Jus another way to save

What  is the one thing I dislike about the 1st week of school? Answer: Spending hundreds of dollars on textbooks that I may/ may not use.

What is the one thing I look forward to at the end of the semester (excluding vacation)? Answer: Engaging in the textbook buy-back program and getting money for my used textbooks ( those I don’t wish to keep).

If you’re like me then you are going to love this! A few classmates suggested using the website Chegg where college students can rent or buy textbooks for WAYYY less than the prices at the school bookstores. Earlier this week I rented my Financial Accounting textbook for the entire semester (until May) for only $9.99. Subtract this from the cost of the exact text from the school bookstore for $115. See the HUGE difference? I was also able to rent my Economics textbook for $21 versus the price of $95 at the bookstore. In all I saved $237 using this website and I think it’s a great asset for us college students.

Furthermore, students receive FREE shipping on all books and returning the books is also very simple (you drop off the box with the printed return label at any UPS store and it is returned to the company at NO charge to you). Need another reason? For every book that you rent/ purchase, a tree is planted at a selected location (that’s what they say so we can only hope they follow through on that), in an effort to help the environment. Additionally, it is easy to track the location of the books you ordered on the website.

The majority of my classmates use it and having used it myself, I would highly recommened this website to any college student. Check out Chegg.com guys!! The savings are worth it!

Unconventional gift idea

Tis the season to spend money-Christmas

As the December 25th draws near, everyone is rushing to put up the decorations, plan the menu, plan the parties and ofcourse complete the shopping. Now shopping is a natural habit for most women but most can agree that shopping for men is never fun. The usual gift ideas would include a cologne, a tie (if he’s a tie guy), a pen set (if he’s that kind of guy), a watch (if he’ll actually use it instead of his phone), clothes (if he doesn’t have enough already), or shoes.  If I was a guy I’d be tired of receiving the same things every year. I decided to look up a new gift idea that would not render me the same eye-roll. While searching one of my new shopping sites gifts.com, I saw this interesting gift idea..a piece of the moon!

Doesn’t that sound like a scam? Well apparently it’s not. Anyone can now own at least an acre of land on the moon for under $40. How does it work? You pay for the ‘package’ online and you receive a lunar deed (stating the actual location of the property), a lunar map (revealing the exact location of your plot), a single page document outlining lunar codes covenants and restrictions, and ‘custom packaging’. Some companies include a satellite photograph of your new property. So basically you’re paying for pieces of paper. What do the companies do with the money they receive? All funds are supposedly used for lunar projects and other programs which seek to return humans to the moon. There are many lunar real estate agencies out there including LunarLand and LunarRegistry, who offer a variety of packages.

It still sounds fishy to me. But maybe we have come thus far as a people..maybe.

What’s in your wallet?

According to statistics, the average American owns at least 4 credit cards. Is that good or bad? Well my past accounting professor always advised me to never own more than 3 credit cards at a time. And I’ve stuck by that since I ventured out on my own as an adult. At first I had 3, but then I realized that the temptation to use them whenever I went shopping, the company charges, interest rates and the monthly statements were quite distressing. So I got rid of one and settled for two, of which only one is used, because the other is international and the exchange rate is enough of a deterrent. But I digress. I sometimes read articles by Liz Weston, a finance writer who usually publishes her advice on MSN. [Some of my friends ask me why; I think my mom has a great influence on me,especially when it comes to money. So I'm not one of those "splurge and forget my limits" kind or persons.] I am not going to post the entire article [Read it at your convenience : The world's worst credit cards by Liz Pulliam Weston..on MSN], but the highlights include:

• The worst retail card- Macy’s card [I got rid of this card so fast, you have no idea. Bad experience..hmmph!]

• The worst cash-back card- Money Return Platinum Plus Visa card from Bank of America [The 10% cash rebate lured me then. Not anymore!]

• The worst prestige card- Visa Black Card by Barclays Bank

“A penny saved is a penny earned”-Benjamin Franklin

Health insurance

Ever since the last political race, the topic of health insurance has been a hot one. From articles and government related programs, I gathered that prices were sky high and many simply could not afford it. Of course the crippled economy and laying off of thousands of workers did not help. Well all of this really starts to make sense when you’re in a conflicting situation.

My visit to the doctor has been long overdue and I figured while I’m on vacation right now, I may as well schedule an appointment. After searching for the right one for me, over the course of the past week, I finally came across a well known and respected pillar of the Bay area, who is also a great woman’s doctor. I have always been picky about who I see because doctor visits make me  nervous for no reason. Just the thought of being probed and poked makes me uneasy. Anyway I scheduled an appointment and asked what the charge would be after I was seen. Well, let me tell you this, I was dumbfounded when I found out the total cost, excluding any medication I might require! Luckily, this was the charge without health insurance and I had already acquired this insurance as soon as I moved out here. There’s a big difference between you only paying $35 and your insurance company paying the rest of the cost AND you paying the full fledged hundreds of dollars yourself.

In the quest for a good company that would suit my needs, I did research on about ten recommended insurance companies and was able to choose the one which offered the best policy I thought was fit for me. It was not a tiresome process but quite interesting as I read through the entire contract the different companies offered. I think many people fail to read the fine print and later get not only ripped off but left to cover the costs of some expensive medical bills. My research also led me to a company which did not have exorbitant premiums, which is quite a money saver. There are many agencies out there who genuinely have the interest of the average joe and offer affordable insurance, such as Blue Cross Blue Shield (I didn’t choose them though). I know how it feels to sit and answer the never ending questions that these agencies request, but in the long run choosing the right policy/company can save you much more than you imagined.

Save save save !![ Update ]

This past month has been rather interesting. I tried my best to stick to my budget, but that did not quite work out. I am disappointed in myself but this experience only makes me want to prove to myself that I really can stick to what I say. I spent an excess of $200 on clothing only..*sigh* This is much harder than I thought it would be. Making a budget and taking an oath to stick to it seem to mean nothing when every other store seems to have a sale. This new month starting today shall be different; I promise myself. I will monitor my habits and hopefully save more. * Fingers crossed*