Books, books, books

Being a student you can’t come around it – you’ll need books. And loads of them.

But college books are expensive. I mean really expensive. And being on a tight budget already, it’s really difficult.

So a few money saving tips in regards to books.

There are basically 4 options you have in regards to saving money on books:

• Buy new at student discount prices
• Buy used
• Borrow at library
• Borrow from a friend

Buy new at student discount prices I present this as the first option, but really, you should consider it as your last. Buying new books will always be the most expensive option. Below I present some alternatives. However on occasion you will probably for whatever reason need to buy your books brand new. In these cases always ask if there’s a student discount. Always. I mean it. Make this your mantra when buying new books.

Buy used If you really need to buy the book then consider buying it second hand. There are great options for doing so. You can buy it used at the bookstore, from a friend or (here’s my personal favorite) on the internet. Websites like Amazon or eBay are great for buying cheap second hand books.

Borrow at the library This is a classic. If you’re only going to use the book once (say for example on a specific term paper) then this is really a good idea. Just be careful about return fees! Keep a close watch on when your books are supposed to be returned. Because return fees are really just an unnecessary expense out of your pocket. Because they can always be avoided, you just gotta hand your books in on time. Then the service is free.

Borrow from a friend If your friend’s got a book you need and he’s not reading it at the time. Ask him, nicely. If it’s ok you borrow it. There can be variations on this as well, like book-swapping - he buys one book for the course, you buy another, and you swap regularly. Another alternative is that you split the expense of the book 50%-50%. That way you still save money by buying the book at half-price. There is only one warning that needs to be heeded here! That is, you have to make sure that the friend you’re swapping/sharing with doesn’t have the same day rhythm or study habits as you. In other words, if you’re a night person then find a day person to swap with. If you’re a day person find a night person to share books with. I’ll bet you, that chances are a 100%, that the two of you will never need the books at the same time.

Saving Challenge Day # 6

Saving Tip # 6: Comparing prices
To compare prices thoroughly both in the stores and online is a must. Why pay more for the same item if you can get it for half the price someplace else?

It takes a little more time. And a little more “legwork” (physically or digitally). But the monetary benefits are definitely worth it.

I had to use this tip today as I had to buy some materials related to my university. And it’s actually sometimes quite surprising how huge the difference in pricing sometimes can be. I experienced that first hand today.

And naturally, I can honestly say now at the end of the day, that I most certainly got a bargain for my purchases.

So this is what I’ve been doing today.

Saving Challenge Day # 5

Saving Tip # 5: Savings container for your spare change
Many of us grew up with piggy banks but later on abandoned the concept again. I know I did because I somehow stopped believing that those small amounts of coins could really buy me my heart's expensive desires. However on Thriftyfun.com people who are using this technique can be the first ones to tell both you and me the large items they've bought (a vacation or a new sofa) or the surprising amounts they've saved (anywhere between $150-$950) just using this simple tip.

So anything goes. A new piggy bank or an old jar. Just do it.

Save your spare change in a container and empty it out into a savings account every year. You'll soon see how a lot of small amounts accumulate into larger ones.

So this is my savings tip for the day. I've got to go find myself an old and sturdy jar now. See you tomorrow.

Saving Challenge Day # 4

Saving Tip # 4: Talk a little less, text a little more

I know, I know, believe me, I know. Making a quick phone call is often more tempting than writing a text message. For me, that's very often the case.

Making a phone call is more personable, it's faster and I can even walk on busy streets and climb stairs while I do it (which is not the case for texting, I often lose my balance, especially, if they're a particularly long case of stairs).

Yes, making a phone call and say, for instance, doing the dishes at the same time is absolutely heaven for the multi-tasker.

But hell for the bill payer.

I think that we all know that 1 minute of talking is more expensive than 1 minute of texting (4 times more in my case, with my specific phone company). So there's a lot to be saved here.

It's just always been convenience (or rather, inconvenience) that has nudged me in one particular direction.

So this is what I've been doing all day today.

And I'll tell you something that I've learnt... what I've noticed is that there's a real bonus in this tip, for all of us who dislike texting. I've realized that I'm using my phone less because I really do dislike text messaging and I'm beginning to think long and hard before I start a text-conversation with anyone whether the conversation is really important or just a way to pass the time.

So let's take a look at this for a second. You're saving money per minute and using your phone less. It's a win-win situation.

Saving Challenge Day # 3

Saving Tip # 3: Switching off appliances on standby
According to Big Green Switch 8 - 10% of a normal household's energy consumption is due solely to appliances that are on standby. While a study made by The University Of California estimates that the figure is anywhere between 6% - 26%.

By unplugging these appliances you can obviously save a noticable sum on your electricity bill every year. And without actually having to do much except plug them out once.

You can also use something like a timer or standby buster or the sort. This will help you out even further.

Another plus side is naturally that you are saving money while at the same time helping the environment.

So this is what I'm doing today.

Saving Challenge Day # 2

Saving Tip # 2: Staying at home
Now naturally don't stay at home if you have to go to work or attend a close friend's birthday party. But once in a while, if you're trying to save money, it's a good idea to stay within your own four walls. To resist the temptations of window shopping, coffee-on-the-go, and many other various pitfalls that you might be prone to once you step outside and into the city streets.

At home you don't spend any money and here you can get a lot of the things done you need to.

I needed to get some work done so I decided to stay at home today and tonight (on this Saturday evening) so that I could finish the work and on top of that save money too in the process.

This little tip turned out to be handy for me as it saved me money and increased my productivity.

So this is how I saved money today.

Saving Challenge Day # 1

Saving Tip # 1: Turning down the heat

I love the warmth and to be nice and snug during the winter. However, I realized that if I turned all my heating down just half-a-notch in every room, and instead wore two pairs of socks and warmer clothes, I could be saving a noticable amount a year on heating alone.


So this is what I'm doing today.