Reporter demonstrates mastery of money-saving
>>Print ViewPublication Date: 06/08/2009
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Sure, I own a hedgehog and I’m a video-game-playing, anime-watching fanatic. And sure, that’s a little strange. But I bet one thing we have in common is a love of saving money, and that’s what (I hope) this column will help you do.
One major expense for college students is textbooks. With Chegg.com, students don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars for a lame math book they’ll never use again.
What is Chegg, you ask? It is the leading online textbook rental service. It has millions of different titles and, because you only rent the book for a period of time, the cost is significantly lower. For instance, I saved over $100 when I rented my physical geology book from Chegg, compared to buying it from University Book Store. I paid $6.99 for priority shipping, and got my book in three days. The book I received is in good condition, as all books are promised to be, and renters are allowed to highlight in them, to an extent.
You can rent an unlimited number of textbooks for a summer (60 days), a quarter (85 days) or a semester (125 days) and have the option of extending the rental period. When the time is up, just ship the book back to Chegg for free...Yes, free! In addition to these already wonderful perks, Chegg plants a tree for each book you rent. So what it all comes down to is: You save money, save trees (by recycling books and the paper they’re made of), AND plant a brand new tree.
Now, that’s the kind of good deal and deed I’m always on the lookout for. And as someone who has been living in an apartment off-campus for a year, in charge of cooking my own meals and cleaning my own bathroom, I can’t afford to miss any deal. Of course, you can’t always save money, and the trick to doing so is knowing when you should and shouldn’t skimp. That includes knowing when to buy generic, and when to not.
Items you should buy generic:
Lotion – the CVS generic for Jergen’s Original Scent
Pop-Tarts and Hawaiian Punch
Paper towels
Cleaning supplies, including fabric softener sheets and Swiffer sweeper pads
Over-the-counter prescriptions; I know for a fact that generic Zyrtec, Benadryl, Day/Nyquil and Pepto Bismol work just as well as the real thing
Gift wrap, bags, tissue paper and bows; however, although some Dollar Store gift wraps look as long as the usual stuff, they may have fewer square feet, so be prepared to buy two
Deodorant� if you don’t sweat a lot
Cookie sheets and mixing bowls
Items you probably shouldn’t buy generic:
Tanning lotions; they’ll leave you pale and streaky compared to Jergen’s Natural Glow formula
Dishwasher soap/cubes; I for one do not want to re-wash any dishes
Finger nail polish, because the expensive stuff takes a while to chip and I want to smell finger nail polish remover as few times as possible
Batteries
Duct tape – real duct tape can fix anything, so why mess with a good thing?
Dog food, because your best friend deserves the best
Trash bags
Water-proof bandages
Printer paper; if you buy the cheapest you can find, you’ll be able to see right through it
So take from this list what you will, but don’t forget: I’ve tried every item, in both generic and name-brand form, and stand by each claim. My last bit of advice on saving money is simply don’t be afraid to splurge sometimes. If you don’t splurge on little things every now and then, you’ll eventually splurge on one big thing, and then – well, good luck coming back to the world of frugality.