at home, and you'll make better decisions once you see what everyone else is wearing and know what you feel comfortable in. Set aside some money to purchase a few new items once you've accessed weather, local styles, and your college atmosphere.</li>
</ol>
</div>

How to Save Money on Clothing and Laundry

There are 25 Tips specially for studends: How to Save Money on Clothing and Laundry Don't buy clothes that require dry cleaning...

9/01/2015

How to Save Money on Your Cellphone Bill

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKww9dziUTt23NvQSMYA4SmW_-thBjqEV70u61iGrLwqkfzH08yy1Hn6tzuwu5g0Nlh5RHC77fgNWLgXNsWgmw3FNAEp5FgWW1y3uJVyLfWGaWXiBCzZ9PAbLMv_MkhSrQ-wYKUk6MGONW/s1600/4gCell-24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKww9dziUTt23NvQSMYA4SmW_-thBjqEV70u61iGrLwqkfzH08yy1Hn6tzuwu5g0Nlh5RHC77fgNWLgXNsWgmw3FNAEp5FgWW1y3uJVyLfWGaWXiBCzZ9PAbLMv_MkhSrQ-wYKUk6MGONW/s320/4gCell-24.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
 </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Save Money on Your Cellphone or Telephone Bill</div>
 
Long-distance services in the dorms are a moneymaking venture for your school, but can be a budget-busting venture for you because the rates are so high. Make your cell phone your only phone, shop around for the deal that best suits your calling habits (see <a href="http://www.letstalk.com/">www.letstalk.com</a>), and avoid exceeding your free minutes. 
 
Another alternative to collegeprovided long-distance services is <a href="http://www.net2phone.com/">www.net2phone.com</a> or other Internet phone services. If your dorm has unlimited broadband Internet service, you can use your computer to make phone calls for as little as two cents per minute. For around $35 a month, you can make unlimited phone calls, keep your home area code, and save your parents money on their calls to you. 
 
Find a free chat room where you and friends or family can "talk" online. You'll avoid long-distance telephone charges, which are one of the largest expenses for most college students. 
 
Use email or instant messaging instead of calling long-distance to keep in touch with friends and family. Save the phone for special occasions. When you do call long-distance, do so during off-peak hours to reduce the costs. 
 
If you have landline phone service at school, get only the basics. Services like call waiting, caller ID, and three-way calling add unnecessary costs that add up over the course of the school year. 
 
If you keep your cell phone calling plan when you go away to college, you'll incur roaming fees unless you have a plan that covers a wide geographic area and treats all calls in that area as local calls. Before you use your cell phone at college, call your provider and make sure you won't be incurring roaming fees. You may have to switch plans to a local provider. 
 
Directory assistance is the lazy person's way of looking up a phone number, and can cost you between $.60 and $1.10 each time you use the service. Look up numbers in the phone book or online at www.anywho.com or www.switchboard.com, where the information is free. Even worse is the fee to have your phone ring when a busy number you tried to call becomes available. Fees like these, although seemingly inconsequential, are a waste of money and can add up over the course of a month or a semester. 
 
Avoid making collect or third-party telephone calls. They're an expensive way to phone home. 
 
Keep a calling card handy for situations where you can't make a call directly. You won't always be able to rely on your cell phone. 
 
Consider asking your parents to get a toll-free number so you can call home whenever you want to. No extra phone line is needed. 
 
Make international calls using a prepaid phone card. International calls from your dorm or college-provided phone system will be prohibitively expensive. 
 
Stay away from calling card plans that use your credit card. It's much too easy to overspend and you'll end up paying interest on top of the cost of the call if you can't pay your credit card balance in full at the end of the month. You'll also tie up your available credit, which you may need for something more important. 
 
If you switch cell phone plans, watch out for the termination fee. Most companies charge nearly $200 if you terminate your plan in less than two years, unless you sign up for a bigger and better (more expensive) plan. Get all the facts before you make a move. 
 
Don't dial 900 numbers or other telephone numbers that involve a fee for a service like news, sports, weather, traffic, or the time. You can get this information free in other places, including the Internet, newspapers, radio, and TV. 
 
Before buying a cell phone, make sure the carrier has service in the area where you'll be attending school. You wouldn't be happy to commit to a two-year plan with a $175 early termination fee only to find when you got to school that your carrier doesn't operate in that area. You'd be stuck with the cost of signing up for a duplicate plan (with duplicate costs) or incurring the dreaded, and wasteful, early termination fee. It's best to wait until you get to campus to buy a cell phone. 
 
Don't buy cell phone insurance. It's a waste of money. 
 
Plan ahead so you can make longdistance telephone calls during offpeak hours, when the rates are lowest. This is usually in the evening or on weekends. 
 
Before choosing a cell phone plan or a long-distance calling plan, ask yourself these questions: How many minutes will I be talking on the phone each month? What time of day do I make the bulk of my calls? Where do I call? Consider your answers to these questions when choosing your plan and you'll save money by getting the plan that fits your calling patterns. 
 
If you'd like a cell phone only for emergencies, any cell phone will do, without paying for a calling plan. All cell phones will work for 911 calls anywhere you can receive a signal. You don't have to pay a cent. Find a used cell phone at a yard sale or talk to friends who are planning to buy a new cell phone and ask for their old one. 
 
Long-distance telephone costs can be a bone of contention among roommates when sharing a dorm room or apartment if it's unclear who is responsible for the cost of some of the calls when the bill arrives. Keeping a log near the phone where everyone records the date, time, and place of their long-distance calls can prevent you from getting stuck paying for calls you didn't make. 
 
If a simple log doesn't do the trick to prevent confusion about which roommate made which long-distance calls, take advantage of the managed long-distance services provided by many telephone companies. You can block all toll calls from your landline by contacting your service provider, or you can elect to require a PIN number in order to place a long-distance call. Other options may also be available.</div>

How to Save Money on Your Cellphone Bill

Save Money on Your Cellphone or Telephone Bill Long-distance services in the dorms are a moneymaking venture for your school, but ca...

9/01/2015

How to Save Money on Food Tips for Student

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw8XBu3VPPPJaSIGLQD6zxVezJg3wHN9gXSYSZ9-GYzqkHuGmWLRe2MxSy8sxn_peSQES1i04IE_jx6QSq2atcZhPyjT38RualGB3wbJeA7ZUG07zub5Q9ozfFLolA5P0t-FTxJBAwyZt4/s1600/Saving-Money-on-Health-Foods-01-722x406.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw8XBu3VPPPJaSIGLQD6zxVezJg3wHN9gXSYSZ9-GYzqkHuGmWLRe2MxSy8sxn_peSQES1i04IE_jx6QSq2atcZhPyjT38RualGB3wbJeA7ZUG07zub5Q9ozfFLolA5P0t-FTxJBAwyZt4/s320/Saving-Money-on-Health-Foods-01-722x406.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
 </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
How to Save Money on Food Tips for Student</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
 </div>
When you buy a meal plan, you pay for all the meals whether you eat them or not, so sign up for fewer rather than more meals. For example, most students find they're not out and about in time to eat breakfast in the cafeteria, so a meal plan with two meals a day may be more than enough. If, after your first semester, you find you eat out or fix something in your dorm room fairly often, you may want to buy a meal plan for only one meal a day. 
 
Buy coffee at the grocery store and make it at home. A daily Starbucks or other gourmet coffee can cost $3 or $4 a day, $28 a week, $112 per month, $448 a semester, or $996 per school year--and that's nearly $4,000 during a fouryear degree program. Save the gourmet coffee for special occasions or the occasional treat instead of making it a daily habit. 
 
Don't go grocery shopping when you're hungry. Studies have shown that you're much more likely to buy more than you need if you shop on an empty stomach. The best time to go shopping for food is after you've just eaten. 
 
The best way to save on groceries is to plan ahead. Figure out the main meals for the week plus your favorite snacks and staples, like milk, eggs, and bread. Shop with a list; then stick to it, and you'll save money. Anything not on the list is an impulse purchase that should be avoided. 
 
If you live in an apartment, get four to six friends together, pool your grocery money for your evening meals, and take turns cooking. It costs less per person, you'll eat better, you get to try other people's cooking, and you'll enjoy socializing. 
 
Collect coupons for grocery and household items you normally buy. You can shave significant amounts off your grocery bill as long as you don't buy something you wouldn't normally buy just because you have a coupon for it. Your local Sunday newspaper usually includes a pack of coupons, and you can ask family members to save them for you, too. 
 
Two words: ramen noodles. Sure, they're a cliché in college, but they actually have a place in your meal plan. How can you beat three meals for a dollar? For a more substantial meal, try bulking it up by throwing in steamed veggies and pieces of leftover chicken, another meat, or tofu. 
 
Find out if there's a local food co-op in your college town. You can save a lot of money by buying items like dry beans, pasta, rice, oatmeal, peanut butter, herbs and spices, and other dry goods in bulk, without the expensive packaging found in grocery stores. 
 
Make a list of the items you purchase on a regular basis (toiletries, paper products, cleaning supplies, certain foods) and compare prices at three different stores. Do your regular shopping at the store that offers lower prices on the items you buy most frequently. 
 
Limit your grocery shopping to one or two stores. The price of gas for driving around town chasing a few pennies here and there will quickly eat into any savings. Also, every time you enter another grocery store the likelihood of making an impulse purchase goes up. 
 
Pack your own lunch when you know you'll be on campus all day. Packed lunches are cheaper than buying food at the cafeteria or from vending machines, and you can eat them anywhere. 
 
If your parents or other family members want to send you a care package, encourage them to send you nonperishable food (boxed macaroni and cheese, rice mixes, canned goods, cereal, and snack foods) to help reduce your grocery bills. 
 
Avoid buying food or beverages at gourmet specialty shops and convenience markets. These stores are always more expensive than a grocery store. 
 
The larger the supermarket, the better the prices overall. To minimize your grocery costs, do most of your shopping at the largest grocery store near you. 
 
Learn to recognize the sales techniques used in grocery stores to encourage you to spend more money. For example, the most expensive products are usually placed at eye level so you notice them first. Look up and down to save money. Impulse items, like candy bars, cold sodas, and magazines, are placed at the ends of the aisles and at the checkout stands. 
 
Don't pay for two meals and eat only one. That's what you're doing when you buy a meal plan for a set number of meals and you eat out instead of eating all the meals you already paid for. 
 
Before using a coupon on a name brand item, do the math to see if generic brand item you usually buy is still cheaper. If so, the coupon actually costs you money. 
 
When grocery shopping, remember that convenience comes at a cost. Laborsaving products, like shredded cheese, peeled carrots, and precut lettuce or salads cost more. Do the work yourself and save money. 
 
Avoid buying foods that aren't in season in your part of the country. Fresh strawberries in Minnesota in January are going to cost more than you should spend. Buy fruit and vegetables when they're in season and you'll save money. 
 
Brand-name foods are not necessarily any better than generic brands. In fact, brand-name companies often manufacture the generic brand foods that are sold under a store name or other off-brand-name. These items are cheaper because they don't come with the huge advertising costs that brand-name companies incur to sell their products. 
 
Having a mini-fridge and a microwave in your dorm room can save you money that you might otherwise spend on take-out or fast-food. If you don't feel like hiking over to the cafeteria but you need sustenance, it's nice to be able to throw something together, like boxed macaroni and cheese, soup, boxed mashed potatoes, nachos and cheese, cereal, and so on. 
 
Before going out to a restaurant or bar, plan how much you can afford to pay and then stick to that amount. If you don't plan ahead, you're much more likely to overspend and end up regretting it later when you're struggling to make ends meet. 
 
Buy pasta in the bulk aisle of the grocery store. It's cheap and filling and can be prepared in limitless ways, plus it's easily stored. Look up recipes on the Internet. 
 
In addition to comparing prices between stores, compare prices between brands. Most grocery chains have their own line of grocery items that are almost always cheaper than those of the large national food manufacturers. For example, IGAs often carry the Shur Fine line. 
 
Limit your grocery store purchases to groceries. For non-grocery items, like paper towels, bathroom tissue, and cleaning supplies, shop at a larger chain retailer like Sam's Club or Costco. The prices will be lower, especially if you buy in bulk. 
 
Plan ahead so you can limit your trips to the grocery store to one per week. The less often you go, the less likely you are to buy things on impulse and the less you'll spend on groceries. 
 
Relying on fast food, convenience food, and frozen dinners not only adds pounds and drains your energy, but it also drains your wallet. You get more bang from your buck if you buy fresh fruits and vegetables and lean meats and cook them yourself. If you're clueless in the kitchen, read a book like The College Student's Guide to Eating Well On Campus by Ann Selkowitz Litt, or ask your Mom to show you a few simple dishes. 
 
Get a bunch of friends or dormmates together on weekends and have a potluck dinner or assign items (salad, dessert, casserole) to save money. It's cheaper than eating out and is a great way to socialize. 
 
Stop by your local fast-food place at closing time and ask if they have any food they're going to get rid of that didn't sell. Some managers would rather see the food go to college students than get thrown away, so you may score some pizza, sandwiches, or other grub. 
 
Check out which restaurants offer free appetizers (usually during happy hour) and hang out for a while. Restaurants hope customers will drink enough alcohol, which has a very high mark-up, to make up for the cost of the free food. Buy a glass of soda for $1.50 and you may get to eat $5 or more worth of food. 
 
Buy your food, household products, and supplies at off-campus stores. You'll pay less. 
 
Avoid buying single serving sizes of snacks. You'll pay more for smaller servings because of the added cost of packaging. Buy larger sizes and break them down into baggies containing a serving size. 
Keep a refillable water bottle and light snacks like apples, raisins, and nuts, in your backpack so you're not tempted by the vending machines on campus, where prices are marked up. Fill your water bottle at the fountains in the buildings on campus. 
Call around to a number of pizza places and sandwich shops that you like to eat at or get carryout from and ask if they have weekly specials. Try to plan the days you eat out around the times when your favorite places offer their specials so you can lower your food costs.</div>

How to Save Money on Food Tips for Student

How to Save Money on Food Tips for Student When you buy a meal plan, you pay for all the meals whether you eat them or not, so sign...

9/01/2015

How to Get Free Textbooks Tips for Students

How to Get Free Miscellanea from Other Students

How to Get Free Food Tricks For Student

How to Get the Most Bang from Your Bank

How to Cut Transportation Costs 26 Tips

Eight Tips for Avoiding Parking Tickets for Student

How to Cut Your Insurance Costs

How to Save Money on Clothing and Laundry

How to Save Money on Your Cellphone Bill

How to Save Money on Food Tips for Student

Popular Posts

Contact Form

Blog Archive