DIY Father's Day Gift Ideas

Image by Getty Images via @daylifeFather's Day doesn't have the same glitz as Mother's Day but the DIY gift you make Dad will mean more to him than a new Odyssey Backstryke Sabertooth Putter....maybe.

My favs have always been a handmade greeting card and a kiss on the cheek.  However here are a few suggestions:

• You can't go wrong with cooking Dad's favorite meal.
• A cube of paper that you decorated by drawing on and Blinging
• A coffee tumbler that can be decorated
• Photo album of your favorite pictures of  Dad and the family
• Do a project with him like having Dad help you build a bird feeder for his backyard 
• Homemade fudge.  If you don't know how, buy some and wrap it up like you made it.

A DIY gift means you took the time to give of yourself and that you're thinking of Dad.  You could give him a DIY present and an Odyssey Backstryke Sabertooth Putter.

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• Fathers Day Gift Ideas to Fit Any Budget (couponshoebox.com)

Anyone Needing Financial Aid for College?

With college tuition going up by 5 to 10% per year, it's become increasingly difficult to find loans, grants and other forms of financial aid.  Check this site out for some great info -  89 Financial Aid for College Tips by StudentLoansForCollege.org.


Financial Aid can also come in the form of scholarships.  There are hundreds of thousand of dollars of unused scholarships laying around that go unused every year.  Start digging now. Most have been awarded but will go unused by the start of the fall semester.

My favorite financial aid is the "work/study" program.  My wife runs a museum on Murray State University's campus.  She has student workers through out the year to come in to help her with lots of duties.  They always have time to study while they wait for programs to end and lock up.  It's not a bad deal, actually getting paid to study and the university wants to help them.

Related articles

• Paying the Bill: Financial Aid and Your Decisions (education.com)
• Financial Aid Resources for Post-High School Education (education.com)

brandflakesforbreakfast

brandflakesforbreakfast

The Joys of Summer School

Summer school can be hectic and stressful but you can get much needed hours quickly.  Some students need remedial instruction and others are looking for advancement.  Either way, you have to be ready for some furious action.

If you're using summer school for advancement and finishing school quicker, you could save money over your college career on many levels.  You'll start your new working career sooner and save on tuition, because rates climb every year by 5 - 10%.  If you need remediation, you get to take a class over to raise your GPA, and that can get expensive but it might be worth the effort if you land your dream job.

Your textbooks are cheaper in the summer if you rent them since the term is much shorter than a quarter or semester.  If you buy them, you'll pay the same and still face the risks when you  try to sell them back .  You'll appreciate the savings if you have other bills to pay.

The down side to taking classes this summer is "all work and no play".  You pay for the work instead of working for a paycheck....but the big paychecks will be sooner instead of later.

Is College Getting Too Expensive? - Jeff Cohen: The Textbook Guru

Is College Getting Too Expensive? - Jeff Cohen: The Textbook Guru

Free iTunes for Finals Winner

Image via WikipediaCollege+Life Blog and CollegBookRenter.com just held our first Sweepstakes drawing.  The Sweepstakes was from Thursday May 12th through 1:00 CST today, May 16.

The Winner is Carolyn Barnett from Tennessee.  She won an iTunes Gift Card.

We will have several more sweepstakes so stay tuned and keep on following our Blog.

Website of the Day

Everyone is always looking for ways to save money.
I found this site today - http://www.survivingthestores.com

They Have Coupons for everything.

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• New Show: Extreme Couponing (kinleyburden.wordpress.com)

Sell and Return Your Books

Need Cash?  Need to Save some cash?

The sooner you return your textbook rentals and sell your other books the better.  If you have books to sell after finals be the first to sell them.  Local bookstores will pay higher prices for books they need for the next semester, after they fill their quota, the price drops.  Online buyers like College Book Renter and WeBuyTextbooks usually purchase your books at premium prices year round.

If you have rental books, send them back before you have to pay extensions or penalties.

Here is a new Promotional Coupon code - Summer5  for our facebook and Blog followers: Save 5% on CBR rentals through June 17, 2011.

Now, go ace your finals.

Good Luck

Related articles

• Is Renting Textbooks Really Cheaper Than Buying? (mint.com)

Last Minute Mother's Day Gift Ideas

Image via WikipediaIf you haven't planned for Mother's Day, here are a few last minute ideas.

• Have Mom over for a home cooked meal or get the family together for a pot luck supper.  Check out $5 dinners for recipes and coupons.
• Take Mom out for a round of Putt Putt golf either with the family or for some one-on-one time.
• Make a DIY gift we discussed in a previous blog, check them out.
• Send a magazine gift subscription
• Set up a virtual family reunion.  For a simple telephone conference call, you can go with a free service like FreeConference.
• Box of chocolates, let your budget decide on the brand.
• Send a donation to the Red Cross in honor of your Mother to help the 2011 flood victims.

Related articles

• Mother's Day in America: Historical or Hallmark Holiday? (visualeconomics.com)
• 5 Homemade Mother's Day Gifts Ideas Mom will Love (savings.com)

Spring Cleaning - It's A Good Time to De-Clutter

This Blog post comes from our good friend Jeff Cohen.  His Blog can be found at http://www.thetextbookguru.com/.

Jeff Cohen is CEO of CampusBooks.com and blogger at TheTextbookGuru.com. He dishes out tips and insider advice about education, textbooks, and saving money.

April showers bring May flowers, and with them, the buzz for Spring Cleaning. It’s a good time to de-clutter, and with today’s online tools and a little creativity, it’s even a chance to make a little extra cash for summer plans. Whether you’re heading out of the dorms or staying put, here are five unexpected ways to get rid of your junk.

1. Sell the stash of broken electronics

We all have it: that drawer, box or bin of broken or outdated electronics, from cameras to cables. Electronics are hard to get rid of, but consider the last time you used them and the space that tangle of technology is taking up.

Sort through the electronics jungle and decide what can go, but don’t just toss it: you can sell even broken electronics, like cell phones, cameras, and iPods for parts on eBay. You may only get $20 for your cracked camera, but non-functioning iPhones can get hundreds. Either way, if you don’t need it fixed, some cash is better than none.

No luck selling? Your last resort shouldn’t be to toss, but donate. The EPA can help you find out where.

2. Team up with your neighbors

Whether you’re moving out of a dorm or stable in a neighborhood, don’t neglect the value of a good yard sale. Pick a weekend, spread the word to your neighbors, and advertise the sale on Facebook and local bulletins. Get Rich Slowly has a great checklist for getting the most out of your garage sale, and the more people you have involved, the higher chance you have of people stopping by.

On a campus? Team up with a student org to host a college-wide yard sale, like USC is hosting this week.

Just remember: YOU’RE not allowed to buy any more junk!

3. Sell back your books

Be honest: are you going to read that neglected copy of War and Peace this summer, or will it just collect dust? While some people like holding onto books for decorative value or bragging rights, they’re an easy item to sell back. Check out our tips, and make sure you’re getting a good price.

 4. Use your networks

Especially when moving out of a dorm, there is more often than not someone else moving in. Use Facebook and Twitter to reach out to your friends and contacts, letting them know what you’re trying to get rid of.

Facebook Marketplace is an app that connects you to your network, but you can get even more personal and create a group for your own circle of friends.

Graduating seniors, reach out to freshmen moving out of the dorms and into apartments, where they’ll need their own furniture for the first time. Odds are, from textbooks to microwaves, someone could use what you’re giving up, and will give you a good price.

Craigslist is also a solid go-to, as long as you are smart and safe about your online dealings. Never put your address in the initial post, and be careful!

5. Help Out

This tip is more about making some spring-cleaning cash, and less about your own clutter. Offer to help your friends, neighbors and networks move. Especially in college, when everyone is moving out at around the same time, having enough hands is always a challenge. Offer to help move for a free lunch, a few dollars or that piece of furniture you’ve had your eye on. In the same vein, if you’re moving out, barter with your friends for help in exchange for taking some of your unwanted items off of your hands. It’s a win-win situation.

Are you a star eBay seller, or had good luck on Craiglist? Offer to put other people’s items up for them, in exchange for a meager amount of the sale. It will only take you a few minutes and garner you a couple more dollars.

The biggest thing about clearing clutter is getting organized and creative. Do you have your own tips? Share them, and good luck!

Why Buy Textbooks When You Can Rent Textbooks?

Textbook rental companies are one of the fastest growing market segments in the country.  The reasons are simple and I will explain them in this blog. 

I’ve talked with thousands of college students across this great country of ours.  I have a daughter in college; my wife is about to finish her Masters degree and runs the museum (Wrather West Kentucky Museum) on Murray State University’s campus and I work for a company that operates the third largest textbook rental company, College Book Renter.  Until the last couple of years, students have had limited options for acquiring their course materials.  When it came to books, they had only three choices, buy new, used or try to pass without a book at all.  At the end of the semester, the only happy students I met while selling back their books, where the ones that never used them, didn’t go to class and needed the cash to party.

I’ve met some students who got pretty angry when they were trying to sell books back to their bookstore only to find the store was not buying them back for several reasons.  Maybe the book has gone “old edition” or the professor had not turned in his adoptions for the coming semester.

When the bookstore is going to need your book for the next semester they will pay around one half of the list price providing it is acceptable condition.  If the store doesn’t need your book but it can be used at another school you will receive a lesser price depending on how old it is.  This is why the textbook rental market has sky-rocketed.  You save up to 85% of the purchase price and eliminate the guess work at the end of the semester.  Just return it to the rightful owner.

If you’ve done your due diligence, you will know that sometimes the out of pocket expense can be less by purchasing and selling back if you’re willing to take the risk.  If you’re like most students and have other bills to pay, you will most likely want to save on the frontend and not take the gamble of losing all of your investment.

When you factor in everything, all in all, it's almost always better to rent than to buy when it comes to textbooks.