Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Did You Know About School Fees

Did you know about school fees?

 I would guess most folks are pretty well aware of all the fees that colleges slap on to the tab-I truly think we are paying as much in fees as we are for tuition, if not a little more. But now the high schools are getting even worse. With all the cuts I guess the teachers feel the need to not only charge fees but to have students bring in the teacher's supplies as well. For example, my daughter not only has lab fees and charges for the clothes she needs for Health Science and PE but there are little things that are "required" as well-a watch, a pocket notebook, particular shoes, etc. And then of course there are club dues and now extra-curricular fees. But when the teacher sent a list of supplies to send-kleenex, hand sanitizer, that sort of thing was not a surprise-but the batteries and dry erase markers were causing more than a little resentment! There seems to be no end to the money that is being sucked from us from the schools!

Did You Know About Buying Gifts on a Budget?

Did you know about buying gifts on a budget?


 We have always tried to live rather frugally and read about and talked about implementing a strict budget four years ago. But until we made the first installment to our son's newest university, we have not been strict budgeters. This week that has changed. We have our envelopes filled out with the cash inserted into each. We do plan on readjusting as needed, but I think it is going to be helpful. Especially in the areas like gift buying. So whether you are receiving a card or something like sterling silver jewelry from us, you can know that it was planned for and paid for with money that we budgeted just for your occasion!

Sunday, August 26, 2012

Did You Know About College Move In Day?

Did you know about college move in day?

 My son transferred to a new, bigger university this year. Boy, was move in day a mad house! I was sure glad he is living off campus as it looked like the dorm move in was crazy! The traffic in town was heavy and Wal-Mart was jam packed!!! I know there were a lot of excited kids moving in over the weekend. I hope the excitement continues to the classroom!!

Did You Know About Remodeling?

Did you know about remodeling?

 I am sure every home owner will agree that one project just leads to another! We have been painting but are far from finished. And of course when that's done, I'd love to do a little remodeling to our bathroom. Any bathroom remodeling houston company will surely have updates to our master bath. While the shower and tub are updates from the original, we really need new vanities, sinks and tile. Maybe one of these days....

Friday, August 17, 2012

Did You Know Ways to Save Money on Textbooks?

Did you know ways to save money on textbooks?

I've had several recommendations from different sources over the last few weeks on how to save money on textbooks. I read recently that the average amount spent on college textbooks is $700-900 per semester. That adds up quickly!

We have  rented any textbooks that we can. This has worked well for us. You can rent for a semester and there is usually a shipping fee (though not any additional fee to return them.) Even with this, these rental books offer substantial savings. We have even had to buy time extensions to allow for the difference in the end of semester and still saved money.

Of course, many students buy used textbooks to save money. This year, we have even bought a couple books from Amazon at discounted prices. The most surprising way I have heard about "saving money" is the young man who told me he only buys new textbooks so that he gets a better buy back rate (more money back when he sells them back) which he turns around uses to buy the next set of books.

While textbooks are an expensive part of each semester, these are some good ways to get the best deals possible.

Friday, August 3, 2012

Did You Know How to Find Your Greatness?

Did you know how to find your greatness? As Nike says, "Just Do It."

Did You Know a Kid Who Wants to Be a DJ?

Did you know a kid who wants to be a DJ?

My son and his cousin are trying to figure out their majors. It's a tough decision. I know that college is not for everyone though. Some kids go to trade schools and some go straight into jobs. Some have even had passions in high school that they pursue when they graduate. It seems that those kids who are into their music try to find a way to break in during those early adult years. This can be those who are the musicians or those who do the DJing. If you have one of these budding artists or DJ's you just might be buying guitars, drums, mackie mixers, and encouraging a different path than the average young adult.

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Did You Know You Don't Have to Wash Your Paint Brush at the End of the Day?

Did you know you don't have to wash your paint brush at the end of the day? If you are painting a room and have more to finish tomorrow, using the same color and paint brush, you can put that paint brush into a plastic bag and put it in the fridge til ready to use again. You don't have to rinse it out at all before putting it into the bag. This has worked great for us. I did try putting the paint pan in the fridge too with paint still in it but that did not work as well (I did not have it wrapped or covered)-the paint still pretty much dried into the pan.

Did You Know the Fastest Growing Demographic in USA?

Did you know the fastest growing demographic in the USA?

Well, I could not find the numbers for sure, but the Hispanic population is at the top of most census lists. This is especially evident where I live. We have many billboards completely in Spanish now. And there are Spanish websites and advertisements in other social media as well. I found today that The Source also has a web page for Spanish speakers where they can  buy appareils photo numériques and other electronics they are looking for. I know many other demographic groups are fast growing in the US as well.