Saving Money On Textbooks

Back to school time! Yayyyy! Everyone knows that one of the worst things about college is the cost of buying textbooks!! Over the past 3 years I have developed a textbook strategy that now saves me a lot of money so that I can purchase more important things {such as shoes, jewelry, make-up :)}.

• Rule #1: Skip the bookstore. 99.9% of the time you will find the book cheaper online. Ebay, Half.com, and Amazon are all great.


• Rule #2: Buy older editions. Usually the changes between editions are extremely minor. Not to mention it is very likely that your professor used an older edition when he/she made the exams. This will save you a ton of cash!!


• Rule #3: Consider renting. Personally, I don't usually rent my textbooks because I will inevitably spill coffee on them, lose them, forget the deadline to return them, etc. Also, I'm a highlighter freak and some renters don't allow you to highlight. HOWEVER, I know a lot of people that are more responsible and less clumsy than I am and they love renting.


• Rule #4: International Editions are basically the exact same book at a much cheaper price. The past few international edition books that I purchased simply had different cover art. You will come across international editions a lot on sites like eBay and they are def. the way to go.


• Rule #5: Wait until after you go to your first class before you buy your books. Often the syllabus will state that a book is required but when you go to class the professor will tell you that you don't actually need it. Just wait.


• Rule #6: Re-sell! But NOT to the bookstore. The bookstore rips you off big-time when it comes to selling back your books. Instead, open an eBay account and sell your books that way. True, it is more of a hassle but it's so worth it. Sometimes I have gotten more from selling my books than I originally paid. (This is another reason that I'm not really into renting.)


• Rule #7: Buy something fabulous with all the money you've saved!!

$14 Outfit Alert!

Sale Time! I'm a huge fan on getting clothing at a great price. In high school my best friend and I had a mantra: "If it ain't bargain, we don't buy it!". We were also two of the most stylish girls at our school (if I do say so myself). The junior's store Rue21 is a hidden gem for sales. It can take some effort to find the good goods because a lot of their clothing is tacky and poorly made but there are certainly stylish, fun items mixed in.



On my past trip I found:
A pair of cutoff jean shorts $3
A vintage looking printed shawl $4
A pair of heels $5
A statement necklace $2
Total damage: $14

Simply add a cami and you have a complete outfit for under $15. Wow.

Tips for shopping Rue 21:
-Head for the back! Like most stores, Rue has their sale racks in the back.... this is where you want to be!
-Check back often.... their sale prices change regularly
-They usually give you coupons that can be used on future dates when you checkout, these typically don't apply to sale items. I have found they aren't worth using.
-Don't forget to look for the shoe and accessories sales. I've gotten cute shoes for $2 in the past.
-The checkout girl will try to sell you one of their fragrance for $10. Don't. They smell good but fade almost instantly.
-The men's side also has good sales, pick up something for your man!

Make Your Own:: Coffee!

i'm a full time student so i am alwaysss looking for ways to save some cash.... in my blog i will be periodically posting some money saving strategies i use to make sure i have money left over for shoes!

make your own coffee. $3 for an energy drink $6 for a frappachino? not coming out of my wallet! it's summertime in alabama right now (avg day= 95 degrees) so i like my energy beverages icy cool so here are some tricks........
-for a simple iced coffee: {need:coffee, coffee maker, pitcher, sugar/splenda, milk, ice}(start the night before) brew a large pot of coffee, unplug your coffee machine and let the coffee cool. pour the pot of coffee into a pitcher and place in the fridge. in the morning simply pour the coffee into a glass of ice (add cream, sugar, splenda, whatev).
-for a fakeachino:{need:coffee, coffee maker, pitcher, blender, ice trays, chocolate syrup, sugar/splenda, milk} follow the same steps as above to get your pitcher of cooled coffee. this time however, you will need to make coffee ice cubes.... just pour cooled coffee into ice trays and freeze.... throw about 6 coffee ice cubes, about 1.5 cups coffee, about 1/2 cup milk, sugar/splenda to taste, and about 2 tbsp chocolate syrup into your blender... you may need to add more liquid or more ice cubes depending on the consistency you prefer.... whahlah! top with whipped cream if desired :)