Saving money on college is as easy as ABC

A college education is one of the biggest investments a person will make in his lifetime...or a parent's lifetime!   My two oldest sons are headed out to college this week and both my heart and wallet are feeling it.   I absolutely loved college.  In fact, I'm getting ready to start a doctoral program myself!  My kids think I'm nuts because I actually like school.  A college education costs time and money...You've got to put in your own time to earn a degree, but I CAN help you with the money part!

Saving money on college is as easy as ABC.  Let's get started:

A -  Apply for scholarships!   There are a ton of them out there, just waiting to be given away.  There are a number of paid and free web sites where you can find scholarship information, but my favorite is www.fastweb.com   After answering a few demographic and talent questions, they'll tell you which scholarships you qualify for, submission requirements, and deadlines.  I hunted for scholarships for my two oldest sons, they wrote the essays and filled out the applications, and together we saved a bundle on tuition and extras.  Talk to your high school counselors because they usually have drawers and files full of local organizations who offer money as well.  Going back to school at an older age?  Not to worry....you can qualify for many scholarships too!

B - Buy books at a discount by shopping at www.half.com , www.amazon.com , www.textbooks.com , and www.valorebooks.com    

C -  Consider your career path.  If you're interested in military service, the US Army and Air Force offer a free college education with some after-graduation service required.   Talk to your parents to see if their companies offer grants, loans or scholarships to employees.  Find out if your parents receive a special alumni discount from their alma maters.  Your state may even offer scholarships for attending a college within its borders, rather than going to an outside university.  Some professions grant special funding and provisions, such as teachers who are willing to work in inner cities upon graduation.  Make some phone calls and find out!

D - Dorm living is great freshman year as you try to get adjusted to college life, but after that, living off campus is usually less expensive.  Offer to do yard or home maintenance to receive a discount in rent.  Many duplexes and small homes in college towns are owned by "absentee" owners living out of state, so they'd be happy to have a hard-working student keep an eye on their property.  Check out www.campusrent.com  or www.collegerentals.com  or  apartmentfinder.com  to start your apartment search online.  Invite your friends to join you and you could get a free month's rent or referral fee!

E - Eat and drink responsibly.  Brown bagging it is usually less expensive than any other way of dining, but students often get discount cards to eat on campus.  Some food plans are pricey and restrictive, so be sure to check the fine print.  Students can save money if they buy in bulk and split up the fixins.  

F - FAFSA applications are long and obnoxious, but submitting a FAFSA is one of the best ways to save money on tuition, resulting in possible grants, lower student loans, or priority for the college student.  Counselors in your high school and college can help you work through the paperwork maze.

G - Get the best learning experience you can by signing up for the best rated professors on campus.   Check out www.ratemyprofessors.com   One of my sons flunked out of a class because he couldn't stand the teacher.  What a waste of time.   Go online and see what kind of teacher is being offered before you sign up for his class!

H - Have fun, but be smart.  College can be a blast, but make sure you're going to graduate with a degree that will actually get you a job in the end.  While a degree in underwater basket weaving would be fascinating, think about the end goal.  Unfortunately, the world will only pay you what it thinks you're worth, how good you are at performing a service, and how difficult it will be to replace you.   Find your passion and specialty and then make yourself marketable!

I -  I could go through the whole alphabet, but this was just a little taste of college to get you started!  Spending time on www.fastweb.com alone will keep you plenty busy for now!  

CENTSerely,

Sister Thrifty     a/k/a     Trina Boice

www.sisterthrifty.com 

Will Work for FREE Scholarships

If you have high school students, especially juniors or seniors, then you know how busy the next few months are going to be to get them ready for college: SAT/ACT exams, applications, essays, financial aid plans and the hunt for scholarships. Paying for college can be a big hurdle for many families, especially during these tough economic times.

One option to reduce the expense of college is to spend the first two years at a community college. You'll typically save up to half the cost of a four-year degree by doing this. Remember, employers only care about where you graduated from -- not where you started your education. Then again, you need to be extra careful that those junior college credits are going to apply towards the university credit you ultimately want. I think half of the education (and the fun) is living away from home while attending a university. Now we're talking bigger bucks.

There are TONS of scholarships out there and if you just spend some time hunting, you WILL find something your child qualifies for. There are a number of bizarro scholarships available, including ones for being tall, being left-handed and even drinking milk. I’m not making this stuff up! Visit www.fastweb.com for complete details. When I was looking for scholarships for my two oldest boys I visited the Fast Web site weekly and grouped the scholarships by due date to help us organize our time better; many scholarships require essays, so we would conquer the applications one day/essay at a time. In a few cases we were able to reuse the same essay for several scholarship applications. This requires some work, but the free scholarships are worth it! And what a great boost to your child's self-esteem to know there are companies and organizations out there that believe in them.

The really obscure scholarships are usually funded by someone who had to overcome some kind of disability in life and can be found at http://www.collegegold.com/scholarships/unusualscholarships There is even a fun annual contest sponsored by Duct Tape where the company gives scholarships to the high school students who can create the best prom outfits out of duct tape!

Talk to your student’s high school counselor to find out who is donating grant money, research money and scholarship money that you might not otherwise know about. Some high schools have a special Senior Awards night where scholarship donors give speeches and hand out money; get a list of last year's program from your high school counselor so you can see who is doling out money in your area. It's easier to get local scholarships than national ones.

Now all that talk of free money makes me dream of other freebies! Here's a list of this week's steals and deals:

Free KIND Bars at Starbucks (2/5)
Try KIND bars for free at Starbucks on February 5th! Starbucks will sample KIND bars at all of their 7,000 stores across the country! Drop in to try one of the two delicious flavors selling at your local Starbucks: Fruit & Nut Delight and Cranberry Almond+Antioxidants.
http://kindsnacks.com/e/2010/newsletter-january.html

Free Stuff Giveaways from Allure (February)
The first 500 Allure readers to sign up at noon EST will win.
February 1: Sunsilk Hydra TLC 24/7 Creme
February 2: Tarte EmphasEyes Waterproof Clay Shadow/Liner Pot in Bronze
February 3: Talika Lipocils Expert
February 4: L'Or?al Paris Studio Secrets Professional Magic Perfecting Base
February 5: Caress Whipped Souffl? Ultra Silkening Body Wash
February 8: Lierac Paris Micro-Abrasion Stimulating Smoothing Cream
http://www.allure.com/freestuff

Free LEGO Groundhog (2/2)
One day each month you can learn how to build a cool LEGO mini model, and take it home - for free! US LEGO Stores - LEGO Groundhog: February 2, begins at 5:00pm until supplies last.
Visit offer page and use the top blue menu bar for LEGO Store locations in the United States.
http://stores.lego.com/en-us/StoreEvents.aspx

Free Love Letter Kit (400 a day)
Every morning at 10am CST ThinkMarriage.org will be giving away 400 Love Letter Kits. Bookmark their page and mark your calendar. This offer ends on Valentine's Day Feb 14,2010
http://thinkmarriage.org/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=25&products_id=30&utm_source=feedblitz&utm_medium=FeedBlitzEmail&utm_content=562113&utm_campaign=Web&language=en


Free Fragrance Samples from Hugo Boss
Three different fragrance samples are offered from HUGO BOSS:
Hugo Man, Hugo Element and Female Fragrance HUGO Deep Red.
IMPORTANT: First, before you start filling out the form, you must select sample you want on the right side, then fill out the form and click (Send) one time! Nothing will happen, but if you wait a few seconds you should see a confirmation message: "Thank you for requesting your free fragrance sample" you also should get a tracking number for your request.
If you don't follow the instructions above, the submit form button will remain disabled.
http://www.hugo.com/freesamples


Free Passport Holder (BCBGMAXAZRIA)
First, sign up for BCBGMAXAZRIA Exclusive News and eMail updates. Next, check your email, print it and bring it to the store near you.
http://bcbgmaxazriagroup.com/fall2009/index.php?p=cGFnZT1mYnByb21v&cm_mmc=FACEBOOK-_-TILE-_-PASSPORT-_-EMAIL_SIGNUP

Free $10 Coupon Booklet from Pillsbury
Ceate your profile to sign up to receive the Pillsbury® email newsletter, access exclusive member benefits on Pillsbury.com, and receive a free Pillsbury® coupon booklet with $10 in valuable savings. Offer limited to the United States and expires 3/1/2010. Please allow 6-8 weeks for delivery.
http://freecouponbooklet.pillsbury.com/PillsburyCouponBook/Default.aspx


Free 20 oz. Orange Julius Fruit Drink or Fruit Smoothie
Join the OJ Quench Club and they will send you a coupon for a free drink or a premium fruit smoothie.
http://orangejulius.com/sec_quenchclub.html


Free Preparedness Pack Sample
Please provide your information in the form and "Prepare then Share" will send your sample of preparedness pack right away.
http://www.preparethenshare.com/Home/FreeSample


Free Bag of PIECES Candies (first 25k)
REESE'S@facebook: "Through 2/10, or while supplies last, visit http://www.piecescandies.com/wrapper to learn how you can get a coupon for one FREE bag of PIECES Candies. Offer good for the first 25,000 people who visit http://www.piecescandies.com/wrapper"
Coupon good for one Free Bag of New PIECES Candy in a Crunchy Shell.
To receive your coupon, complete downloaded order form and send along with one complete candy bar wrapper from: HERSHEY??™?®S SPECIAL DARK?® Dark Chocolate Bar, ALMOND JOY?® Candy Bar, YORK?® Peppermint Pattie or REESE??™S?® Peanut Butter Cups.
http://www.piecescandies.com/wrapper


Free Chips and Queso (Chili's)
Join Chili's E-mail Club for the latest happenings and exclusive offers, including a welcome gift of FREE CHIPS AND QUESO within 48 hours of signing up!
http://assets.fbmta.com/clt/chlscrp/lp/join/join.asp

Back to school & Cell phones

DEALS THAT ARE Nifty by Sister Thrifty
Yikes! Time sure flies! It's been way too long since I've sent out a newsletter because life has been so busy! Besides the normal amount of mayhem in my home, two highlights were that my 6 th book hit stores last month and I took my first son to college! He earned a 4 year academic scholarship and is going to save us a bundle in tuition & housing! Woohoo! Now that's thrifty! I'm keeping my fingers crossed that his 3 brothers will follow his great example! If you have kids going to college then you know how expensive it is just to pay for all those doggone textbooks. A great way to lower those costs is to buy used textbooks online at some of the following sites: CheapestBookPrice.com, AllBookstores.com, Biblio.com, AbeBooks.com, A1Books.com, BookFinder.com, ValoreBooks.com and Textbook411.com are all good sites for this purpose. Amazon is also doing big business selling college text books, and there are some British book websites that offer science textbooks for about 40 percent off the domestic price (even when you factor in the cost of international shipping.) Don't buy your books before class starts. Go the first day and ask your professor if you can buy a prior edition and try to find it used.

Back when I was in college we didn't have cell phones and so all of my roommates and I would share the cost of a phone. Here are some great tips on saving money with your landlines and cell phones:

Phone companies charging fees to not use long distance
Do you need yet another reason to dump the three monopoly phone companies -- Verizon, AT&T and Qwest -- and their outdated landlines? Well, here it is: Verizon is playing dirty pool by getting into the AT&T game of charging customers a fee for long distance even if you don't use long distance. The Verizon fee is a couple of bucks a month, but AT&T had been charging people between three and five dollars to not use long distance! So unless you absolutely need a landline, why not liberate yourself? Here's the problem the phone companies are facing: They fought very hard to be able to sell long distance, but then people started using their cell phones, pre-paid cards, the Internet and/or cable phone companies to make their long distance calls. In fact, the cable companies usually offer unlimited long distance. So now the monopoly phone companies are fighting a losing battle.

Metro and Cricket eyeing merger
Metro PCS and Cricket may be getting ready to merge. These companies are like the Southwest Airlines of the cell phone business. They run extra-lean operations and undercut traditional cell phone operators by a handsome margin, passing the savings on to customers. With Metro and Cricket, flat-rate calling usually starts at $30/month for unlimited calling. The only problem is that if you travel, you may or may not be able to use your phone because Metro and Cricket don't have coverage across the country. Metro is now looking at the possibility of buying Cricket's parent company. If this happens, it would create a fifth major player in the telecommunications industry.

Free e-mail on your old cell phone
What if you have a regular old cell phone that doesn't get e-mail and you want it on your phone without all the extra fees and having to buy a new phone? There is now a service called Teleflip that sends your emails to your regular cell phone for free. You can also send e-mails for free. Make sure you have unlimited text messaging when using this program though because each e-mail is logged as a text. Go to TeleFlip.com and try getting free e-mails on your regular phone.

And now, for this week's fun freebies!

Free Sample Of BIZ Laundry Detergenthttp://tinyurl.com/5xr89

Help your children develop healthy bedtime habits and receive a free manual character toothbrush. Choose from Dora the Explorer, Diego, SpongeBob, Shrek or Superman. Simply fill out your washing,brushing and reading log to earn rewards. **See site for details**http://tinyurl.com/2vz388


Free Bottle of Bath & Body Works Lotion **Must Complete A FREE Offer** EasyNo CC# Required, Nothing To Purchase**http://tinyurl.com/an3po Free Sample Purex Natural Elements Laundry Detergent http://tinyurl.com/ywhj36

2 Free Cups Of Soyogurt From Wildwood Foodshttp://tinyurl.com/2n3nm5Free Sample Of Tasters Choice Coffee http://tinyurl.com/lx97hFreeAmino Vital Golf Samples( For Energy/Hydration)Includes:2 packets of Amino Vital Mix & Shake 2 packets of Amino Vital Pro Charge powder 2 packets of Amino Vital Fast Charge capletshttp://tinyurl.com/2afq3e

I hope you all had a great summer and are enjoying the Back To School excitement. Remember to share your steals and deals with me so I can pass on the savings to everyone else. When you enter the contest online at http://www.sisterthrifty.com/ you can win free dinner certificates each month!

CENTSerely,

Sister Thrifty