Stingy Students

Free BJ's Warehouse Club Membership for 60 days

2009-09-15T17:34:00.003-04:00

FYI, BJ's is again offering a free 60 day membership. Unfortunately, I don't have one near me, but I'd check it out if I were close to one. I apologize if you arrived here looking for something else, but hopefully you'll still be able to take advantage of it. For further reading, if you decide to purchase a membership to one of these stores, this article compares some of the Big 3.

The following video is for adults only. If my sense of humor offends you, press the "back it up button" on your browser :-)

Free Starbucks on Sundays

2009-08-27T18:42:00.001-04:00

Now this isn't exactly what you think - no free coupons or discounts on this one - but here's a way that I've discovered where you can go to Starbucks and get a free drink (or have it paid for at least).

Many a Sundays I've been driving around town and have seen people selling Sunday papers on the corner of busy streets to anyone willing to pay a dollar. There's always a little demon in my head that says "think about all the coupons in there!" but then, my angel tells me "that dollar could go to paying for more important things, like replacing your year old toothbrush!" Fortunately, the angel in me prevails - although the toothbrush part is still pending - and I go on my merry way.

However, I discovered a couple of Sundays ago that the Starbucks near where I live has at least one copy of the Sunday paper either sitting out for customers to read or left by someone. And in that paper, those same coupons are still there because I presume that anyone willing to buy a cup of joe at Starbucks is not going to bother sifting through coupons like this regular joe. So for the price of a cup of coffee (of frappucino if you prefer), I get to read the Sunday paper, AND I take with me any coupons that I could use. The coupons in themselves more than pay for the coffee, and there you have it, that's how you get free Starbucks on Sundays :-)

Best Amazon.com Discount Sale - 90% off for Back To School Shopping

2009-07-25T17:02:00.003-04:00

It's that time of year again - back to school shopping time! A new year means buying more stuff for school, and with everyone's wallets being a little thinner this year, why not take advantage of some of the great deals on Amazon.com? The problem is that it's not always easy to find these deals, so I've created a list of links arranged by % off - up to 90% off - for all of the main categories on Amazon.com, so that you don't have to!

The added benefit is that you can do this all in the convenience of your own home instead of waiting in line at the store with hungry and tired kids in tow, and as always, qualifying orders of $25 or more get FREE SHIPPING!

You can use these links throughout the year because I've included links for all the categories, so don't forget to come back whenever you're shopping, and spread the words to your friends, relatives, and co-workers, because there's some sort of deal for everyone on Amazon.com!

Books
Books
90% off - 80% off - 70% off - 60% off - 50% off
Magazines
90% off - 80% off - 70% off - 60% off - 50% off

Movies, Music & Games
Movies & TV
90% off - 80% off - 70% off - 60% off - 50% off
Blu-Ray
90% off - 80% off - 70% off - 60% off - 50% off
Music
90% off - 80% off - 70% off - 60% off - 50% off
Musical Instruments
90% off - 80% off - 70% off - 60% off - 50% off
Video Games
90% off - 80% off - 70% off - 60% off - 50% off

Computers & Office
Computers & Accessories
90% off - 80% off - 70% off - 60% off - 50% off
Software
90% off - 80% off - 70% off - 60% off - 50% off
PC Games
90% off - 80% off - 70% off - 60% off - 50% off
Office Products & Supplies
90% off - 80% off - 70% off - 60% off - 50% off

Electronics
TV & Video
90% off - 80% off - 70% off - 60% off - 50% off
Home Audio & Theater
90% off - 80% off - 70% off - 60% off - 50% off
Camera & Photo
90% off - 80% off - 70% off - 60% off - 50% off
MP3 & Media Players
90% off - 80% off - 70% off - 60% off - 50% off
Car Electronics & GPS
90% off - 80% off - 70% off - 60% off - 50% off

Home & Garden
Home Appliances
90% off - 80% off - 70% off - 60% off - 50% off
Kitchen & Dining
90% off - 80% off - 70% off - 60% off - 50% off
Furniture & Decor
90% off - 80% off - 70% off - 60% off - 50% off
Bedding & Bath
90% off - 80% off - 70% off - 60% off - 50% off
Tools & Home Improvement
90% off - 80% off - 70% off - 60% off - 50% off
Patio, Lawn & Garden
90% off - 80% off - 70% off - 60% off - 50% off
Pet Supplies
90% off - 80% off - 70% off - 60% off - 50% off
Sewing, Craft & Hobby
90% off - 80% off - 70% off - 60% off - 50% off

Grocery, Health & Beauty
Grocery
90% off - 80% off - 70% off - 60% off - 50% off
Natural & Organic
90% off - 80% off - 70% off - 60% off - 50% off
Gourmet Food
90% off - 80% off - 70% off - 60% off - 50% off
Health & Personal Care
90% off - 80% off - 70% off - 60% off - 50% off
Beauty
90% off - 80% off - 70% off - 60% off - 50% off

Apparel, Shoes & Jewelry
Apparel - Women
90% off - 80% off - 70% off - 60% off - 50% off
Accessories - Women
90% off - 80% off - 70% off - 60% off - 50% off
Shoes - Women
90% off - 80% off - 70% off - 60% off - 50% off

Apparel - Men
90% off - 80% off - 70% off - 60% off - 50% off
Accessories - Men
90% off - 80% off - 70% off - 60% off - 50% off
Shoes - Men
90% off - 80% off - 70% off - 60% off - 50% off

Apparel - Juniors
90% off - 80% off - 70% off - 60% off - 50% off
Shoes - Juniors
90% off - 80% off - 70% off - 60% off - 50% off

Apparel - Young Men
90% off - 80% off - 70% off - 60% off - 50% off

Jewelry
90% off - 80% off - 70% off - 60% off - 50% off

Toys, Kids & Babies
Toys & Games
90% off - 80% off - 70% off - 60% off - 50% off
Baby
90% off - 80% off - 70% off - 60% off - 50% off
Apparel - Kids & Babies
90% off - 80% off - 70% off - 60% off - 50% off
Accessories - Kids & Babies
90% off - 80% off - 70% off - 60% off - 50% off
Shoes - Girls
90% off - 80% off - 70% off - 60% off - 50% off
Shoes - Boys
90% off - 80% off - 70% off - 60% off - 50% off

Sports & Outdoors
Exercise & Fitness
90% off - 80% off - 70% off - 60% off - 50% off
Outdoors
90% off - 80% off - 70% off - 60% off - 50% off
Action Sports
90% off - 80% off - 70% off - 60% off - 50% off
Team Sports
90% off - 80% off - 70% off - 60% off - 50% off
Cycling
90% off - 80% off - 70% off - 60% off - 50% off
Golf
90% off - 80% off - 70% off - 60% off - 50% off
Fan Gear
90% off - 80% off - 70% off - 60% off - 50% off

Tools, Auto & Industrial
Power & Hand Tools
90% off - 80% off - 70% off - 60% off - 50% off
Outdoor Power & Lawn Equipment
90% off - 80% off - 70% off - 60% off - 50% off
Automotive
90% off - 80% off - 70% off - 60% off - 50% off
Motorcycle & ATV
90% off - 80% off - 70% off - 60% off - 50% off
Industrial & Scientific
90% off - 80% off - 70% off - 60% off - 50% off

Amazon.com Discount Book Search

2009-07-03T00:59:00.003-04:00

Here's a little something to help find you some summer reading. I have set up easy links for you to find books at Amazon.com based on % off from the cover price. The system isn't perfect - if you look at some of the books on the list, they aren't discounted to the amount claimed. Otherwise though, I figure this is an easy way to find some summer reading during these hot months when no one wants to go outside except to get their car washed by scantily clad women in bikinis. If this isn't for you, don't forget to check out Paperbackswap.com as well looking for ways to find the best book prices. Enjoy!

90% off - 80% off - 70% off - 60% off - 50% off

Money Hacks Carnival

2009-06-12T18:19:00.003-04:00

Thanks to Financial Highway for hosting the Money Hacks Carnival. My article on ShopDiscover was among the many great articles in the carnival. Please go take a look at this carnival if you get the chance.

More Cashback with ShopDiscover

2009-06-07T08:54:00.006-04:00

For those of you decrying the death of the 5% cashback cards, you may have discovered by now - no pun intended - that Discover Card offers 5% cashback through different categories throughout the year. For example, in March of this year, I purchased plane tickets for $765.40, and I received 5% cashback ($38.28) because travel was one of the qualifying categories from January through March.

Now what some of you may not know is that Discover Card also has a program called ShopDiscover, which gives you additional cashback in much the same way as the other cashback programs. However, as my favorite cashback comparison website shows you, ShopDiscover can offer higher rates than some of the other sites. For example, I recently made a purchase at Land's End, and the 10% cashback offered by ShopDiscover far out-cashbacked (yes, I realize that's not a real word) the competition, as you can see here. I also recently bought my girlfriend a gift at Ann Taylor Loft, and got 5% cashback offered by ShopDiscover, which again out-cashbacked the competition. While it may not offer the highest rewards for every merchant, it does for some, and this makes ShopDiscover worthwhile to check out if you are shopping online.

Of course all this depends on you having a Discover Card, so if you don't have one yet, you should apply now! You can get $50 cashback bonus when signing up now.

Note: This post represents entry in the ShopDiscover blog promotion with a chance to win a Discover Gift Card. However, I personally do use this card on many occasions throughout the year due to the ShopDiscover and Cashback Bonus, so I whole-heartedly can attest to its benefits.

Free Sam's Club Membership part 2

2009-05-17T11:19:00.005-04:00

This is a follow-up to an earlier article about a free membership to Sam's Club. While the first offer may have been a YMMV depending on who you were dealing with, this is a no questions asked one day membership to Sam's Club. Sure, it's only for one day, but if you plan ahead, do you really need to go to Sam's Club more than once a year? Seriously, who goes through 200 Atomic Fireballs? Hurry, the pass expires 5/25/09.

Free BJ's Warehouse Club membership

2009-05-17T11:06:00.003-04:00

I apologize if you arrived here by mistake as you rapidly clicked the link after reading the first two words.

I wrote about the free Sam's Club deal a few months back, and now BJ's is offering a free pass as well. This offer is for a free 60-day pass, and there is no YMMV circumstances attached. I guess it's a marketing scheme to get people to discover the value of their store during these tough economic times. While I tend to disagree that these warehouse type stores offer much advantage, if any, over the regular grocery stores for most people, it can add up to significant savings if you have to buy in bulk throughout the year, for say, a small business. For further reading, if you decide to purchase a membership to one of these stores, this article compares some of the Big 3.

Carnival of Twenty Something Finances - Oscars Edition

2009-02-23T17:06:00.002-05:00

Welcome to the Carnival of Twenty Something Finances - Oscars Edition!

There were way too many submissions (over 100) to post here, so I took the liberty of sorting through the pile to find those Oscar-worthy posts.

Also, here are some general rules that I tried to use to ensure that the most relevant posts were included:

1. Must be a real blogger, not a company - you don't know how much spam I got from real estate and credit card companies.

2. Cannot be about best (fill in the blank) rates - if you're looking for the best rates, you can always find them at bankrate.com or FatWallet Finance.

3. Must be interesting to read, express new ideas, and most importantly, be relevant to people in their 20's.

Now drum roll please......badadadadadadadadada..... The Oscar for best post goes to.............

Five Tips for Your Boss During a Recession posted at Money Smart Life! ::applause:: There are enough articles out there covering what we should be doing during this recession. Now, here's an article sticking it to our bosses. Kind of like the infamous scene in Half-Baked, but with a little bit more class.

Oscar Nominees

Fabulously "Broke" presents Why are you renting instead of buying a home? posted at Fabulously "Broke" ...in the City. And why even consider buying a place that you have to maintain rather than living in a place where you can throw fratastic parties? I'm only half-kidding.

Live Money Smart presents Student Loan Consolidation and Early Payoff posted at Live Money Smart. Good article on consolidation. Borrow, baby, borrow! is my new motto. I figure with the rate of inflation, my $100k student loan will be worth about $10k by the time I actually have an income. But remember, never pay off student loans early.

kathryn presents The Importance of Shopping Local posted at Out of Debt - Christian Finances and Debt Help. Difficult to do in these tough economic times for some, but long-term, I agree local is the way to go.

Lazy Man presents Financial Football Teaches Students about Personal Finance posted at Lazy Man and Money. Who would've thought you could mix finance and football? What next? Using alcohol to teach algebra?

Silicon Valley Blogger presents YNAB (You Need A Budget) Personal Budget Software Is 10% Off posted at The Digerati Life. I think Chrysler could have used this program a while back.

David presents Salary Advance Loan Program--A Low Cost Payday Loan Alternative posted at Payday Loans Review. It sounds the same, but they're pretty different. Kinda like come and ........

Green Panda presents Use Allpoint ATMS to Reduce and Eliminate ATM Fees posted at Green Panda Treehouse. Now we just have to wait for the ATMs that give us money to use them.

Roshawn Watson presents Lame Defense for $18.4 Billion in Wall Street Bonuses posted at Watson Inc. Blaming Wall Street bonuses never gets old.

Mr. CC presents The Co-signer Delimma posted at Ask Mr Credit Card's Blog. Think twice before you co-sign the loan for anyone whose nickname is "Frank the Tank"

Matthew Paulson presents Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile & Others Ripping off Customers with Third Party Billing posted at Fine-Tuned Finances. What I do to get back at cellphone companies is to send as many texts as I can.....o...n....e........l...e...t....t...e...r.......a...t......a......t...i...m...e

Best of the Rest

Tushar Mathur presents Investment expert offers 10 tips for surviving the recession posted at Everything Finance.

nickel presents How to Claim the Recovery Rebate Credit posted at fivecentnickel.com.

Savings Toolbox presents Finding Yourself unable to Make Your Mortgage Payments? posted at Savings Toolbox.

David Weliver presents Is It Smart to Buy a Home in This Recession? posted at Money Under 30.

The Investor presents Why a little passive income from a side project is worth a lot more than you think posted at Monevator.

Pinyo presents Where To Sell Used Books And Textbooks posted at Moolanomy.

Pinyo presents Low Cost Diversification With Vanguard Total World Stock ETF (VT)? posted at Moolanomy.

Carrie presents Learning About Investing as a Child posted at Less is More.

Save Money presents Frugal Frauds Revealed posted at How I Save Money.net.

nickel presents MyFICO ScoreWatch: Free Access to Your FICO Credit Score posted at fivecentnickel.com.

Jeff Rose presents Why Avoid Bankruptcy? posted at Jeff Rose.

CreditAddict presents Pentagon Federal Visa Rewards Credit Card posted at Credit Card Addict.

nickel@fivecentnickel.com presents Limit on Savings Account Withdrawals posted at Money Tipper.

Alicia Messinger presents Ditch Your Cable/Satellite Provider posted at Recession Obsession.

Poker Playing Ladies Man presents How To Fleece Your Friends Playing Poker posted at Poker, Women, Life.

The Investor presents Time value of money: Why locking money away earns a better return posted at Monevator.

Patrick @ Military Money presents Green Ways to Save Money posted at Military Finance Network.

Patrick @ Cash Money Life presents $25 Sign-up Bonus from Lending Club, plus a Chance to Win $100 posted at Cash Money Life.

Will presents Second Chance Checking Accounts: Banks That Do Not Use ChexSystems posted at Money Galaxy - Make Money | Save Money | Invest Money.

Thanks for everyone who participated in this edition of the Carnival of Twenty Something Finances!

Ebates for Rebates

2009-02-22T22:14:00.003-05:00

I just got my check from Ebates in the mail, and I thought it would be an opportune time to remind everyone about the cashback opportunities available through various sites. I've written previously about the programs I use, and in addition, I'd like to recommend a couple more which I have come across.

Extrabux - A program I came across from the recommendation of another reader. They have very competitive rates, and it is quickly becoming one of my favorites.

RewardsDB - A reader, AJ, recommended this site to me. It's not a rebate site in itself, but it works much like evreward.com. They both have a list of which rebates programs have the highest rates for any given merchants, so I always check with both of these to make sure I am getting the most cash back.

Live Search - While the days of 35% cashback on eBay have come and gone, they still offer some higher rates on some merchants, although the number of merchants seem to be limited.

If you go to sign up for any of these, some of them have sign-up bonuses for referrals, so please keep my email there if you found this article helpful. Thanks!

$350 in free facebook ads

2009-01-24T11:14:00.005-05:00

I'm not one to promote advertising on my website as evidenced by an earlier post. However, I am not against advertising my own site. Now whether that makes me a hypocrite in anyways is an argument we can have another day in some dark alley. But for now, for any of you interested in reaching the vast audiences of facebook have an opportunity to promote yourself, the next great innovation, or even your ex-gf's naughty pics for absolutely free!

Credit goes to superthang at slickdeals:

These coupon codes are only valid for new facebook advertising accounts. I do not get anything for sharing these coupons, they are not tied to me, and are able to be used an unlimited number of times through January 31st with the credits being good for varying amounts of time. I hope you enjoy!

1) Create a facebook account if you do not have one already.
2) Login to your facebook account, then click the “Advertising” link from the bottom of the page. Create an ad and later you’ll able to change the daily budget and CPC. You’ll need a credit card here in order to confirm your account. If you don't plan on paying any extra, I recommend using a credit card where you can create a secure temporary online credit card, so they can't charge you after you run out of funds. Advertising will draw from your coupons completely before charging your card.
3) After creating the advertising account and getting the “Congratulations Message”, click “Funding Sources” > Click “Enter Coupon Code”
4) Enter these coupon codes one at a time. Enter a coupon and wait for success message, then enter another.
1652-YMF5-23XX-CM66
EVCT-54YH-K1V8-EKE1
TE8Y-46T7-NCRE-JX3C
EXEX-4P47-38JX-4W20
8CH1-5VW1-Y96N-2P94
XXWW-7JVC-3FH6-R61T
053K-H148-T1PE-98NC
21VT-RRNM-8RWN-2X1C
FCK0-T70X-HME3-FJ6C
6myh-2rv3-2ce2-f63c
5) Go to http://www.new.facebook.com/apps/...4249628048
6) Click “Go to Application” > Click “Allow”
7) Submit your brief profile info. Use the same email address that you used for your facebook account.
8) Check the email for coupon code.
9) Enter the coupon to your advertising account following the same step as previous (Another $100 to take your total to $350).

The only hitch is that by signing up for the last link, you're letting the Visa Business network explore your facebook habits, but I figure facebook already know my facebook habits, so it's not muchh of a difference.

I just followed these steps and created an ad for none other than this site itself. Good luck! Just as an interesting experiment, if you create an ad, reply on here, and let's see if we see each others ads!

Free Sam's Club membership

2009-01-18T11:54:00.007-05:00

Haven't you always had a burning desire to shop at Sam's club, but you never did because you didn't want to pay the membership fee? Me neither. But if you do have a big family or buy a lot of stuff in bulk, here's your chance.

Credit goes to mikedealio over at slickdeals:

College students can get $40 in gift cards for purchasing a $40 membership. College students automatically get $15 back in a giftcard for purchasing a new membership. Also, between the 15th and the 21st, Sam's club is offering $25 back in a gift card for new members. I just went to Sam's club and I got a $40 gift card back for getting the membership $40 (Champaign, IL).
http://www.samsclubmemberservices...010609.pdf)

http://www.samsclub.com/shopping/navigate.do?catg=12100&iid=TDM|College|CollegeMemb ership

You need an .edu email address to take advantage of this. I am assuming that means if you can pass for a college student and get an .edu address, you qualify. Another benefit is that you can actually get two 1 year memberships using the same email account.

Some have had trouble stacking the deals together, so if at first you don't succeed, go the first day and get $25 off the normal membership, then go back later and say you just found out about the $15.

Edit: This deal has expired, but you can get a free 60 day trial membership to BJ's Warehouse Club. Click here to read more.

Don't be a Sucker for Circuit City while Drinking Your Juice in da Hood

2009-01-18T10:50:00.004-05:00

Circuit City made the news this weekend since they're going into liquidation, but here's some news that you won't hear too much. Liquidations sales are for suckers. Check out this video.

If your attention span is shorter than a chicken's the main gist is this.
Liquidation sales are run by liquidators, not the actual stores, so they jack up prices first to think you're getting a great discount when in fact, you may be paying more than what the items was priced just a week ago.

If, however, you are still bent on shopping at the zoo they used to call Circuit City, here's some tips courtesy of a stingy investigator fapri over on Slickdeals who watched the evolution of sales as his Circuit City closed in Phoenix earlier.

The first 2 weeks are crap sales. Better leave it alone. What you can consider buying the first 2 weeks are NEWLY released items because they aren't discounted in other stores anyway. Especially those from premium brands.

Don't expect to buy a computer/laptop. they won't ever be priced reasonably. Even in its final days, it was only down to like 30% from regular inflated price.

They tend to drop prices weekly. It's an exercise of restraint. "Should i get this now?" "Will it still be here next week?" These are the questions you're gonna find yourself asking if you see something you like.
One of the first items to get discounted heavily is the entire networking division. If you have a need, look out for these guys, they drop them steep early.

Other notables:
- Lookout for home theater equipment deals such as receivers and speakers. They tend to go 50% off about midway through.
- In the market for a headset? There's a plantronic headset(key feature: the mic swivels up to a hiding spot/has a dolby digital decoder) which retails for $100 elsewhere and will go down to about $50 or less(depending on who snaps it up quickly) about 2/3 through the sale. This headset in particular doesn't get discounted heavily(if at all) anywhere else. This is your best bet to get it discounted.
- Hard drives! for like the first 3/4 of the "sale", ignore them. They won't get any discount at all(10-15% only, from regular price, which is too high even for other store's regular price). They start falling after that. in particular, look for portable hard drives. You can get 50% or more off towards its last days.
- Cds! tops off around 60% off towards the end. Also, rap/jazz/country/blues are the ones that get discounted first.
- Look out for logitech harmony remotes. This is a tricky one since most stores aren't well-stocked with these anyway.

Yeah, you can tell I went to my CC every week before they finally closed.

Points to remember:
- ALL SALES ARE FINAL!!! NO RETURNS NO EXCHANGES!
- Don't ever buy anything on your first trip there. Go home, look up the prices and compare. Don't get carried away. Don't feel bad for the company, they didn't feel bad taking more money than they should from you anyway. So you're just returning the favor.
- If there are still 3 of them on the shelf, and its not a particularly hot item(say home theater speakers), wait a week, there's a big chance it will still be there with a bigger discount.
- Scout out neighboring stores for items you missed out on. By this time there's no more point in asking for inventory checks to neighboring stores.
- Consider buying open box/display items. You get a teeny-weeny bit more discount getting them. But not much. Good only if its the absolute last item everywhere.
- REMEMBER ALL DISCOUNTS ARE TAKEN OFF OF REGULAR PRICE!!! And their regular price can be very very tricky to find at times. Most items won't have a tag saying how much they really were. Most of the time, there would just be a sign overhead saying "X% OFF".
- DOUBLE CHECK YOUR DISCOUNTS BEFORE FINALIZING PAYMENT!!! A lot of times, their system doesn't reflect the discounts in the tags. You have to ask them specifically how much the item rang up(they will only tell you your total). Then they will tell you how much it rang up. Then (be calm) explain to them its supposed to be X% off. If you've had pleasant experience with CC before, now's the time they ruin it for you. Depending on the cashier, they can be annoying to really rude. Prepare to do battle. I was actually asked one time "can you prove it?" so i walked back and took the tag from the shelf. That silenced them up. Now if you ask nicely, or you're a likable enough person, they might volunteer looking it up in the website for you(which they can do, but most of them are just too pissed off with their corporate office to do it).

Save gas, save money, save your wits - don't go to these things because you think you're going to get a great deal. You'll more than likely come back empty handed, or worse, a sucker.

Double Cash Back Monday

2008-12-14T21:41:00.003-05:00

FYI, it's Double Cash Back Monday at Ebates. For those of you who want to get your Christmas shopping done online, it'll soon be too late to get stuff shipped in on time for Christmas, Hannukah, Kwanza - or any variation on the themes above which you celebrate - so get your shopping done tomorrow, and take advantage of Cash Back at Ebates as well as some of our other fine Cash Back sites.

(And just a reminder, when you sign up at Ebates, you get a $5 bonus when you sign up!)

Live Cashback tips

2008-11-23T20:57:00.007-05:00

Using Live Search, it has been possible to get cashback on certain products for some time now. Most notably, eBay has offered some very high cash back rates, and they are currently offering 25% cash back on "Buy It Now" items. Now what makes this interesting is that some people have begun selling gift cards on eBay for greater than the price of the card itself - for example a $500 card for $550. If you make 25% cash back on that $550, you end up with $137.50 back, so you only pay $412.50 for a $500 card, the seller makes a profit, and you both win! What makes it even sweeter is that when you buy something using "Buy It Now" on eBay, you'll get another 25% off that item, and you're paying for it with a gift card that you got for less than face value! Perhaps this is too good to be true, and it may end pretty quickly if it catches on too much, but if you're going to be doing any Christmas shopping on eBay, or anywhere else that has gift cards for that matter, it's not a bad way to get some gift cards at a discount.

For those of you afraid that eBay is going to come after your a** like convicts over Ted Stevens' pale Alaskan hide, then there is a little less sneaky way, and you even get to save on gas. First, you can buy eBay gift cards at Kroger using a credit card that offers 5% cashback at grocery stores. You can do a quick search on the internet, but a fellow blogger also has a nice article over here on some cards which offer that deal. So I essentially spent $47.50 for a $50 card. Now Kroger has a deal where if you spend $100 on groceries, you get $0.10 off/gallon of gas at the stores with a gas station attached OR the same deal applies if you buy $50 in gift cards! Then, you use that same card which offers that 5% cash back on groceries and gas to pay for your gas, and voila, you save 30% (25% live cashback + 5% credit card cash back) at eBay and $0.10 off/gallon + 5% cash back on that gas! Not a bad deal if you are gonna be shopping at Kroger anyways, and that Kroger happens to have an attached gas station. Sorry if I am a little excited about this deal, but they don't call me the Stingy Student for nothing :-)

Discover Student Loans 0% Origination Fees

2008-07-13T12:30:00.006-04:00

"Back when I was your age, student loan lenders would provide loans charging no origination fee or guarantor fee!" It looks like that's what we may be telling our children and grandchildren when they choose to go to college.

Because of changes in the student loan industry along with the mortgage crisis, many banks are folding out of the student loan industry altogether. When big players like T.H.C. are calling it quits, you know there are going to be some changes.

Many college and graduate students rely on Stafford loans to help them get by. The low interest on the unsubsidized along with the subsidized Stafford loans help students afford an education without being overly indebted due to interest payments. However, with the recent changes, many banks have switched from 0% origination fee and 0% guarantor fee - to a 1% charge for each for the upcoming 2008-2009 school year. When you're talking about a $10k loan, that's $200 instantly out of your pocket - that could pay for an entire biology textbook! (or more)

Searching far and wide, the only bank I've found that now offers 0% origination fees and guarantor fees for Stafford loans is Discovery Student Loans. When I emailed my choice to my financial aid office, one of the loan counselors was wondering why I had decided this one because she had never heard of it in her years as a loan counselor. It's true, Discovery Student Loans is part of Discovery Financial Services, which spun off Morgan Stanley just last year, so they are new to the student loan industry.

Trying to do some more research, I called the company to explain my worries about the student loan market and why they think they will be able to withstand the downturn in the economy. As they explained it, they are not tied up in the mortgage industry since most of their funding is tied to credit cards. Although I don't claim to know much about Wall Street, their 2nd quarter profits were higher than expected, they are expanding into China, and they were ranked among the top 100 workplaces for IT professionals, so I believe they are all good signs for the company.

In the end, I went with Discover Student Loans. I figure the positives far outweigh the possible risks. If they decide to pull out of the student loan industry, at least my loans are good for this coming year, and the chance that I may have to switch lenders is a small inconvenience for the fact that I could save a couple hundred dollars.

Related topic - Never pay off student loans early!

An apology for the former readers: Sorry it's been a long time since I posted, and I probably won't be able to post as often unless I find something very important, but I'll try to post more often than once a year ;-)

Costliest mistake

2007-07-29T17:53:00.000-04:00

Most everyone has had a time where they made a mistake that cost them quite a bit financially. I had one this summer on my flight back to the States. Here is the unabridged account.

I arrive at my hostel on Wednesday afternoon for my flight that leaves the following morning. I decide to stay in the town about an hour from the airport because it's in a nicer place than the actual airport, and cheap shuttle services are offered straight to the airport. That afternoon, I reserve a place in a shuttle that leaves at 4 AM (gotta get to the airport at 5 since it's an international flight), and everything's set.

I go hang out with a friend to enjoy my last night in that country, and I call it an early night, so I can get up early the next morning. I set my alarm, and set it on a table a bit aways from my bed to make sure that I get up out of my bed instead of just hitting snooze from the comfortable position of my sheets. The alarm I've relied on for the four weeks I've been in this country is the alarm on a watch I got from Walgreen's before I left - of course the cheapest watch I could find.

Thursday morning, I wake up to light.... that's not good, it shouldn't be light at 4 in the morning. I check my watch, and it's in fact 6, and with the rush hour, I know that there's no chance I can get to the airport in time unless I had a private helicopter, which I doubt exists in this third-world country. I arrive at the airport late, and I discover that there are no more flights for the day through Spirit, the airline on which I booked my ticket. Their flight for Friday is all sold out, but I could catch a flight on Saturday night for under $200. Unfortunately, I have to be back by Saturday afternoon, so this flight won't work. My only option appears to be Delta, which flies directly to Atlanta, where I need to be, but this sets me back quite a bit more. There's not much more I can do, so I pay the price, and I chalk it up as a lesson learned.

What kept eating at me during this misadventure was why I didn't wake up in time. I think it was because the alarm on my watch was pretty weak, and I placed it far away, so it just wasn't loud enough to wake me up. Looking back, if I had only spent an extra $5-10 on a real alarm, I most definitely would not have missed my flight. In this case, my biggest mistake was not that I didn't wake up early, but that I didn't spend an extra few bucks to buy a real alarm. It's like when two people are bumping uglies - the mistake isn't the act, it's if you're too cheap to buy a condom.

And the cost of my mistake? Quite fittingly, $666.

What's been your most expensive mistake?

Back in the USA

2007-07-29T17:34:00.001-04:00

After my summer of adventure and misadventure, I'm finally back to a relatively regular schedule, and hope to write once again. I hadn't checked my email for a few weeks, but I noticed I received a couple of offers for advertisements on my site. I've expressed my opinion on advertising previously.

One of them was for an online payday loan advance. Despite the perceived convenience it offers, I argue that it only leads to more irresponsible spending and lax budgeting by individuals. My inner libertarian, if I had one, would disagree, but then again, I don't have one.

Here's the email:

Dear Sir/Madam,After visiting http://stingystudents.blogspot.com/, our company, would be interested in an advertisement on your site. We provide consumers a safe and easy way to apply for payday loans online. Our advertisement format is generally 15 words long and it will contain two to three text links, which we provide. Please let us know how much your site would charge for an ad of this size.
We look forward to your reply and the opportunity to work with you.

To which I replied:

The cost for advertising on my site for a payday loan business is $10,000/yr.

If for some crazy reason they do bite, at least I can give it away to some sort of financial literacy programs.

Places to go, People to See, Things to Do

2007-05-31T19:03:00.000-04:00

Now you're there, now what? Well for one, if you're in a foreign country, you may need to be able to communicate. The best way to learn a language is by being totally immersed while you're there, but you get even more out of it if you study some before you go. Here are my favorite resources for foreign language study:

LanguageGuide.org - This site has 11 languages you can learn, and the great part is the audio clips that help you learn the correct pronunciation. Of course, this is all free.

FSI Language Courses - Developed by the US government to train those in foreign service positions, these courses from the Foreign Service Institute are top notch. Although the resources may vary depending on the language, they have an impressive collection of resources for 22 languages.

Open Culture - This site has a list of podcasts that help you learn a language from the convenience of your very own iPod. I have only looked at the Spanish ones, and they were hit or miss, but it's a nice site if you like the idea of learning from your iPod.

Once you're there, you can take classes for whatever language you need. If you're looking to learn Spanish, a good place to start is 123teachme. They have an extensive list of schools in many Latin American countries, and people review ones they have been to, so you get a good idea of which are the better schools.

Now you're gotten there, found a place to stay, and may even speak the language a little. Congratulations. From here one out, just use resources provided previously - such as Lonely Planet and Bootsnall. Here are a list of some other resources you may find to be useful:

Art of Travel - A world traveler who has trekked the globe on the cheap shares how his advice on how to travel cheaply.

GoodtimeBob - You know who to call for a good time. Similar to the above but more emphasis on Latin America.

EGlobalHealth - Even though it may cost you a few bucks to buy medical insurance, it'll save your butt in the long run in case anything ever happens. Find the plan that's right for you.

This concludes this series of travel. I hope you found it informative and find a way to travel without spending as much money as the average tourist.

Previous entries:
Oh, the places you'll go
Flying and Driving
Free lodging

Free lodging

2007-05-31T17:55:00.000-04:00

When you are traveling, a great way to keep costs down is to stay with friends who live in the area. Now, the internet has taken this to the next level. Staying with friendly friends of friends or even random strangers - if you're comfortable doing that. The big 3 when it comes to finding places to stay are these: Couch Surfing, The Hospitality Club, and GlobalFreeloaders.com.

Why would anyone go to such lengths to open up their homes to random strangers? Sometimes, people are genuinely interested in meeting new people or showing people around their town. In colleges, prospective students may stay with current students who volunteer to put them up and show them around the school. This is sort of the post-college version of that. Other times, people may have ulterior motives, but the good thing about these sites is that you can write a review of people you meet, host, or stay with, so others can get a better idea of who this person is.

If you don't feel comfortable doing it that way, there's another way you can get free hotel stays. FreeTraveling.com lists mistakes or hotel rooms you can book for free by taking advantage of the TripRewards best rate guarantee. While the city where you need to stay may not be on the list, it is free after all. In turn, you could even make a trip out of going to cities where you can stay for free. As with many things, flexibility in your itinerary will allow you to get the best deals.

Next up: learn the language

Flying and Driving

2007-05-31T12:32:00.000-04:00

Free flights? No, that's impossible you say. Not exactly. In addition to signing up for airline credit cards, I mentioned a while back how you can earn free miles. Out of the resources I mentioned, I'll mention this site again: Free Frequent Flyer Miles. This deceptively simple site has more information that you can shake a stick at. Its presented in a clear and informative matter and covers almost all the airlines.

Let all of these miles accumulate and BAM! you have a free ticket.

Second best, although not always available, are buddy passes. If you know of anyone or anyone's parents who work for an airline, there is a good chance that they get tickets for a heavy discount - I'm talking heavy like a Krispy Kreme burger. Just schmooze them up and perhaps they'll slip into your possession.

If, however, you are like most of us and neither of these opportunities are available, then you're going to have to cough up some (or lots of) change. ProBargainHunter has created an extensive list of sites which compare airfares from most major companies, and I can't do much better, so I'll refer you there. However, I will add that, I found Kayak and ITA to have the most accurate and up-to-date search results. I also liked FareCompare the best out of the services that notify you when prices drop.

If you are following the open road, then there is a pretty easy, albeit unconventional way to do it for free (and if you're over 23). You can fill in a form at Auto Driveway and see the list of cars that are available from wherever you are leaving. Your destination may not be exactly where you want to go, but there's no point in a roadtrip if you don't take some random detours, right? They generally pay for most if not all of your gas, and you get to take a certain amount of time to complete your trip, so although it's not extremely leisurely, it's not that grueling either. Beggars can't be choosers, right?

Even more unconventional would be hopping on a train - no, not an Amtrak, but more like hobo style. I've wanted to do this, but I still need to do some more research, and I'll post if I ever get around to trying it out.

Coming up next: lodging

Update: I forgot to mention these two, but they have been making some headlines recently. Yapta (Your Amazing Personal Travel Assistant) allows you to track airline ticket prices. What's more you can download a program, and if you buy a ticket, you can tag the itinerary. If the price of that ticket becomes lower, it will let you know, so you can call the airline and get refunded the difference.

Another new concept comes via Skybus. This carrier flies out of Columbus, OH, and they began offering $10 seats. They are a bare minimum carrier, meaning you basically get a seat, and if you want extra amenities, you have to pay for them, but for the budget traveler, this can be a great deal. Another way they keep their costs low is by going to smaller airports close to the major cities instead of the major airports themselves. I think the verdict is still out on them, but these two are both exciting opportunities to travel cheaply.

Oh, the places you'll go

2007-05-30T22:47:00.000-04:00

This is part one of a series of articles about free or cheap travel. I'll try to complete this in the next couple of days, so keep coming back for more!

The time has come upon us. Summer time that is. The time for scantily clad babes in bikinis (or less) sitting on the beaches of Bimini or the backpacking trip across Europe or the All-American cross country road trip. These have become a rite of passage of sorts for students of our generation - at least those of us willing to sacrifice an opportunity to make money in order to take advantage of the long summers only students get to enjoy.

Despite the fact that you're probably going to have to spend money (unless you luck out and manage to find a job where you go), there are many ways in which this can be accomplished in the stingy student manner.

But before we get started, first thing is first. Where are you going to go? There are many good resources, but my favorite guidebook is the Lonely Planet series. They have a free online forum called the Thorn Tree where travelers can post updates on certain locations, discuss topics, and even plan to meet up with fellow travelers. I wouldn't recommend buying a book until you decide where to go. Just go to your friendly neighborhood bookstore and peruse the pages for free! Another good resource that a well-traveled friend of mine recommends is BootnAll. It's kind of your one-stop shop - you can book plane tickets, tours, hostels, and there's a wealth of other information.

So, now you've decided. Or perhaps you can't decide. Contrary to popular belief, the earth does not end at the edge of some infinite abyss, but you can go around the whole thing. In fact, a friend of mine is doing just that - the round the world trip. A number of companies offer the round the world ticket, and if you google it, you get a number of results.

While the ticket price overall is a good deal, for someone as cheap as myself, I find the cost to be prohibitively expensive (over $2000). If you're interested, however, Wikitravel and Bootsnall may be good places to start.

If, on the other hand, you just wish they all could be California girls, then perhaps a cross country road trip is right down your alley. Hop in a van with a few friends who you probably won't hate by the end of the trip, pack up some tents, coolers, and non-perishable food items and head whichever direction the roads may take you.

My personal favorite, kind of a compromise between the two is Central or South America. You can sleep, travel, and eat at a fraction of the cost it would require to travel in Europe and even the US. There are many good deals on airfare going to these countries. And you can even increase your employment prospects once you leave school by learning Spanish while you are there!

Up next: airfare and traveling

Carnival and Festival Time

2007-05-30T22:41:00.000-04:00

Yours truly (as in me) is taking part in this week's editions of the Carnival of Personal Finance, hosted by Money $mart Life and the Festival of Frugality hosted by Blogging Away Debt. Check out the other great articles!

The Sunday Paper #7

2007-05-27T12:30:00.000-04:00

This will be the last edition of the Sunday Paper for a while because I'll be taking a couple months long hiatus starting next weekend. I'll try and write a few more posts before I leave, particularly concerning summer travels and travails, so check back later this week. Without further ado, this week's Sunday Paper

Single Ma's Fabulous Financials discusses the difficulties faced when the Governor of Oregon spent a week eating on $3 a day, which is equivalent to the amount a typical food stamp recipient receives. I would have to agree with her assessment that people can eat pretty darn well off of food stamps. It's funny because one of my friends is on food stamps from Oregon, and he too would agree that it supplies him pretty well, despite the fact that he only weighs about 120-130 (but he has a high metabolism). Ridiculous that some people can get a show based on spending only $40 a day.

Raising4boys.com has a list of free or cheap summer movies for kids. I'm still a kid at heart.

Binary Dollar sells his body for money. I on the other hand, will work for even less, free food keeps me happy enough.

Mighty Bargain Hunter asks how much gas prices will have to increase for consumers to change their habits (excluding picking your nose and biting your nails, preferably not in that order). Sadly, rising gas prices takes a greater toll on the poorer segments of society, so they're going to be the ones who won't be able to afford to drive to work, etc.

Boston Gal's Open Wallet presents a story of people printing their own currency in western Massachusetts. That's a really cool idea, and given that we aren't on the gold standard no mo', it strikes me as a little more secure than the paper the rest of us carry around, pretending they have real value.

Frugal For Life showcases a pretty novel product that gives her free AC! I've also heard that those big house fans (I don't know what you call them) in older homes do the same thing, but I'm not quite sure how they work. If anyone is less lazy than me and would like to wiki it, post a reply here.

Get Rich Slowly explains how to care for your credit score. I just had to include this one because one of my friends called me about a week ago asking if he should cancel his credit card because he doesn't use it anymore. The answer? Hell no! Read GRS's entry to see why.

That's it for now. Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

Throwing Away Money

2007-05-21T10:40:00.000-04:00

Who throws away money? And I don't mean in the figurative sense such as "flushing money down the drain" or "burning a hole in your wallet," I mean literally.

I had the opportunity to head back to the Atlanta area a few days ago, and I was lucky enough to be there during one of my favorite times of year - move out time. My friend and I dutifully went dumpster diving to see what we could drag in, and part of my haul was a container filled with change. I just counted it to see, and it is well over $10 in change. Perhaps that's "chump change" to some people, but for me, that's a couple of meals, no small matter for a student living on loans.

When did change become so useless that people just throw it away? Is it that hard to go to the grocery store and get it changed by the Coinstar machine? Then again, perhaps I'm the weird one. I pick up any loose change I see on the ground. I also hate seeing things thrown away - right now, I'm even wearing a pair of boxers with a hole in the perineal region because they're so old. You can see why I become so flustered by the fact that change actually gets thrown away.

What are your views? Do you stoop and pick up the penny or do you not mind when you drop some change here and there?