Welcome to a week (or more depending of how many guest posts I snag) of Back to School Money Saving advice. From your wee littlest ones in preschool, all the way through Graduate and Professional school, Money Saving Lords and Ladies in the Court of the Queen of Free will be bringing you their best $ saving tips.
2. I lived about 5 miles away from campus in college. That distance allowed the rent to drop substantially as opposed to living near campus (approximately half the price of living near campus). Several of us lived out there and carpooled to save even more money. My apartment was not fancy – 300 square feet – but it put a roof over my head and was safe. It was also on the bus line (the city had very nice buses) which was a plus too since students received reduced price bus passes for use not only on campus buses but also on city buses.
3. Coupons, coupons, coupons. These days many can be preloaded onto your store savings card so you don’t even have to carry them around! Those small amounts DO add up! The Queen has plenty of places you can print and load coupons linked here.
4. Buy used text books, never buy new. Sell them after the class is over. Even if you think you’ll re-use them, you rarely ever will. If you don’t sell them soon after a class, within a few years a new edition of the book will be out and your old edition with be worth absolutely nothing. Buy as much used equipment as possible. Don’t just buy used locally, look online too. EBay is wonderful. The Queen highly recommends half.com (or the used areas of Amazon or Barnes & Noble). Plus Amazon is offering free Amazon Prime (two day shipping on any amount) to college students right now!
5. Apply for every scholarship and grant you can. There are so many out there. Some may be just a few hundred dollars, but every little bit helps. AMEN Lady Joanna. The Queen received both a fellowship and a teaching assistantship in graduate school herself which paid for almost everything (only a technology fee and books were my responsibility). There are a lot of schools offering similar packages! Don’t get hung up on one institution because it’s prestigious/cool/where you’ve always wanted to go/your parents went there. Hunt around for the best bargain when choosing a school!
Today’s tips come from Lady Joanna who happened to leave some words of wisdom for Lady Katie on Freedom Friday a few weeks ago. She is a Money Saving Lady and Veterinarian. In just a few short e-mails back and forth, I know one thing. I like this girl. She has got moxy and isn’t afraid to use it. Here are her best ideas for saving when it comes to professional and/or graduate school.
Saving $ in Graduate and/or Professional School Part 1
Greetings fellow Lords and Ladies! The Queen has asked me to guest post on some helpful hints on cutting costs in graduate or professional school. I did the 8 year journey through veterinary school and although I do still have a large student loan debt through the evil Sallie Mae, I was able to cut costs along the way. These are mostly small changes, but they certainly did add up through the years.
1. There were quite a few jobs at the university I attended that could be done around or between class time and those were the best opportunities. I worked encoding medical records, which I could do at any hour of the day. I could work through my lunch or in an hour between classes. It was flexible and helped pay the bills. There are usually quite a few of those types of jobs at most universities. Some can even be done from home.
2. I lived about 5 miles away from campus in college. That distance allowed the rent to drop substantially as opposed to living near campus (approximately half the price of living near campus). Several of us lived out there and carpooled to save even more money. My apartment was not fancy – 300 square feet – but it put a roof over my head and was safe. It was also on the bus line (the city had very nice buses) which was a plus too since students received reduced price bus passes for use not only on campus buses but also on city buses.
3. Coupons, coupons, coupons. These days many can be preloaded onto your store savings card so you don’t even have to carry them around! Those small amounts DO add up! The Queen has plenty of places you can print and load coupons linked here.
4. Buy used text books, never buy new. Sell them after the class is over. Even if you think you’ll re-use them, you rarely ever will. If you don’t sell them soon after a class, within a few years a new edition of the book will be out and your old edition with be worth absolutely nothing. Buy as much used equipment as possible. Don’t just buy used locally, look online too. EBay is wonderful. The Queen highly recommends half.com (or the used areas of Amazon or Barnes & Noble). Plus Amazon is offering free Amazon Prime (two day shipping on any amount) to college students right now!
5. Apply for every scholarship and grant you can. There are so many out there. Some may be just a few hundred dollars, but every little bit helps. AMEN Lady Joanna. The Queen received both a fellowship and a teaching assistantship in graduate school herself which paid for almost everything (only a technology fee and books were my responsibility). There are a lot of schools offering similar packages! Don’t get hung up on one institution because it’s prestigious/cool/where you’ve always wanted to go/your parents went there. Hunt around for the best bargain when choosing a school!
Tune in tomorrow for FOUR more tips on saving when it comes to Professional and Graduate schools. Lady Joanna has got it going on, Lords and Ladies.
If you are interested in guest posting on the Back to School Bonanza, please e-mail me! I’m particularly looking for posts sharing tips to saving with a student in Middle School, Shoe shopping tips, and sports/extra curricular savings!
Be a Money Saving Lord or Lady! Join us daily for savings, tips, and fun @ The Queen of Free.
www.queenoffree.net
www.queenoffree.net
