Textbook publishers are really good at one thing: making money. They frequently make minor changes in order to put out a new edition, and they love to confuse teachers, students, and bookstores alike by bundling online components, discs, workbooks, and solutions manuals with their textbooks.
Usually college bookstores work hard to lower the cost for their students, but the necessity of stocking a large quantity of the same edition of a book in decent condition and still make some profit means that they are rarely the cheapest option, even if you buy used.
Even though I love my college’s bookstore and have spent the past year working there, I haven’t bought my textbooks there since my first term as a freshman, with one exception. (There was one book I couldn’t get any cheaper and buying locally saved me shipping costs.) Instead, I’ve been buying online and routinely reducing the cost of my textbooks by 60% or more.
As an English major, I have to buy a lot of books. I needed twelve this term. It should have cost me $400-$500 (depending on used or new prices), but instead, I only paid $180. Could you use an extra $300 or so this term? Read on to find out how I did it. Continue reading How I Saved $300 on Textbooks…
In just a little over a month, my husband and I will move to the big city. That’s the good news. The bad news is that I get to do almost all of the packing. Matthew is working a lot and doesn’t have much time to pack, so instead of continuing in my fruitless search for some very short term work, I now sit here wondering just how many boxes this is going to require. It’s okay, though. It could be worse, I remind myself. We could have kids and a lot more stuff.
This is only the second time I’ve had to move (not counting any moves before the age of five) and the first time I’m organizing it myself. Luckily for me, I love to organize things. I’ve been doing a lot of research and so far the process has been relatively stress free. How? Read on to find out.
Shawna’s Moving Tips
Before you do anything, you need to have a catch-all such as a binder or a notebook where you can keep every important document or piece of information. Excel spreadsheets work nicely too, but they are not portable, so you will probably want to print it out on moving day.
Once you have a place to keep all of your information, start making a rough moving timeline. How much time do you have before the big day? Months? Weeks? You might want to print out a calendar for reference. No matter how much time you have, now is a good time to research moving companies, or reserve a U-haul and start recruiting friends and family to help if you will be moving yourself.
Declutter
Before you start packing, consider how much space you have in your new place. Even if you’re moving into a larger home or apartment, this is a good time to do a little decluttering. Here is a simple rule to follow:
If you don’t absolutely love it and you don’t absolutely need it, consider getting rid of it.
Pare down your wardrobe and your DVD cabinet. Donate the old sheets that don’t match your new bedding. No, you’re never going to find the lid for that piece of Tupperware, so just get rid of it. Allow the hideous lawn gnome given to you by your overbearing relative to get “lost” in the move. These items aren’t worth the effort it takes to move them a mile away or a country away. Continue reading Simple Tips for Moving (Without Losing Your Mind or Your Stuff)…
Every year it seems that January 1st comes and goes without me even taking any notice, so I rarely make New Year’s Resolutions. It’s a shame, really, because I love to plan things and make lists. I don’t think we should let the calendar year or tradition necessarily dictate when we set goals, however. That’s why I was excited when I saw a post on SparkPeople about Mid-Year Resolutions. I feel like now is the perfect time for me to set some extra goals for myself. So here are my Mid-Year Resolutions:
- Read the Bible in 90 Days: Right now close to 500 people are doing this through Mom’s Toolbox. It’s day ten, and it’s still possible to sign up, but it will take some major dedication! So far I am on track. I missed one day of reading, but I caught up again the next day. The reading is from July 5th to October 4th. I’ve already learned so much and I look forward to making it all the way through to the end.
- Complete NaNoWriMo: Also known as National Novel Writing Month, this is an event that takes place every November where a bunch of crazy people try to write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days. This was one of the highlights of my year in 2009 because I had a fabulous support group of fellow writers. This year will be a bit different, but I know it will be just as fun. I just need to find a plot.
- Earn a 3.5 for fall semester: I am now officially a student at a four year school and I’m moving in 43 days to finish my undergraduate studies. I maintained a 4.0 for the entire school year in community college, but I will be taking more credits and at a higher level in the fall, so my goal is just to continue earning an honors GPA. I have to free myself from being a perfectionist sometimes!
- Achieve 5,000 fitness minutes: I have been exercising almost daily lately and I want to continue to do so. I track the amount of time I spend exercising each day on SparkPeople, and I’ve set my goal for 5,000 fitness minutes this year. That means spending a little over 90 minutes a week exercising, which is totally doable and will be great for my health.
- Apply to study abroad: Phew. This is the scary one. My school has an opportunity to study abroad for five weeks in the summer at Oxford University. Studying at such a prestigious university and living in England for a while are two big dreams of mine, but the application process is competitive and it’s expensive. I’m hoping and praying I get to go. I need to work on my application toward the end of the year. Continue reading Mid-Year Resolutions…
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