Save Money in College; It's Like Earning Money with no Taxes.
SMART MONEY Magazine: How to save thousands on a college education:
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Have you heard of the CLEP? Money Saver, time saver, college credit, graduate on time or early...
Take a look at CLEP (College Level Examination Program)
This program could be one of those greatest-thing-since-sliced-bread-things for you. You take exams in subjects you are good in, and get college credit. What else can you ask?
Look for other ideas in this list of college entrance exams
Save money in college: Eating well, and on the cheap.
- First way to save money in college concerns free food: check out events that serve food. There is such a thing as a free lunch.
- Take some food with you when you travel, and shop for snacks in grocery stores. Lots cheaper than eating out.
- Live at home-free food, home cooked meals, laundry service, loads of other perks
- Start out at a junior college
- Eat at the cafeteria; sign up for food plan
- Drink water instead of expensive bottled drinks
- Check out malls and supermarkets for free samples. There are people there who are PAID to get you to try the food
- Buy a Student Advantage Card for discounts on almost everything, including fast food chains
- When food shopping, know that some stores are lots cheaper than others, and sign up for their discount cards
College Textbooks and other Literary Necessities
College textbooks are REALLY expensive. Read on... Take reference books, dictionaries, a thesaurus, literary classics you might want to refer to, and anything else you might need, with you to school.Mail books from home if travel space is scare, or you forget something. The USPS offers a cheap "book rate"Find sites where you can download books, either free, or for a lower cost than printed books. Look around for free or cheap text books. For instance,
Find Free College Textbooks. Save thousands
snd, Wal-mart sells textbooks,
You might also take a look at
Bigger Books
and since save money in college needs to be a mantra, I recommend comparison shopping by doing a search on
Google search on "cheap college textbooks,"
or any other book search you need to do.Another search engine I like is
http://www.Dogpile.com.
$$$ Money, Credit Cards, Checking Accounts $$$
Credit Card companies are not your friends
Credit Cards - Discuss credit cards and other money matters with your parents before you leave for school, so you have a clear picture of your financial situation and how they will send you the money you need.
- Credit cards are seductive, and you can get in big trouble if you don't practice safe credit card:
- You will receive scores of enticing mailings, promising great deals, and offers of attractive sums of money
- Find credit cards with no fee
- If you miss a payment or are late, the credit company will raise your interest rate, EACH TIME YOU MISS.
- If you miss or are late, they'll charge you a late fee, sometimes $30.00 or more. EACH TIME YOU MISS.
- The "free" things they offer, like travel miles, discounts, are not free
- Look for bare-bones cards
- Never get a cash advance on your credit card, it costs a fortune
Practice Safe Checks
More save money in college stuff
Check out your college town's public library:- Books, and some text books
- Videos, DVDs
- Magazines, as in don't subscribe, read 'em at the library
- Internet access and programs-catalogs, ebooks, and, a growing number of public libraries are able to provide movies, documentaries, and film media as downloads to your computer. Very cool.
Walk places. Not cool, but fuel with fast approaching $4.00 a gallon, walking gets more attractive. Most campuses have restrictions on carsIf you are on a bike campus, many people will use bikes all the time, so you won't be aloneIf heading off to a bike campus, take an old but reliable bike. New shiny ones are more attractive to thieves, even with the staunchest of security devicesUse public transportationLook for free campus events such as concerts, theater, lectures - and, sometimes they have foodGet a public library card in your new town. You can check out videos, DVDs, and books you might like to read, but don't need to buyUse your own bank, or grocery stores for ATM money, not other banksThe cell service you use at home may not work as well, or at all, in your college town. Shop around for best pricesBuy generic food, cosmetics, shampoos, prescriptions
Visit an accountant or tax expert and ask about:
HOPE credit - Lifetime Learning Credit
- Other possible tax breaks
- Differences and distinctions between spending your money or your parents' money
- Deductibles - again your money/deductibles, your parents' money.
- Tax ramifications of student loans and interest
- Tax status of scholarships and grants
- For free tax advice
visit the IRS (Internal Revenue Service),
or call them at 1-800-829-1040 with any questions.
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