The Broke Student's Guide

Paid-To Spotlight: Swagbucks

2014-05-09T17:28:00.000-07:00

If you've read my blog for a while, you know by now that I am a huge fan of paid-to sites. Click here to read an overview about Paid-To Sites, and be sure to read the posts I've made about SendEarnings, TreasureTrooper, and MyPoints. Today I'm writing about a point-based site (much like MyPoints) that pays out in gift cards and rewards. Today's Paid-To Spotlight is Swagbucks!

Swagbucks has a lot of easy ways to earn "Swag Bucks," or points that are redeemable for gift cards and prizes in the "Swag Store." To the left is a screenshot of the list of options available for earning SwagBucks, nicknamed SB. Most of them are self explanatory. Here is a quick rundown of each:
- Coupons give you SB for printing and redeeming grocery coupons
- Daily Deals is essentially SB for shopping sponsored sales
- Daily Polls is a fun little poll for SwagBucks members to vote in every day for 1 easy SB
- Games is a place to play games and earn SB
- NOSO is a "No Obligation Special Offers" path that gives you 2SB daily just for clicking through it
- Search is a SwagBucks-sponsored search engine that pays SB randomly for using it to search (there is also a toolbar for this purpose). This is an excellent way to get easy SB - search at least once a day!
- Special Offers are offers from sponsors that you can complete for SB, such as watching advertisements, signing up for newsletters or even purchasing a free Netflix trial.
- Swagbucks TV has short ad-supported clips about various topics that pay you SB for watching them; you will get 3SB once you watch 10 videos! (You don't actually have to watch the entire video - it should credit in the first minute or so)
- Tasks are basically random un-skilled internet jobs that you complete for SB such as Image Searching certain objects, confirming addresses, identifying blurry pictures, or typing descriptions of images. You can complete as many as you like for SB.
- Trade In enables you to recycle various items (Cell phones, games & consoles and books) in exchange for SB
- Trusted Surveys are sponsored market research surveys that pay you SB for completing them. You receive 1 SB daily just for viewing your available surveys.
-Invite & Earn *NEW FEATURE ALERT* Gives you 1sb just for inviting someone from twitter, facebook or other social networking sites to join Swagbucks!

Of these, there are 5 that you can complete daily for quick SB.

1. Download the SwagBucks toolbar for your browser. Every day that you use the browser, you earn 1SB just for loading the toolbar.
2. Earn 1SB each day by voting in the Daily Poll
3. Earn 1SB just for checking the Trusted Survey dashboard each day
4. Earn 2SB daily by clicking through the NOSO - just keep clicking "next" or "skip offer" until you reach the end of the path to collect your 2SB.

5 . Earn 1SB Daily by inviting at least 1 person to join Swagbucks using the "Invite & Earn" feature.

Total: 6 SB per day, aka 180 SB per month!

If you do those every day - it takes about 10 seconds total - along with a couple of searches each day using the SwagBucks search engine, maybe a survey or 2 a month, watch a view video ads .... it adds up FAST and you'll start to see why SwagBucks is one of the top 5 most popular paid-

to sites. It takes 450SB to get one $5 Amazon Gift Card, and it took me 2 months exactly to reach that level doing basically the bare minimum with those 5 SB per day, plus about 5 referrals that I got through Facebook. Pro Tip: One of th e best ways to earn SB is using the Search feature - just type in search terms until you win! Searching can win you anywhere from 5-50 Swagbucks at once!

Oh, but I forgot one of the best features. Swag Codes. If you follow SwagBucks on Facebook and Twitter you will occasionally get codes worth SwagBucks - or links to their blog entries with codes worth SB. You can also find codes using the "Swidget" - on the right hand side of my blog! Click "Codes" to see if there is an active code. If you find a code - it typically looks something like "MadeUpSwagCodeX195" - copy and paste it into the "Enter your Swag Code" box on the homepage and click GIMME! They expire quickly, so get 'em while you can whenever you see them! There is usually one per day, and they are typically worth around 3-8 SB. So if you check online every day for those codes, you could get around another 150 SB per month. If you just completed a couple of offers and surveys on top of that, you could easily get a $5 Amazon Gift Card per month - MINIMUM. The average SB user, from what I've gleaned off their facebook page, typically earns a $5 Amazon Gift card every two weeks.

So... let's go down the checklist. Confirmed legit? Check. Easy to earn rewards with minimal effort? Check. Um.... that's all I need to be convinced! If you want to read more about the site and how to get the most out of it, click here: http://swagbucks.com/g/tips

Ok. Ready to join? Click here to sign up! See you there!

Looking for Writers: Be a Broke Student Guide for your campus!

2013-03-01T12:51:00.000-08:00

So, I'm graduating in 2 weeks. Officially, I won't be a Broke Student anymore. And although I will still update and continue the blog, what I'd really like to do is take on some Broke Student Guides from other campuses to represent their universities while providing meaningful content for the blog that is relevant and useful for the blog's readership. Sound like something you might be able to do? Read on...

As a Broke Student Guide, you'll be representing your university and informing your peers about the best free stuff on your campus. You'll walk around campus and scout out freebies, post about free events, opportunities and more at your campus, and promote the blog at your school. You'll be gaining experience in blogging, social networking, writing, and marketing. You'll get an awesome, stand-out opportunity on your resume (Heck, you could even call it an internship. Plus, you'll get a kickass reference from me if you ever need one!) and a chance to help the blog grow and be a part of its success. As for what's in it for you (um, hello, resume builder??! That's not enough for you??) well, let's just say that the more high-quality entries appear on the blog, the more readers we get, and the more advertisers want to spend money to advertise on the blog. So I can probably toss a couple bucks your way every so often, and as we grow the blog, that will (hopefully) increase. Also, if you discover a good paid-to site or a site that rewards you for referrals, your referral link will be featured in the blog, which can generate lots of rewards! Ultimately, my goal is to get the blog on it's own domain and have it updated solely by interns, kind of like College Fashionista! So think of it as helping out a startup in its early stages of producing revenue.

If any of the following describes you: literate, great at writing helpful and also humorous things, obsessed with saving money and getting free stuff, in college, and someone who would enjoy writing a few entries a month from the comfort of your own home (in your pajamas, at 3am, you know - whatever), please apply! Just send the following to lia(dot)saunders(at)gmail(dot)com:

A writing sample: an example of a blog entry that fits with the content of the Broke Student's Guide, using any category of your choice (see the tags for ideas). Be creative: you can write about anything under the sun as long as it would fit with the theme of the blog (which is helping busy college students save money, essentially.) Feel free to browse through the blog to get a feel for the content and voice of the BSG. If you want to write an entry without links or references, that is fine (those take the most time to find!) I'm just looking to get a feel for your voice and writing style.
A brief statement about why you want to be a BSG, why you'd be the best BSG ever and what you bring to the table, including what kinds of posts you think you'd be the best at writing. Maybe you'd be best at how-tos, maybe you're super pro at finding freebies online, maybe you're awesome at frugal cooking? Maybe all of the things!?
A little bit about you - could be a resume, or just let me know what school you go to, your major, year you graduate, if you've had any similar experience, etc.

I'm also looking for anyone who would like to take charge of marketing, promotion and social networking for the blog. This would entail regularly updating my facebook, twitter, tumblr and any other forms of social media to engage the readership and gain new followers. If that sounds like your thing, email lia(dot)saunders(at)gmail(dot)com with a copy of your resume and a brief explanation of why you'd be the best marketer for the BSG ever, and any samples of social networking and promotion you've got.

Hope to hear from you soon! Please send me an email if you've got any questions.

Want to know about new freebies, samples, deals and money-saving as soon as they happen? Follow The Broke Student's Guide on Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr.

5 Affordable Places to Get Brand/Designer Items

2013-02-28T20:46:00.000-08:00

Northface. Sperry’s. Patagonia. Michael Kors. LL Bean Boots.
Just to name a few.

College campuses all across America have established an unofficial uniform made up of brand name items. Now I’m not saying that everyone’s wearing brand clothing, I’m just saying that you can’t walk past a group of people without seeing some sort of logo. And whether you buy into it or think you don’t want to wear it ‘because everyone else is’, you have to admit that deep down you want a pair of [insert item here] yourself.

The downside though is that they can be expensive. We are broke college kids after all. But luckily for us, there are a few resources to get these goods for cheap.

1. The THRIFT STORE

Thrifting has become popular thanks to Macklemore’s hit song, and for good reason. You can find just about anything at a thrift store- including lightly worn designer goods! I myself have gotten two pairs of Sperry’s, a Banana Republic coat, and a Patagonia jacket for under $20- combined. A quick Google map search for ‘thrift store’ will help you locate nearby shops. Some of them even have membership cards or daily sales events, so watch out for those for extra savings.

2. eBay

Watches, coats, jackets, jewelry- ebay’s got it all AND for about 60% off what you’d normall pay for. Just make sure you keep updated on the bids and double check the item description and return policies to avoid buyers remorse.

But if you’re not a fan of the second hand market, here are cheap options for NEW goods.

3. 6pm.com

Usually when stores overbuy goods and can’t afford to keep them in store long enough to sell them, they send them out to stores like 6pm.com. Items get quickly sold out, but you can get a new pair of Frye boots for about half the price you’d buy from them directly.

4. Hautelook

Hautelook hosts ‘events’ which feature sales that last a few days. They have a few going on at a time and the categories range from clothing to housewares to accessories. You get to create a free account and they’ll send you emails letting you know of events (aka sales). They’ve had designers like Michael Kors and Hunter Boots for around $60!

5. Gilt.com

Gilt is another events site which functions like Hautelook, but they have different items and categories. They’ve had FRYE, M Missoni, Gucci, and more. You’re best bet is to sign up for both of them to get the most options to save.

Don’t let your budget limit your style. With these options, you won’t have to!

My favorite paid-to site is Swagbucks. I earn at least $25 in Amazon Gift cards each and every month! Read more about Swagbucks in this entry. Want to know about new freebies, samples, deals and money-saving as soon as they happen? Follow The Broke Student's Guide on Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr.

Never Pay for Movie Rentals Again

2012-07-25T22:41:00.002-07:00

You heard me! Gone are the days of Blockbuster and $4 movie rentals (though I admit I do miss browsing video stores). You can even consider Redbox fees to be history, because with these few tips you can definitely find movies at no cost!

Beleive it or not, libraries aren't just for taking out books. They're now offering CD's, workout videos, and even DVD's! The best part is that they're totally free, and you usually get to borrow them for a week or two, which is SO much better than paying a 1-day late charge. I've been able to rent out Mean Girls, The DaVinci code, and even the Godfather Trilogy from my library, so I'd definitely recommend visiting yours soon! Try to come visit on Monday because that's usually when people have returned their rentals from the weekend.

1. Red BoxEvery now and then, Redbox sends out codes that let you rent a movie for free. But because of social media, many people have access to codes that can be used anytime you visit. The rule is 1 code/credit card (which you still need to swipe incase of late charges), but if you have more than one card, then you can use the same code for each of them!
So three cards + one code = 3 free rentals.It's all about working with the system.
Here are some great sites that you can use to look up codes:redbox.com
If you sign up for their program, they'll send you weekly rental codes!Redboxcodes.com
Current and updated list of valid codes, check often!insideredbox.com Same as above, but some codes might show up at one and not the other, so I'd recommend getting on the list of both!

Just remember to return it my 9pm the next day or you'll end up paying the $1.20 fee!

2. YouTube

To rival popular movie companies like Netflix, YouTube launched their own movie program that let's you watch full length movies. The prices range from a dollar to $4 (the highest I've seen so far), but my favorite section is the 'Free Movies'. And these aren't just some crappy clips - I'm talking FREE, FULL LENGTH MOVIES. They've got Big Daddy, Pineapple Express, as well as a few others that are worth checking out!

3. Your Local Library

Libraries aren't just for studying anymore (given that you've stepped into one lately..) Many now let you 'rent' CD's, workout videos, language learning programs, and even DVD's! Sometimes the selection isn't impressive, but I've been able to find Mean Girls, The Godfather Trilogy, as well as a few other popular titles, so it's all a matter of timing. I'd recommend going on Mondays and Tuesdays, which is when people have returned their movie rentals from the weekend. On top of being absolutely free, the other benefit is that you usually get to keep then for a week or two, which gives you plenty of time to rehearse those Mean Girls quotes.

5 Dorm Deals for Under $10

2012-07-23T00:36:00.001-07:00

A big part of being a broke college student is, well, being broke.
But that doesn't mean you have to miss out on some great dorm gear, especially if it's at a pretty good price!
I've rounded up 5 items that'll help you get through the year, and the best part is that they're all under $10!

1. Kikkerland USB Hubman - $9.99

A great accessory for your laptop, the USB Hubman provides extra USB ports for in your room or on the go. That allows you to plug in your hardrive, iPod, phone, and others at the same time, saving both time and space. Plus, he's just darn cute.

2. 72 Pocket Hanging Organizer - $8.45 + shipping

This item is a great way to organize, and I'd definitely recommend investing in one. It can store all your earrings, bracelets, and necklaces in a handy organizer that fits in perfectly to your closet. And considering most dorms (especially at VT) are smaller than jail cells, that's even more of a reason to buy.

3. Set of 10 Microwave Safe Containers - $5.99

Great for leftovers or just storage. The best part is that it's microwave safe, so hopefully you won't be starting any fires.

4. Two Desktop Cellphone Holders - $4.99

A great way to keep your phone safe!
I also want to metion that I lose my phone almost everday - I swear I'd be JUST using it - so having these on my desk gives me a secure place to keep them. It also comes in a 2 pack, which could make for a great welcome/housewarming present for your room mate!

5. Table Top Ironing Board - $7.59

You'll definitely have dates, interviews, or both at one point in college, and you NEVER want to show up with a wrinkled shirt. A table top ironing board will get you looking slick in no time, and using almost no space.

Table not included.

Pssckk... Ashley to BSG readers...psscckk

2012-07-22T23:41:00.001-07:00

Not sure how well you heard it over the internet, but that was suppose to be a walkie-talkie noise.

My name is Ashley Baboota, and after an extensive interview that consisted of exactly three emails, a treasure hunt through my computer files, and a few weeks of waiting to see where on earth Lia was, I am finally able to say that I'll be one of your new BSG bloggers!

I'll be attending Virginia Tech in the fall [go Hokies!], but hopefully my tips will apply to broke college students all around America...except you Cavaliers out there.

Just kidding.

I am personally interested in freebies, DIY projects, and traveling so definitely expect tips relating to those!

Freebies of the week 7/7/12! Tea, music, condoms, and more!

2012-07-05T13:08:00.010-07:00

Hey all! My apologies for the break in updates. I just graduated from college and moved across the country (to San Francisco!), so I've been all kinds of busy and away from the computer. While I'm not technically a broke student guide anymore, I'm going to continue updating - but I'm really searching for Broke Student Guides to represent their universities! If you're pro at being frugal, like to write and need something awesome to put on your resume, you definitely want to check this out. Now, back to your regularly scheduled freebies!

FREE Sample Bodycology Wild Poppy Nourishing Body Cream Click Here

FREE Starbucks K-Cup Packs Click Here

FREE Tea at McAllister's Deli on July 26!

FREE Shout Color Catcher Cli

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FREE 60-Day Trial Membership to BJ's (a wholesale retailer like Costco) Click Here

FREE One-Year Membership to Ebony Click Here

FREE Sample of Heinz Squeeze-N-Stir Soup Click Here

FREE Gillette Venus Razor (UK only) Click Here

FREE Vitanity drink mix sample. Choose your own flavors and health benefits! Click Here

FREE 10 song summer playlist download. Artists include The Band Perry and Feist. Offer is available on iTunes through 8/31/12. Click Here

FREE 60-minute workout playlist downloads from Secret. There are 3 available: low intensity, moderate intensity and high intensity. Click Here

FREE Vans 2012 Warped Tour 34-song playlist download! Click Here

FREE Sample Packets of Mrs. Dash Original Blend seasoning. Click Here

FREE Lipton Mango Pineapple Iced Green Tea Sample. Click Here

FREE Garnier Fructis Fall Fight Shampoo & Conditioner sample! Click Here

FREE Sebamed Facial Wash Sample. Click Here

FREE sample of Find Your Bliss Shower Gel and Body Butter. Click Here

FREE SKYN condom sample. Click Here

FREE Gas-X Thin Strips Sample. Click Here

FREE sample of L’Oreal EverPure Shampoo & Conditioner. Click Here

FREE sample of BiPro Whey Protein. Click Here

FREE Sample of VPlesnish Vitamin Boost. Click Here (Orange box in the upper righthand corner!)

Packing Tips & Tricks: Save Money and Time on your Move

2012-05-07T08:04:00.000-07:00

The end of the semester is here! No more finals, no more books, no more all nighters .... at least, for a few months maybe. For a lot of us, that means it's time for the dreaded move. Whether you're just packing up your dorm room and it fits into the back of your car (lucky) or you're packing up your entire life and moving it across the country (that's me at the moment) packing can be a daunting, not to mention expensive, task. These tips will help you learn how to save money AND time on your move!

Before you pack, get rid of EVERYTHING you don't need. For clothing, if you haven't worn it in over a year, donate it to Goodwill (just drop it off - it's super easy.) If it's cute and in good condition, try Plato's Closet - they'll also take shoes, bathing suits, jewelry, DVDs, home furnishings, and even some bath stuff. For random junk, add it to your Goodwill pile. If it's too big to move or you'd rather give it away to someone, post it on your local Freecycle or your local Craigslist "Free" section. As you're packing, put everything you don't want or no longer use in a pile, and then either donate it to Goodwill or post it on Freecycle for immediate pick up. Of course, if it's trash, throw it away!

Paper is heavy - limit the amount you pack. We've all had times where we save a semester's worth of notes "just in case." Maybe we didn't want to throw away the ridiculous amount of notes we'd slaved over, or maybe we thought we might look back on them later. Well, no one ever looks back at their notes from college classes. Recycle your notes. Keep your textbook if it might be useful for a future class or your career, or better yet, sell that too (try Amazon or your local campus bookstore buy-pack program). Magazines are the worst of all - they are SO heavy and somehow I always seem to accumulate so many of them! Get rid of magazines by donating them to the campus fitness center, a doctor's office, a school or daycare center (for crafts!), the local library, putting them outside your door with a sign marked FREE! TAKE SOME! or just list them on Freecycle for pickup. Or, of course, recycle them!

Don't pack food unless it can honestly be used after the move. Try to limit your grocery shopping to the bare minimum in the month before your move, and when you're packing, only include pantry items that will be useful after the move, particularly if your stuff will be in storage or you'll be eating someone else's groceries all summer long. Canned items are good contenders for packing, but they're super heavy, so eat those up if you can! Also consider the chance that the food may attract bugs, so pack it in heavy duty plastic and seal it well.

Have plenty of packing supplies on hand. You'll need boxes, tape, scissors, a permanent marker, garbage bags, and something to pad items out, such as bubble wrap, empty shopping bags, towels and linens, or other fabric. You can certainly pay money to get boxes, but I prefer to ask at a grocery store or even at a dorm or cafeteria if I can have some of their boxes. Check if there's a cardboard recycling center on campus or nearby to score even more boxes! At Indiana University, there is a cardboard recycling bin behind Collins LLC.

Look how much FUN they're having! Yay moving!

Pack like items together and label the boxes. Hopefully the items will be near one another to make that easier, but if not, gather them all into the same box - such as "Kitchen," "Shoes," "Desk/Office," "Crafts," "School Supplies" and so on. It'll save you time when you unpack and make your life easier. Label the boxes with a permanent marker after you're done.

Play Tetris with your stuff, but fill the crevices and gaps with socks. Try to fit things together in boxes as best as you can - big stuff on bottom, small stuff inside of big stuff and everything sort of Tetrised together. But of course your stuff isn't perfectly shaped to fit together, so fill in the gaps between items with socks. Doesn't have to be socks - dish towels, underwear, or anything else small and made of fabric will work well too. This will help pad everything out so that it doesn't shift, move and potentially break during the moving process. Plus, you won't have to pack your socks later!

Keep a box or suitcase to the side with stuff you'll need immediately. Some clothes, toiletries, and whatever else you might find yourself living off of for a little while will be very useful after you get moved and all of your stuff is neatly packed away.

Wrap all fragile items in paper, bubble wrap, shopping bags or fabric. Moving can be rough on fragile items such as plates or framed pictures, so wrap them well before putting them into a box. Use newsprint or other paper, bubble wrap, plastic grocery bags or fabric such as towels or even clothes to wrap and protect each fragile item before placing it into a box.

Choose the most cost efficient moving solution. If you can carry all of your stuff to your car, fit it in your car and drive it yourself, that's going to be your best bet. But for the rest of us, you might want to look into renting a truck or van (or having a parent rent it for you), or even a U-Haul. If you can't carry the boxes yourself, post on your campus classifieds or possibly Craigslist to find someone willing to help you move for pay - $20 an hour or a $100 flat fee should be sufficient. Or ask your strongest friends to help you out. Hiring professional movers is the easiest way to move, but the most costly. If you hire professional movers, remember that they are being paid by the hour, so make sure you're fully packed BEFORE they arrive, and everything is ready to go to be as quick and efficient as possible and save you money.

Did I miss something? Do you have a foolproof packing tip I should know about? Post it in the comments!

Want to know about new freebies, samples, deals and money-saving as soon as they happen? Follow The Broke Student's Guide on Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr.

Broke Student Kitchen: Tuna Burgers, Mac & Cheese, Slow Cookers

2012-04-25T08:34:00.002-07:00

This week on Broke Student Kitchen, we will discover the amazing world of tuna burgers, mac & cheese, and slow cookers. That last one isn't a recipe, technically, but it's pretty awesome and involves food, so just go with it. Anyway: first up, Tuna Burgers!

Tuna Burgers
Ever had a crab cake? This is like that, except mad cheap and super easy to make! These burgers are flaky and delicious, and DON'T taste like a tuna fish sandwich. (Which was weird, since the ingredients are super similar, but they just don't.) Here's what you'll need to make 3 little burger patties or 2 medium patties (or one GIANT patty). Note: the prices are based on average prices I've seen in the past month or so.

1 can tuna: $0.80
1 egg: $0.10
3 tablespoons bread crumbs*: $0.25
1 tablespooon Mayonnaise or plain yogurt: $0.10
Spices: mustard, salt/pepper, paprika, parsley, dill, lemon, garlic, onion. Choose a few or use them all! $.25

Total estimated cost: $1.50

Drain your tuna and add it to a bowl. Mix in egg, bread crumbs, mayo, and spices. Heat your skillet (or George Foreman or whatever) to medium. Use some nonstick spray. Form your tuna mixture into patties (or just get a big spoonful and splat it on the skillet and smush it out some, close enough). Cook until lightly browned on one side, then turn patties over. When the other side is browned (about 5 minutes or so) they're done! Eat them plain or dress them up like you would eat a burger. They're yummy with ketchup or mustard, or make some sort of fancy sauce by mixing mayo with cajun spices or something crazy like that. Yum!

Mac & Cheese (The Healthy Way)
Every college student loves Mac & Cheese. Probably because it comes in a box and all you have to do is add water, right? Well, making baked mac & cheese REALLY doesn't take a heck of a lot more effort than that, and this version is SO much healthier. Plus, it tastes a lot better - none of that artificial cheez-whiz taste. Yuck. Here's what you'll need and how to do it:

1 Box Macaroni: $1.00
1 cup (or more) Shredded Cheddar Cheese: $1.00
1 cup plain yogurt (I used Greek): $0.60
1 cup frozen spinach: $0.35
2 eggs: $0.20
Spices: Salt, pepper, Italian Seasoning, onion, garlic, paprika, oregano, onion. Use some or all! $.10
OPTIONAL: 1/4 cup Ground Beef $1.00, veggies, 3 Tablespoons breadcrumbs*: $0.25 (I used cereal)

Total Estimated Cost (with meat): $4.50
Servings: at least 4

Preheat your oven to 350.

1. Cook your pasta al dente: boil water, add a tiny bit of olive oil and some salt, add pasta, turn heat down, remove when pasta is tender.

2. Drain pasta and add frozen spinach. This way thee spinach will dethaw when mixed with the pasta and get distributed better.

3. Cook meat (if you're using meat): heat skillet to medium. Add crumbled up pieces of meat. Cook until browned. (Pro tip: do this while the pasta is cooking).

4. Add pasta to a large baking dish, casserole-sized. I got my aluminum baking tins from the Dollar Tree, 2/$1.

5. Mix together yogurt, cheese, egg, and spices. This is the "cheese sauce" for your pasta. The more yogurt and cheese you use, the more gooey and cheesy the pasta will be!

6. Add cheese sauce, meat, and any veggies you have available to your baking dish. I had some cherry tomatoes as you can see. (They freeze well! I stock up when they're on sale and keep them in the freezer to throw into things like this.) Mix everything around so it's distributed evenly.

7. Add a layer of cheese and a layer of bread crumbs, to give it that yummy crust on top.

8. Pop your casserole dish in the oven (you preheated it at 350, right?) And bake it for 20 minutes or until cheese on top is bubbly and beginning to brown.

9. Dig in and enjoy your healthy/cheap mac & cheese!! It should sort of look like this:

* For breadcrumbs, you can use anything crumby that you have on hand, like bottom-of-the-bag chip leftovers, smushed pretzel pieces, cereal crumbs, croutons, or just tear up some stale bread. I have a stale loaf in my fridge that is rock hard but gets used for bread crumbs all the time! Or, of course, you can buy some.

Slow Cookers

So I got a slow cooker for Christmas, and I'm obsessed with it. Cooking with a slow cooker is so simple that simple doesn't even cover it. You literally just throw some stuff in there, turn it on, go to class and come back 4-8 hours later to dinner. It's AWESOME. Cooking food slowly makes it SUPER tender, so meat just falls off the bone and veggies are perfectly soft. You don't even need recipes to cook in a slow cooker. Here is something I did last week: put some chicken in slow cooker. Add a couple spices on top. Turn on high. Wait 4 hours. Done. THAT'S IT.

Basically you just throw in everything you have on hand and wait. You can make soups or stews, cook chicken and/or veggies, even pasta (though I haven't tried it yet) and other grains without having to prep anything in advance. Just throw it in and go!! Sound good? It gets better - you can pick up a slow cooker for less than $20! I found a few that are right around the $10 range. If you find yourself never having the time to prepare a cheap, healthy home cooked meal, get yourself a slow cooker. It's a huge time saver and so, so simple to use.

Coming up next time on Broke Student Kitchen: meatballs and burgers on the cheap.

My favorite paid-to site is Swagbucks. I earn at least $25 in Amazon Gift cards each and every month! Read more about Swagbucks in this entry.

Want to know about new freebies, samples, deals and money-saving as soon as they happen? Follow The Broke Student's Guide on Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr.

Freebies of the week 4/11! FREE soda, tea, toothpaste, lotion, Cinnabon bites, and more!

2012-04-11T11:42:00.000-07:00

Get 2 FREE Classic Cinnabon Bites on April 17 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at participating locations as part of Cinnabon’s Tax Day Bites promotion. No coupon necessary.

FREE sample of Zevia All Natural Soda! Click Here

FREE Sample of Lipton Mango Pineapple Tea & Honey. Click Here

FREE Tom's of Maine Strawberry kid's toothpaste sample! Click Here

FREE sample of Carefree Acti-Fresh Pantiliners! Click Here

FREE 15-song Coachella All-Stars playlist! Click Here to download.

FREE Cutex Nail Polish Remover pad! Click Here

FREE sample of UriFemme Feminine Hygiene! Click Here

FREE Eucerin Itch Relief sample. "Like" the Facebook Page and watch the short video.

FREE Prilosec OTC sample! Select "2-3 days per week" to quality. Click Here

FREE Sample subscription to Men's Fitness magazine! You'll have to fill out some information, take a short survey and click "continue" a couple times, but it does go through. Click Here

FREE Satchet of Sebamed Liquid Face & Body Wash for sensitive skin. “Like” the Facebook page

FREE Sample of REBOOTizer Detox Shaker Drink. “Like” the Facebook page

FREE Kindle eBook: 23 Delicious and Nutritious Vegetarian Lunch Recipes. Click Here

FREE Travel Guides & Brochures to destinations in every state, mailed straight to your door. Click Here

FREE sample of TRESemme Split Remedy Shampoo & Conditioner! Watch a quick video and take a 1-question quiz. Click Here

FREE Kiehl's Starter Kit! Kiehl's is running a Recycle and Be Rewarded promotion from April 18 through April 30.Just bring in any empty cosmetics container and they will reward you with a free Kiehl's Starter Kit in an environmentally friendly pouch. If you b ring in up to 10 empties, it entitles you to a free full-sized product up to a $25.00 value! This offer is valid at free-standing Kiehl's stores only. Click Here for more information

My favorite paid-to site is Swagbucks. I earn at least $25 in Amazon Gift cards each and every month! Read more about Swagbucks in this entry.

Want to know about new freebies, samples, deals and money-saving as soon as they happen? Follow The Broke Student's Guide on Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr.

Save Gas, Save Money: 10 Tips for Getting More Miles Per Gallon

2012-04-01T17:10:00.001-07:00

So by now you've probably noticed the ridiculously insane prices of gas. There's no way around it for many of us who have to drive to class every day during the week, not to mention running errands, driving to work, driving to friends' houses - there's no way around it, gas is a huge expense for most of us! But take heart, there are was to conserve your gas, which means filling up less often and saving more money! To learn how, read on.

1. Lay off the gas pedal! Every time you touch your gas pedal to accelerate, you're using gas - meaning you're spending money. The less you touch that pedal, the more you save! So if you see a stop light up ahead, take your foot off the gas. If you're rolling down a hill, take your foot off the gas. If you're in traffic and the car in front of you moved forward, don't touch that gas pedal - just let your car roll! The less you accelerate (and the less you have to brake, which means you wasted gas) the more you save. Practice letting your car coast as you go down a hill, come to a stop sign or red light and during traffic rather than hitting the pedal and watch the savings add up. And avoid road rage - speeding, rapid acceleration and rapid braking can lower gas mileage by 33 percent at highway speeds and 5 percent while driving in the city.

2. Clean out your car. If you needed a good reason to clean it out, this is it - carrying around extra stuff in your means your car has to work harder and use more gas, especially if your extra stuff is heavy. If you're guilty of having a full trunk or carrying around boxes of stuff that you don't really need, now's the time to move it all inside! You can save up to 9 gallons of gasoline per year – almost $40 – by removing an extra 100 pounds of unneeded items from the trunk.

3. Give your car a checkup. When was the last time your car got checked over? Do you need an oil change? Are your brakes OK? Do your tires need air? ... No idea? You could save gas by getting a tune-up, and it's FREE to get a checkup at most car places (Midas will give you a FREE break check and check the rest of your car for FREE too! It takes about an hour as you wait) or at your dealership. Make sure your car is in tip-top condition so you are getting the maximum miles per gallon.

4. Crack a window. Operating the air conditioner on "Max" can reduce mpg by 5 – 25% compared to not using it. Open up the window and enjoy the spring breeze instead! Note: this is gas efficient at low speeds, but not efficient at high speeds, so instead, try to keep your air conditioner on a lower setting if you're on the highway.

5. Combine trips and plan ahead. Ever found yourself driving to the same place twice in one day? Well, that's a waste of gas if you can combine those two trips into one! Plan your errands on your way to or from work or school, combine your errands into one trip and plan the most efficient route. If your errands can wait, make one day your "Errand day" and get everything done all at once so you don't have to make multiple trips. The less you drive, the more gas you save!

6. Carpool. Is there anyone who can chip in for gas for a ride to class each day? Maybe your roommate needs to go to the grocery store and you guys can split the cost of gas. Or maybe you can bum a ride to a party with a friend. However you do it, carpooling saves money. If you're taking a road trip or going home on the weekend, post about it in your school's classifieds or see if there's a ride-share section online or in the paper (or, try Craigslist). The more people you ride with (and divide up the gas with), the cheaper your trip is!

7. Don't Speed. Unless you're on the highway, don't go over 60 mpg: each five miles per hour over 60 mph is like paying an additional 24 cents per gallon for gas. And on the highway, make sure you're driving at the speed limit - speeding tickets will cost you around $200, and that's NOT worth getting there 5 minutes faster!

8. Don't idle your car. It's bad for your wallet and it's bad for the environment. If you're sitting in your car, crack a window and turn it off, whether your parked or just waiting for a train to pass.

This is one way to save gas money, but I don't recommend it.

9. Consider traffic conditions. If you find yourself driving home in rush-hour traffic every day, spend some time reading a book or enjoy a coffee in the sunshine before you drive home to avoid traffic. Stop-and-go traffic is incredibly gas inefficient, involves a lot of idling, causes stress and takes forever. Avoid it as much as you can, even if it means waking up a few minutes earlier.

10. Use other means of transportation. Sure, it might not be as fast, but taking the bus or walking saves you a LOT of gas! Most campuses have free bus service available for students, and you can usually walk just about everywhere on campus. If you've ever driven 5 minutes to class just because you didn't feel like walking, definitely reconsider: walking is healthy, it's nice and warm outside, and you'll be saving money. At the very least, take the bus! Heck, you have to pay for it anyway in your tuition, might as well use it.

When you do need to fill up, download the GasBuddy app for your smart phone to find out where the cheapeast gas is near you, or use the GasBuddy website! Just don't go way out of your way to save a couple of cents - that would be a waste of gas.

Other ways to save on gas:

Pay with cash. Some gas stations give a discount for this.
Use the Kroger Fuel Rewards program to save on gas at Kroger. Some people like to buy a $50 gas gift card just to get the $.10/gallon discount, and then use it to pay for the gas! How's that for clever?
Do some mystery shops at gas stations! Or, plan a mystery shop on a trip or errand to help pay for your gas. Learn more about mystery shopping here.

You can read some more gas-saving tips in this article and also in this one.

Want to know about new freebies, samples, deals and money-saving as soon as they happen? Follow The Broke Student's Guide on Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr.

My favorite paid-to site is Swagbucks. I earn at least $25 in Amazon Gift cards each and every month! Read more about Swagbucks in this entry.

Save Money on Spring Break: Tips and Tricks for College Students

2012-03-05T21:54:00.000-08:00

Ah, Spring Break. That one glorious week in March where all bets are off - the one week we can relax and leave midterms and upcoming finals behind us as we pile into a car and drive off into the sunset to our magical vacation in paradise. At least, that's the idea. I'm sure many of us are still scrambling around trying to figure out what the plans are for Spring Break, cursing our professors for assigning projects that are due the Monday after Spring Break ends (WHY, professors? I mean really!) and trying to figure out how to fit several ~~24-packs of Natty Light~~ sleeping bags and suitcases into one tiny car, and of course, how to pay for the whole thing. Well, I'm here to help - with the money aspect, at least! Here are some tried and true tips for saving money on Spring Break! Find all the supplies you might need with coupons for Buy.com for your spring break!

1. Drive, Don't Fly: Although gas is at an all-time high, driving to Spring Break is a better bet than flying. This is because you can fit more people into a car, which means the gas is split several ways, making the trip much cheaper. A 1700 mile round trip costs as much as one plane ticket (about $180-$200, roughly) but splitting it up even once or twice significantly slashes that cost! So find a friend with a car that gets decent gas mileage (you'll want at least 30 mpg on the highway!) and offer to share the cost of gas.

2. Fill Up for Cheap: We've all heard those road trip horror stories, where it's 3am, you're driving through corn fields in the middle of nowhere, the tank is on empty. Suddenly, like the gates of heaven, the neon lights of a gas station appear - only for the price to be $1.00 a gallon higher than the last gas station you passed 2 hours ago. Don't let this happen to you! There are sites - such as Gas Buddy Trip Calculator - that will map out the cheapest gas on your route in advance, so you can make sure you're getting the lowest price possible BEFORE you run out of gas in Nowheresville, USA.

3. The More the Merrier: I already mentioned that splitting the gas with your car-mates reduces your cost, but splitting EVERYTHING with EVERYONE is even cheaper! Whether you're renting a cabin or camping in the woods, the more people there are, the cheaper it is. For example, one year I went with a group of 15 down to Daytona, FL. We added up all of our costs in advance - including gas for the 3 car caravan and 3 hotel rooms in a hotel RIGHT on the beach - and then split it evenly 15 ways. Total cost for our trip? $120! Whether you're renting a hotel room or a cabin, the more people you can cram in there (legally, of course - check when you make a reservation so you don't get hit with fees or, worse, kicked out) - the cheaper everyone's price will be! So go ahead and invite your friend's girlfriend, her brother, that cute guy from Biology and your RA.

4. Research Before You Get There I know the word "research" kinda makes it sound like homework, but this is FUN homework! Look up stuff like the local scene, clubs, bars, restaurants, tourist attractions and whatever else is cool to do at your destination BEFORE you go. Not only will you save valuable relaxing and partying time once you arrive, but you can also find out what your costs will be- and what places you should avoid, like the botanical gardens that cost $15. You might find some really fun cheap stuff that you didn't know about! Also think about things like transportation (how will you get to/from the bars? Are they walking distance or do you need to get a taxi or arrange a DD to provide a shuttle?) cover charges, and anything else you might not be thinking of yet but will have to pay for during your trip so you can prepare and scrounge together as much money as you need.

5. Save on Food No, you don't have to bring a case of Ramen noodles with you (though you definitely could, you can make it using the hotel's coffee pot or just very hot tap water. I know this from lots of experience.) but food tends to be the highest expense on a vacation, just because everyone wants to eat out every single meal, 3x a day. It adds up! Save money on food by doing the following:

Pack a cooler in the car. That way you don't have to stop at Taco Bell every time anyone gets hungry, or spend a bunch of extra money on overpriced snacks at gas stations.
Go to the grocery store as soon as you get to your destination! Buy stuff that you can snack on throughout the week and eat for breakfast, especially if your hotel doesn't provide any food. Get some sandwich making stuff for easy, quick, cheap meals even if you don't have a way to cook. If you don't have any amenities like a fridge, that cooler will come in handy here - fill it with ice or cold water. If you're renting a cabin with a fully functional kitchen, look up some cheap recipes (Like these) and cook dinner together as a group! It's so much cheaper than eating out, and WAY more fun, too.
Buy some Restaurant.com coupons. Restaurant.com is a great way to save money on eating out, especially with a big group. The more you spend, the more you can save with the coupon! Search for restaurants in the area you'll be staying and pick up a few for dinner. Although full-priced coupons are $10 for $25 off your meal, the site almost always has coupons available that slash those prices. Right now, until 3/8/12, use the coupon code TRIP to slash 70% off your total purchase. Now you can eat out without breaking the bank!

6. Pay for Everything with Mystery Shopping Remember the post I wrote on mystery shopping? And how I was like omg, this is the great thing ever? Well, allow me to reiterate that. This year, I am paying for the entire gas bill for my Spring Break vacation - with mystery shops. And I don't mean like I'm saving up. I mean I'm literally doing mystery shops all the way down and back -at travel centers and gas stations! Travel centers & gas stations are one of the most bonused shops out there, because they tend to be in the middle of nowhere - and that means you get paid tons to do them! You'll find travel center shops at Intelli-Shop.com and BeyondHello (contact me for a referral link to BeyondHello) gas stations at Corporate Research International (contact me for a referral link to CRI) and Ritter Associates. How much does a travel center shop pay, you ask? Oh, about $20. Do 5 of them and you just got $100. Sound good? It gets better - you can schedule food shops and more on the way to and at your location! Schedule a few fast food shops with MarketForce. Just about every mystery shopping company has some good food shops available - Corporate Research International has about a million - and some, like Amusement Advantage, even have theme parks, zoos, ice skating rinks, and more! (Give my email - im.so.rad[at]gmail.com - during signup at Amusement Advantage, please! I might get a referral bonus.) The options are limitless - not only are your expenses paid for, but you get PAID on top of that! Read my post about Mystery Shopping for more details.

7. Pack Everything You Might Need I mean, don't pack so much that no one else can fit their luggage in the trunk. But you don't want to arrive at the beach only to realize you've forgotten your towel, swimsuit and sunscreen and need to take a $50 trip to Target. Include all toiletries, camera, plenty of clothes, a few pairs of shoes, a towel, and maybe a deck of cards, some DVDs or a hookah for some free entertainment. Remember to bring a pillow and blanket, especially if your sleeping situation is going to be cramped and possibly involve tents or the floor. And pack clothes for multiple weather conditions - things can get weird this time of year, and you don't want to have to buy a jacket because Daytona Beach happens to be 40 degrees in March (this is a true story, it is super cold there.)

8. Sleeping Situations: I have mentioned a couple possible sleeping situations in passing, but let's run down the list of options.

Hotel: Easy, convenient, posh, practically risk-free. Most will be cool with having a large group of people stay in one room as long as there's a hefty security deposit, but always check first.
Cabin: Renting a cabin is a great idea for large groups. You'll also be able to cook, which means you can save money on food. These tend to go fast though, so don't just show up hoping there's a vacancy!
Camping: If you're outdoorsy, and your friends are cool with roughing it for a few days, campsites are insanely cheap - think $4 a night cheap. You'll need your own camping equipment (tent, sleeping bag, supplies for cooking, etc) but most campsites do have restrooms and showers, and some offer electricity for a higher fee. Befriend a few Eagle Scouts and stock up on camp-fire gear to make the most of this vacation!
Couch Surfing: Yes, this is a real thing. Personally I've never tried it, but my boyfriend and his friends used this site for Spring Break one year. They weren't robbed or killed, so that's good, but this certainly isn't the most comfortable sleeping situation. Don't do it alone, and be wary of your surroundings and belongings. Although most people using the site are probably harmless and totally cool, playing it safe is always the best bet. If you and your friends are looking for adventure, meeting new people, and don't mind sleeping on couches and potentially sketchy situations, this one's for you. (Plus: totally free!)
Hostels: Cheaper than a hotel and less potentially scary than Couch Surfing (unless, of course, you've watched that one movie .... you know the one I'm talking about) hostels are another option for cheap sleeping. Use this site to search for hostels, and DON'T watch that movie if you haven't seen it already. Just don't do it!

9. Get a Groupon: Like Restaurant.com, Groupon can be a great way to save money on something you'd probably pay full price for anyway. Right now they have a special Spring Break section with some AMAZING deals on awesome beach resorts and hotels, that are ACTUALLY AFFORDABLE. (Ridiculous!) They also have really cool activities for cheap, like mini golf, museum tickets, yoga, and clubs. Just search in your area to find some awesome stuff for your entire group to do, on the cheap!

10. Have a Staycation: The cheapest way to spend Spring Break is by staying at home. Not only will it allow you to finally catch up on the reading you've been putting off for your classes - and possibly time to do some laundry - but you can actually have a lot of fun at home! Pretend you're a tourist and visit some places you've never been. Grab a friend and explore a new part of town. Get a local Groupon and treat yourself to a spa day or salsa dancing class. Find a new restaurant you've never eaten at before, get a Restaurant.com coupon and order drinks and dessert. Go camping for a night, go fishing and have your very own campfire. See if they have zip-lining in your area (my new favorite thing) or go sky-diving or something crazy! Then when people ask how you spent your spring break, you can say "I went freaking sky-diving!" instead of "I stayed home and did homework." (You secretly did both! Ha!) Staying home CAN be cool!

How are you going to spend Spring Break, and what will you do to keep your costs down? Tell me in the comments! As for me, I'll be in Orlando, FL! I can't wait!!

Want to know about new freebies, samples, deals and money-saving as soon as they happen? Follow The Broke Student's Guide on Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr.

Freebies of the Week 3/1!

2012-03-01T15:52:00.001-08:00

FREE Sample of Quaker Oatmeal Squares! Click Here

FREE Tide Pods laundry detergent sample! Click Here

FREE $25 Prepaid Visa Card when you test drive a 2012 Kia Optima at a participating dealership by 3/31/12. You'll need to print your personalized certificate and get it signed by the dealer after your test drive. Your certificate must be mailed in by 4/15/12. Click Here
FREE Sample of Rachel Ray Nutrish dog food! Click Here

FREE Amazon Kindle Book: Getting Organized: Improving Focus, Organization and Productivity. Click Here

FREE sample of Eucerin Calming Itch Relief. "Like" the Facebook Page

FREE SKYN condom sample! "Like" the Facebook Page

FREE Ritz Crackerfuls at Quick Chek! Print the Coupon

FREE Sample of Life Choice nutrition bars! Click Here

FREE slice of pie at Waffle House! Print the Coupon

FREE subscription to Newsweek magazine! Click Here

FREE subscripiton to Latina magazine! Click Here

FREE sample of the fragrance Love Fury by Nine West! Click Here

FREE Pro-X Skin Analyzer Headband. Not really sure what this is, exactly, but Click Here.

FREE sample of Gud Lotion by Burt's Bees! "Like" the Facebook Page

FREE Sample of Find Your Bliss Shower Gel and Body Butter! Click Here

FREE Sample of NRGX Protein Supplement! "Like" the Facebook Page

FREE Spark Energy Drink sample! Click Here

FREE Sample of Splenda Essentials! Click Here

FREE sample of Yummi Bears Gummy Vitamins! Use promo code "KKFREE". Click Here

My favorite paid-to site is Swagbucks. I earn at least $25 in Amazon Gift cards each and every month! Read more about Swagbucks in this entry.

Want to know about new freebies, samples, deals and money-saving as soon as they happen? Follow The Broke Student's Guide on Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr.

Broke and Beautiful: Tips and Tricks to Save Money on your Beauty Routine

2012-02-24T11:35:00.000-08:00

Being broke doesn't mean you have to LOOK broke. As college students, it's a requirement to look put-together for career and networking events such as career fairs or even class projects. This can be tricky when you're on a tight budget, but it's not impossible! Here are some tips and tricks to save money on your everyday beauty routine. And here are some possibilities to save on brand name beauty products through these coupons for Macys.

1. DIY Tinted Moisturizer: Tinted moisturizer - a lightweight, sometimes sheer foundation that moisturizes your skin - has become a hot product, especially for the summertime. It's my go-to product for those days when I'm super bored/lazy/tired/have class in 5 minutes/want to apply foundation and moisturizer at the same time (so basically always). But tinted moisturizers are pricey, often WAY more expensive than either moisturizer or foundation. Chances are, you already have a foundation in your color and a moisturizer that you like, so here's how to make your own tinted moisturizer: combine them. Yup, it's that easy. You can put them in their own little container or just mix a drop of each on the back of your hand before you apply it to your face. Voila! Tinted moisturizer.

Even Better: Make your tinted moisturizer multi-task even more by adding other products to it such as self-tanner or tea tea oil (for acne - but don't add regular acne cream because it tends to flake). Anything you put underneath your makeup can probably be added to your tinted moisturizer to save time and keep you from buying multi-tasking products that you can make yourself!

2. Apply your makeup right: Using the right applicators to apply your makeup can make the difference between smooth, blended makeup and a streaky mess. It can also make a difference in your wallet - using a sponge to apply makeup sucks up the majority of your product, leaving most of it in the sponge instead of on your face - aka wasting your money! Sponges also tend to grow bacteria and must be thrown out frequently, meaning you have to purchase more sponges, which adds up. Instead, use clean, dry fingers to apply foundation, moisturizer, and concealer. Your hands (which are free) won't absorb as much product as a sponge, and your body's natural warmth will help the product sink into your skin.

Even better: If you use makeup brushes to apply your makeup, make sure you wash them frequently with cold water and soap (or shampoo, or face wash, etc). Washing them more frequently helps the brushes work better, avoids dirt and oil buildup which leads to acne, and ensures no bacteria growth. Use cold water because hot water loosens the glue which holds the brush together, causing your brush to fall apart over time.

3. Get sparkly white teeth: Teeth whitening can cost an arm and a leg, but it doesn't have to! The primary ingredient in every whitener - be it at your dentist or the pharmacy - is hydrogen peroxide. The secondary ingredient is typically baking soda. You probably know what I'm about to say, but here it is anyway: you can make your own teeth whitening paste by combining hydrogen peroxide and baking soda. These two magical products are available for around $1 at your local grocery store, pharmacy or dollar store! Just combine them and use it in addition to or instead of your normal toothpaste for super white teeth. (Note: it tastes gross, so you might want to add some flavoring or mix it with your normal yummy toothpaste or mouthwash.)

Even Better: You can use hydrogen peroxide as a whitening mouthwash. It won't give you that tingly feeling or make your breath minty fresh, but it WILL whiten your teeth. You can also use it to help clean out your ears and sanitize cuts. You can use baking soda to wash your hair and your house! Who knew such cheap products were so amazing?

4. When it comes to your face, less is more: For those of us with "problem" skin (oily, acne prone, flaky, etc) our tendency is to buy tons of "miracle" products to try to fix our face. We buy special cleanser, moisturizer, treatment cream, toner, and more for our face and slather it all on there. If it doesn't work, we buy different products and try again. The result is an endless cycle of expensive products that aren't helping anything and are, more likely, creating the very problem we're trying to fix. Let me explain. If you happen to have acne-prone or oily skin (like me) you might be drawn to products that promise to soak up all the oil in your face, dry it out, treat all of the acne with strong acids or peroxides, and leave us with clean, clear skin. Your skin might feel tight after you wash it, but end up an oil slick within hours, resulting in zits and shininess. So maybe you go wash your face again to get rid of all that oil - only to find yourself repeating the cycle over and over. This is because your skin actually NEEDS that oil! It needs to be hydrated so that it can move and stretch and do all of the things skin does. Without oil, things would be painful and uncomfortable. Over-drying our skin causes it to overcompensate by producing MORE oil than we might actually need, creating that oily mess that can lead to acne. If you have oily skin that gets dry and flaky in the winter, this applies to you most of all. Stop drying out your face! Stop stressing out your skin with too many harsh products! Just let it do its thing!

Now, I don't want you to have dirty skin - but you can cleanse and treat your skin WITHOUT the harsh chemical cleansers. Try using baby wipes instead. Baby wipes are the cheap version of makeup-removing towelettes, and they also tend to be infused with aloe, vitamin E, and other nutritious stuff for your face. They are designed not to irritate sensitive skin so they don't stress and upset your skin (especially the "unscented" or "sensitive skin" types.) And they do just as good of a job at cleaning off the day's makeup and dirt as your harsh, chemically cleanser would, without stripping your skin of its natural oils and leading to too much oil production. If you're skeptical, try this experiment for a week: use baby wipes in place of your cleanser. Moisturize afterwards, and spot treat any acne with your usual spot treatment (DON'T slather it all over your face, though!) Check if there's a difference in your skin at the end of the week - most likely, it's a little bit less dry and flaky, a little bit less oily, and a little bit more clear. Keep using those baby wipes and you'll find that you never need to buy an expensive cleanser again. Just make sure you moisturize and use those baby wipes every day, and you've have clear, beautiful, unstressed skin at a fraction of the cost in no time. (PS: if you also use the DIY skincare treatments below, your skin and wallet will thank you!)

5. Get the most out of your nail polish: Have you ever opened up your nail polish collection only to find that your favorite colors are clumpy, flaky, or just plain dried out? Save yourself the cost of new nail polish by saving those polishes with this nifty trick: just add nail polish remover! I know it sounds strange, but adding a few drops of nail polish remover as needed will make out your polish and make it last much, much longer. If it's an older polish, you might have to do this before EVERY application - but at least you'll be able to finish out the bottle instead of throwing it away only half empty! Go on, try it - what do you have to lose? You'd just be throwing that polish out anyway!

6. Natural (and affordable) DIY beauty solutions: You can give yourself a spa day just using stuff you already have in your house! If you don't have these ingredients, they aren't very expensive and can be purchased at any grocery store.

For Your Hair

Egg + Olive Oil = hydrating, protein-rich conditioner! Instructions Here
Mayonnaise will make your hair soft and shiny. Make sure to use full-fat! Instructions Here
Beer gives your hair body and shine, plus removes residue. Yup. Instructions Here
Lemon Juice is like natural Sun-In. Remember Sun-In? Anyway, DIY highlights! Instructions Here
Baking Soda makes a great clarifying alternative to shampoo. More details here
Apple Cider Vinegar cleans hair, removes residue and adds shine! More details here
Olive Oil + Honey = Hydrating hair mask! Instructions here and here

For Your Skin

Apple Cider Vinegar makes a great bacteria-killing toner for acne-prone skin. More details here
Witch Hazel makes another excellent toner! Apply it to a cotton ball to cleanse the dirt from your pores. More details here
Green Tea makes yet another great toner, especially for oily skin. Read some reviews here
1/2 tsp. of sea salt + 2 egg yolks + 1/2 cup of yogurt = Toning Mask! Add all ingredients, apply to face and let dry. This is an exfoliating, tightening and soothing face mask.
Sea Salt + Olive Oil = Exfoliating Scrub! Add some vanilla or yummy smelling scent to overpower the smell of the olive oil. The Dollar Tree has some good smelling oils in their candle aisle. Use this scrub on hands, feet, and anywhere your skin needs exfoliating moisture.
Aspirin + Honey = Exfoliating, moisturizing face mask. Great for acne-prone skin. Instructions Here
Coffee Grounds make an antioxidant-rich, de-puffing exfoliant for face and body. Add olive oil, yogurt or honey to coffee grounds after your daily cup! More details here and here
Honey is a great humectant and bacteria-killer for your face. It's great for acne-prone skin! More details here
Yogurt is great for skin as well, especially when combined with honey. Instructions here

7. You are what you eat: Beauty comes from the inside out, so eating a healthy diet and staying hydrated are vital for the health of your nails, skin and hair. Eat as many fruits and veggies as you can, and remember that canned and frozen are just as healthy and much cheaper than fresh! Pick up a box of green tea bags from the dollar store to benefit from antioxidants and disease-fighting free radicals that will help clear your skin (read about more benefits here). Plus, you can use the tea bag on your face after you've brewed it! Make sure you're drinking enough water each day - staying hydrated helps keep your skin from flaking, especially during the winter! Make sure you're getting plenty of protein and calcium, which help your hair and nails grow stronger - dairy is a great source of both! And if your diet is lacking, try to take some vitamin supplements. You can find hair, skin + nails supplement mixes at the grocery store for less than $10!

8. Get every last drop out of your beauty products: You know that feeling when you're squeezing some empty plastic tube every which way, trying to get out the last drops of your expensive beauty products? You KNOW there's some left in there, but you can't get it out - so you probably just throw the product away. Well next time, don't! Just cut the container open so you can access the last bit of your product before throwing it away. There's usually more than you'd expect, so have a baggie on hand to hold the opened product so it doesn't dry out. This works best for plastic containers that are easy to cut open, especially tubes such as for moisturizer or spot treatment, but you can use it for basically any product that appears to be empty. As long as you can break open the packaging, you can make sure you get your money's worth!

More pictures at this blog entry!

9. Don't throw away broken eye shadows: Have a loose or crumbled eye shadow? Don't throw it away! Eye shadows are easy to press back into place using isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol). The alcohol evaporates away from the eye shadow, leaving it perfectly in place! Just mix a few drops of alcohol with your eyeshadow powder to make it easy to pour into a pan and set. This trick will actually work with any powder makeup, such as blush! Instructions here and here

10. Buy beauty products for cheaper: I get a lot of beauty products from HauteLook, where brands such as LORAC, Stila and Urban Decay sell makeup for insanely discounted prices, and there's almost always a good hair-care line. HauteLook is where I discovered 100% Pure, which is my all-time favorite beauty brand - but too expensive to afford full price! Bonus: refer friends to HauteLook for free purchase credits! Read more here. I also get a ton of beauty goodies from Amazon thanks to my free gift cards from Swagbucks. Read more about Swagbucks in this entry - personally, I earn about $25 in Amazon Gift cards each and every month! Did you know that Sephora has an entire store on Amazon? That means that Amazon gift cards = Sephora gift cards - and they're FREE! It's like Christmas every day! You can also get high quality, cheap brushes from CVS - their Essence of Beauty line is great - and Target - their Sonia Kashuk line is pricier than CVS, but still high quality!

So there you have it! You can be broke and stay beautiful! Don't see your favorite cheap beauty tip posted? Let me know in the comments!

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The Best (Free) Apps for College Students

2012-02-08T11:12:00.000-08:00

Many of us, self included, received smart phones/tablets/iPods what have you this year. After the initial joy of joining the 21st century wears off, one question remains: what apps should I download? Well, I'm here to answer that age-old question. And if you don't have yourself a fancy piece of touch screen machinery yet, no worries - I'm also going to recommend a few apps for Google Chrome! In fact, I'll start with that first. (Note: if you're not using Google Chrome as your browser, please go download it. Mozilla is fine too - just as long as you're not still using Internet Explorer. Please tell me you're not.)

The Best Chrome Apps for College Students

First thing: to get to the Chrome app store, click here in your Chrome browser.

1. StayFocusd This is the app that will change your life if you, like me, happen to sit around on the internet for hours and hours and suddenly realize it's 2am and you didn't get anything done. This app is for us. Using StayFocusd you can limit the amount of time you spend on time-wasting websites. You set the time per day (such as 40 minutes) and you set the websites you want to limit. (Example: Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter etc.) You can also set "allowed" sites and even set a window of time for unlimited browsing (mine is set to 2 hours at night and weekends). And possibly the most useful of all: you can "Go Nuclear," which means ALL websites except, if you want, those on your "Allowed" list (Blackboard, Oncourse, etc) are completely blocked for as long as you want them to be. It is a LIFE SAVER when you need help focusing, or when Wikipedia articles on celebrities are more exciting than the essay you need to finish writing. Download it here.

2. Evernote This is basically like an electronic notebook where you can paste and clip anything you want to remember later. Write notes, add lists, pictures, videos, whatever you want - and you can sync them to your phone or other devices, too! Download it here.

3. Remember the Milk This is a task-management app for those of us who DON'T regularly keep To-Do lists handy. Simply add a task to your list, prioritize it, and if you like, give it a time estimate or due dates. If it's really important, you can have the app send a reminder to you to complete the task by phone or email! A must-have organization and productivity app. Download it here.

4. Mint.com So this one is really less of an app and more of a bookmark, but if you haven't yet signed up for Mint.com - the BEST money management and budgeting tool ever - take this opportunity! To learn more about Mint, read this blog post. Download it here.

The Best Smart Phone and Tablet Apps for College Students
Most of these apps will be available for iPhone, Android, iPad, Kindle Fire, etc, but make sure you check first (and don't kill me if it's not available for you!) I have an iPhone 3G, so these apps are all for sure available in the App store at the very least. Anyway, here are my recommendations.

1. Any app from your school! If your school has an app, download it! School apps can help you catch a bus on time, check your meal points, give you instant updates on campus closings or dangers, help you find buildings on campus or numbers to call if you need help, and more. Search for your school to see if you have an app available.

2. CampuSpecial An app created by http://www.campusspecial.com/. Many of you may already get the little coupon booklets from CampuSpecial containing awesome local deals around your campus. Well, imagine if you could get all of those coupons, deals and more, right on your phone, using a handy locator to find which ones are closest to you? It's pretty freakin' awesome. The app is free, search for CampuSpecial in the App store or Android Marketplace.

3. Mint.com Unfortunately, this app is only available for newer iPhones, so 3Gs can't use it. It is available for Androids as well as Kindles from the Amazon App store. Anyway, if you haven't gotten the message yet, Mint.com is the most amazing, super easy, incredibly awesome way to track your spending and budget your money. Even if you don't do anything more than just set it up to look at where you're spending your money, it's insanely helpful. To learn more about Mint, read this blog post. (Note: even if you don't use Mint, at least download your bank's app to keep track of your spending so you never incur overdraft fees!)

4. Evernote Evernote is the best way to make notes for yourself on your phone. Unlike the regular "notepad" that comes with your phone or tablet., Evernote allows you to create notebooks or organize your notes and include photos, audio clips and more to your notes. If you're the kind of person who frequently finds themselves writing cryptic notes in your phone or taking photos to "Remember for later," this is the app for you.

5. Amazon Price Check, Google Shopper or Shop Saavy Both of these apps are price comparison apps. Google Shopper searches for prices in your local area - so if you're in, say, Target looking at some nail polish, you can scan it with Google Shopper and find out that CVS next door has it for cheaper. Price Check searches for prices on Amazon, which is good for things you might not need immediately but want to save money on. Shop Saavy will search for a scanned bar code both online and in local stores, and also has reviews available for the product you scan. Making sure you're getting the best price possible means saving money!

6. Shopkick So you know how I love paid-to sites like Swagbucks where you get points to do super easy stuff and then can redeem those points for gift cards and other rewards? Well, Shopkick takes that idea to a whole new level. Shopkick gives you points you for going into stores and doing super easy stuff, and then you can redeem those for gift cards and other rewards. Let me repeat: GOING INTO STORES AND DOING SUPER EASY STUFF. For example, you'll get 50 "kicks" (points) by just walking into Best Buy, or Old Navy. Just WALKING IN! You can get more kicks for doing "scans", which just means finding a specific product and scanning its barcode. (Like a treasure hunt!) Yesterday, for example, there were 750 possible "kicks" for scanning items at Target. A $2 gift card is about 500 "kicks", so if you were going to Target to pick up some toothpaste or whatever anyway, you would've just gotten it for free and then some. In my experience, one trip to the mall can usually get me about 500 kicks, so this is a very easy to get rewarded for just walking around stores. If you want to save up your points for the rest of your life, you can get a cruise for a couple million "kicks" - I prefer to redeem my points for gift cards and do as little work as possible to earn them. I highly recommend this app- it's fun, easy, and gives you free money! What could be better?

Other Free Apps I Love: These might not be college-specific, but they are very useful:
- Pandora: better than listening to your playlists!
- AroundMe: For when you're wandering around and want to know where the nearest whatever is.
- HopStop: When you need to figure out how to get from A to B using public transportation!
- HauteLook: I'm just addicted to HauteLook, basically.
- Thrift Hunter and ThriftBuddy: I love thrift store shopping, especially in places I've never been. These apps help locate the thrift stores nearby.
- Shazam: For when you hear a really cool song and want to know what it is.
- Find My Car: Helpful in big parking lots, or for people who forget where they park their car every single time.
- Yelp: Need a review of a restaurant, salon, bar, etc at a moment's notice? Yelp has it covered.

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The most profitable tip I can ever possibly give you

2012-01-16T10:06:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone! My apologies for the severe lack of posting over the Holiday. In addition to some much-needed extreme relaxation, I spent most of my time scrambling around doing interviews and attending events for my major. I also actually managed to score the BEST freebie of my life to date over break: a FREE trip to New York City, 2 nights FREE in the Waldorf-Astoria hotel, and a FREE cocktail hour and dinner (valued at $750, apparently) with top industry leaders. Oh, and I'll be getting a FREE check for $5,000. Total worth of freebie? $6,600. It inspired me to write this post, which details The most profitable tip I can ever possibly give you. (How Profitable? It could potentially pay for your entire tuition.)

So how'd I do it? I entered and won a Merit-Based Scholarship. There are tons of them out there, and they're yours for the winning. If you can find 'em, enter 'em! Few people actually do, which means if you really take it seriously and put your heart into it, you've got a GREAT chance of winning. I only wish I'd known this before my last year in college! I've been discovering many amazing scholarships this year, and I want to share them with you, my readers, so that some of you can take advantage of these amazing opportunities. Not only do they frequently pay in cash, but they look SO, SO, SO good on your resume. Having won a merit-based scholarship says to hiring managers that you have initiative and drive, seek out opportunities for yourself, take on extra projects and have a competitive edge. In short, the perfect hire!

So how do you go about finding these opportunities? In my case, I get a lot of emails sent out major-wide from my advisor, so I'm going to share a couple of those with you. I also hear them mentioned in classes (write those down and ask the professor about them afterwards!) and, of course, if you search around online, you can find them easily. Also look at public bulletin boards on campus: not only are they great for finding new activities to go to, but they frequently advertise scholarships. Look for scholarships offered for anything you participate in on campus: your dorm may have one, your major probably has a few, and any clubs/activities you're involved in may offer some as well. Here are some major-based scholarships I've found to share with you all. Get working!

For All Universities

- Sign up for these sites: http://www.meritaid.com/, http://www.scholarships.com/, http://www.fastweb.com/ and use them to search for scholarships to apply for
- Google "Merit Based Scholarships [Your School's Name]" and you should get some good results

For Indiana University Students
Your department's page will have a section titled "Scholarships." Go there to view all available scholarships for your major.

THE 2012 HENRY A. BERN MEMORIAL ESSAY COMPETITION
PRIZE: $1,500
Deadline: Tuesday, May 15, 2012
ELIGIBILITY: Any current Indiana University Bloomington undergraduate student.
Details: Read More Here

Apparel Merchandising and Interior Design Scholarships
PRIZE: Varies by specific scholarship, deducted from your bursar bill next fall semester
Deadline: January 18th, 2012
ELIGIBILITY: Scholarships are open to Indiana University Bloomington students who are either majoring in Apparel Merchandising, Fashion Design, Interior Design, or are earning the Fashion Design Certificate. (Not seniors, though, apparently).
Details: Common Application and Details Here

IUAA Alumni Scholarships
PRIZE: Varies by specific scholarship
ELIGIBILITY: Depends per scholarship - some are based on location, some campus, some group affiliation, and more.
Details: Read More and View All Available Scholarships Here

Oh - and the scholarship I won? It was the Y.M.A Fashion Scholarship Fund. If your school is a participating member, and you know a thing or two about fashion (either design or the business/merchandising aspect), you can apply next fall!

So what are you waiting for? Go win some scholarships!

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How-To: Get Free eBooks for the Kindle, Nook and more

2012-01-03T22:26:00.000-08:00

So if you're one of the lucky folks who got a Kindle or Nook this holiday season, you were probably very excited (THEY'RE SO COOL) but may have been slightly less excited when you realized that putting actual books on the thing was going to be nearly as expensive as buying them at a book store. Boo. Well, have no fear! The Broke Student Guide is here to find you the best resources for getting free e-books and other content to put on your new shiny Kindle, Kindle Fire or Nook. (Or whatever other e-readers are out there.) If you're looking for some good deals on a Kindle, click here for coupons at Overstock.com.

First off, until January 9th, Amazon is offering a $10 Kindle Textbook Credit! Just click here to claim your credit. It will automatically credit to your Amazon account once you claim it and you can use it towards renting or buying e-textbooks for your Kindle. Which is cheaper, not to mention way less heavy and annoying, than lugging around regular textbooks!

Next: free eBook websites! It's like MegaDownload for your Kindle. (If you don't know about MegaDownload yet, well, now you do!) Here we go:

Free Book Spot: If you have a specific book in mind, you'll be able to use this site to search for it and see if it's available for free.

The Book Depository: This site has over 11,000 free eBook options to choose from.

Baen: This site offers free sci-fi and fantasy eBooks.

Pixel of Ink: This blog posts daily free and bargain eBooks, along with reviews about the books listed. Each book has a link for Kindle and Nook downloads.

Free Nook Book Summary: Like Pixel of Ink, this blog posts daily summaries of free books available for the Nook.

E-Pub Books: This site offers books in a format that can be read on ANY electronic book reader. The selection offered is copyright free/public domain works.

ManyBooks : This site mostly has classic books - remember that all copyright free books will always be free - and a huge variety of genres. Search by Author, Title, Genre, and more.

Project Gutenberg offers over 36,000 free ebooks to download to your PC, Kindle, Android, iOS or other portable device. Choose between ePub, Kindle, HTML and simple text formats.

SmashWords: This site offers eBooks from Independent publishers and authors. Find something new that no one else has read! They have a huge free selection to choose from.

Munseys: Offers tons and tons of fiction. Appears to have a particularly high amount of cheesy 1950s-1960s era fiction novels, a la pulp fiction.

Girl eBooks: Offers a large selection of out of copyright classics, focusing on female authors.

And last but not least: The Library! Yes, you can borrow eBooks for free from your local library! Hit up your local branch to take advantage. (While you're there, pick up some free movies and read a couple free magazines too. Aren't libraries great?)

PS: Did you know that you get a FREE month of Amazon Prime along with your Kindle Fire? That means tons of free movies and TV shows, free 2-day shipping, and more! But even without a new Kindle Fire you can get free Prime - if you haven't taken advantage of the free Student Prime membership deal, go get it now! You'll get 6 months of free Amazon Prime benefits.

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Last Minute Gift Idea: Cake Mix Cookies! And, Free Downloadable Gift Labels

2011-12-22T13:29:00.000-08:00

So I made a gift guide a few weeks ago, but I know most of us spent the past week or so running around like crazy trying not to succumb to the horrors of Finals Week. Now that it's over with, let's all breathe a big sigh of relief (PHEW!) and then try to scramble around and figure out what to give everyone for the holidays!

Picture of Retorte's Cake Mix Cookies

The easiest, most wonderfully delicious and inexpensive idea I've come across this year are Cake Mix Cookies. What are cake mix cookies? Well, exactly what they sound like - cookies made from cake mix! Except they don't bake like cake, they bake like delicious cookies, and then when they're done you don't have to decorate them. The reason I love these cookies and am making them in spades this year is because they are easy and cheap. A box of cake mix is typically around $1.00 - don't pay any more than that for it. Hit up your local dollar store or Wal Mart to snag a couple boxes. I highly recommend getting a Butter Yellow or Golden Butter mix, from any brand - it's MUCH better than regular old yellow cake, and it's the most adaptable mix out there. Duncan Hines, Pillsbury and Betty Crocker all have their own version of Butter cake mix. If you're a chocolate person, get some sort of chocolate mix, and if you're adventurous, try a Spice Cake mix or a Cherry Cake mix or Funfetti or whatever catches your fancy!

Here's what you need:
- 1 Box of cake mix (any kind)
- Eggs
- Oil or butter
- Water
- Chocolate chips, M&Ms, nuts, peanut butter chips, butterscotch chips, dried fruit, candy, ANYTHING you want to put in your cookies

Here's How to Do It:
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Dump your cake mix in a bowl. Add 1/4 cup water and 1/4 cup oil or butter (if you're using butter, that's half of a stick.) Add 1 egg if you want cookies that rise but don't spread much (they will be puffier and fluffy inside), 2 eggs if you want your cookies to spread and flatten out more (they will be slightly more crispy). Mix furiously. The dough will be sticky and tough, that's perfectly normal. Work those arm muscles, and pretend you're burning off some of the calories of the 92862768276 delicious cookies you're going to be eating later. Once your dough is all mixed together, add whatever mix-ins you want to add and mix again. Now that you're all mixed and ready to go, grease a cookie sheet and form little dough balls/clumps on the baking sheet, spaced about an inch or two apart to allow for spreading. Try to make them as roundish as possible, because especially if you only used 1 egg, they probably won't spread enough to become magically round on their own. Once your cookie sheet is all filled, pop those suckers in the oven for about 15 minutes or until the tops of the cookies have hardened and the bottoms are slightly browned. Wait for them to cool before eating one!

Here Are Some Interesting Cookie Ideas:

Chocolate Cake Mix Sandwich Cookies from Annie's Eats

- Peppermint Holiday Cookies! Stick an Andes mint inside each cookie, or crumble up some candy canes to use along with chocolate chips.
- Cookie Sandwiches! Ice your cookies and stack them on top of one another. Roll the edges in holiday colored sprinkles.
- Ice Cream Cookie Sandwiches! Sandwich ice cream between your flattened, cooled cookies. Roll the edges in holiday colored sprinkles and freeze before wrapping.
- Pinwheel Cookies! Make 1 batch of "white" dough and one of chocolate or red velvet dough. Using this technique, roll out your dough onto a big rectangle of wax paper and place in fridge until firm. Stack your doughs one on top of the other - place any fillings you want rolled inside on top - and roll carefully into a log. Wrap log in wax paper and roll on surface to achieve optimal round log shaping, and firm in fridge again if necessary. When log is well shaped and firm, slice cookies. A knife might flatten your log so you may want to use unflavored dental floss instead. Voila!
- Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies! Add dried cherries and chocolate chips to your cookies, and possibly walnuts too.
- Chocolate Caramel Cookies! Get some chocolate caremel candy such as Rolos or Milk Duds and roll one inside of each cookie to create a melty chocolate caramel center when cookies are baked.

Package your cookies by putting them in a cookie tin from the Dollar Tree, or sticking them in plastic sandwich baggies and tying those up with ribbon. Gifts for everyone!!

Also, for those of you who ventured down the homemade alcohol route I discussed in m y gift giving guide, I've made some labels for my gifts that I want to share with you all to download and use on yours! I created these in Adobe Illustrator, but they are all converted to plain .JPGs that you can color in yourself. The Skittles basic logo is easily customization just by using the "Paint" fill bucket tool in any photo editing program (heck, even MS paint will work). I added the flavor names for my labels and I've included a .zip file of all of those labels, which are for the "Blenders" Skittles. The Apple Pie Moonshine label is pretty much ready to go, you can fill in the background with a color if you want and then just slap it on your mason jars! Note: the images are very large, so make sure to measure your containers and then scale the labels down to the correct size.

To Download: Click to open full-sized in a new window, right-click and "Save As."

To Download these labels as a .zip compressed set of files: Click Here

To Download: Click to open full-sized in a new window, right-click and "Save As."

Enjoy and have a wonderful holiday break!
- The Broke Student Guide

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The Broke Student Finals Survival Strategy: Make-Your-Own Starbucks Part 1

2011-12-11T11:44:00.001-08:00

Ah, coffee. A must-have for most college students, especially during the hellish weeks that we all know as "finals" (or "f*** I never learned sh**" if you're into that). You'd be hard-pressed to find a student in the library this week without a cup of coffee clutched in their trembling little hand. But at what cost?? No, I'm not talking about the expense of your sanity, health, or sleep-deprived car wrecks; I'm talking about how expensive Starbucks coffee is. Oh my god, IT IS SO EXPENSIVE. How expensive, exactly? Well say you're a casual Starbucks drinker. You only buy a coffee 4 days out of the week when you have class, and you just get a tall of whatever holiday drinks happen to be out, so it's only about $3.60. Sadly, that $14.40/week habit adds up to $57.60 per month, $230.40 a semester and $460.80 in a school year! And that's not counting the times when you got a Grande or some extra syrup or went to Starbucks on the weekends. It adds up, guys! But don't worry - I'm about to save you that $460, and it will only cost you maybe $30 MAX if you really go all out.

My in-home coffee shop, complete with rainbow-organized tea bags!

I resisted coffee for a long, long time. I was a green tea girl, and I drank those big canned energy drinks when I needed a boost. But then one summer I lived in an apartment that had a 100% free unlimited fresh-brew, fresh-roasted coffee machine filled with fresh Starbucks coffee beans. You just pressed a button, and the beans were ground and brewed before your eyes. It was amazing (and made paying rent totally worth it). I became a daily coffee drinker that summer, and when I moved back onto campus, I use one of my Swagbucks Amazon gift cards to buy myself a cute little one-cup coffee machine that came with a travel mug! Since then I've built up quite a little coffee empire on my kitchen counter, which you can see in that picture there. The orange coffee machine, which is actually not currently used for anything aside from making my kitchen look adorable, was found at Goodwill. And that brings me to the point of Part 1: How-To: How To Make Your Own At-Home Coffee Shop. (PS: this would make a neat gift idea for your favorite Starbucks-addicted broke student friend!)

How To Make Your Own At-Home Coffee Shop.: What You Will Need and Where to Get It

1. Coffee Machine I mean, duh. But have no fear! Not only are coffee makers cheap and easy to find and use, but you can have one in your dorm room! Yay! The best places to get a good, inexpensive coffee machine:

Thrift Stores like Goodwill and the Salvation Army sell small appliances and frequently have coffee machines. Expect to pay anywhere from $2-$7 for one.
Post and ad on your local Craigslist or your school's Online Classifieds asking if anyone has a cheap one to sell for around $5.
Ask for one for free on your local Freecycle board. To find your local Freecycle chapter, visit Freecycle.org.
Amazon.com has some nice little ones for around $10-$15. I really like the one-cup machines that come with travel mugs so you can brew it and then take it right to class with you. There are some good cheap ones listed below. (Remember: you can use your Swagbucks points to redeem for Amazon gift cards!)

2. A Mug After you've got yourself a coffee maker, the next thing you need is something to put that coffee in once you brew it. If you bought a machine that comes with a travel mug, skip this step. If not, head to your nearest thrift store - they usually have some good mugs, and most of them end up being unintentionally hilarious (#1 Grandma? Hot Tasty Butts? ...that second one is a restaurant in MO, I didn't just make it up.) Or ask on Freecycle, most people have lots of mugs lying around. If you want a convenient little travel mug to take with you to class, hit up Amazon. DON'T go to a store, they usually tend to run about $15-$20 at a Target or Starbucks. Here are some fairly cheap travel mugs:

3. Coffee Again, kind of a no-brainer, but this one is a bit trickier. When I first started out brewing my own coffee, I went straight to the Dollar Tree and bought some coffee from them. As you can imagine, it was sub-par quality. So don't feel bad if you opt for the $8.99/lb coffee beans from Kroger or your local health food store - it's probably worth it, and it's way cheaper than Starbucks anyway. Grocery and health food stores typically have fresh beans and a grinder right there in the aisle. Dunkin' Donuts also has decent ground coffee, and of course there's always instant coffee like Folger's if you're not picky.

4. Creamer and Syrup Now that you've got the basics, it's time to have some fun! The flavored creamers and syrups you get are what will transform your at-home coffee into a Starbucks-esque dream come true. (You can also always stick with plain milk, though!) First you need some tasty creamer. Here's where to pick that up:

You can get creamers like this one at
the grocery store!

The Dollar Tree occasionally has International Delight creamer bottles, in flavors like Hazelnut and French Vanilla. Those are the same creamers in the little cups at gas stations and whatnot, and they are delicious!
Grocery Stores usually have tons of different creamers in both powder and liquid form. They'll also have fun flavors like Peppermint Mocha and Creme Brulee. Kroger in particular has a great selection of creamers. Pick out some fun flavors!
Gas Stations You know those little creamer cups I mentioned earlier at the gas station? Well as long as there isn't a limit to the amount you're allowed to take, why don't you go in there and buy a coffee and then, ahem, grab a couple of extra creamers to take along for the ride? I wouldn't condone this if I hadn't tried it myself many times in full view of the gas station attendants and confirmed that it is definitely NOT stealing - they've never said anything to me about it, and if there's a limit on the creamer you can take there is usually a sign. That said, don't steal.

Syrups are the other add-in that take your coffee from basic to baller. They can be expensive and difficult to find, though - I found mine (pictured above) at The Dollar Tree for $1 each! They will also have them at Grocery Stores, though they tend to be a bit on the pricey side. But if you always get a splash of Sugar-Free Hazlenut in your Starbucks, it might be worth the cost.

5. Sweeteners, Extra Goodies The last part of your DIY at-home coffee shop is the sweeteners and other extra goodies! You know what kind of sweetener you like best, so I suggest stocking up on it. Again, as long as it's free and unlimited, go ahead and grab some sweetener packets at a fast food place or gas station - just make sure it's REALLY free and unlimited, and buy something while you're there so you're not being a total dick. As for Extra Goodies, here's where you can have a bit of fun and get creative (or don't, because this stuff is totally optional.) How about Whipped Cream or Cocoa Powder to top off your drinks? Or Sprinkles? Or Cinnamon, Vanilla Extract, or Chocolate Syrup? In some of the recipes I'll be mentioning in my next post, we'll be using goodies like Hot Chocolate, Peppermint Extract (or candy canes, or peppermint candies) Eggnogg and Canned Pumpkin. So get creative in your grocery aisle! Like I said at the start of this article, even if you spend $30 on your at-home coffee shop today, you're still saving yourself from a $460/school year habit. Or to put it more simply, if you make your own drinks at home instead of going to Starbucks for 2 weeks, your at-home coffee shop will have paid for itself.

Of course, some of you are probably making a face right now and rolling your eyes and thinking "oh my god, this is way more work than just actually going to Starbucks, $460 be damned!" And, yea, you're right. So for those of you who just prefer the convenience of having someone else make your own coffee, I've got you covered too! Here are your alternatives:

Circle K has tons of yummy coffee options for only $.99!

Buy Your Coffee Somewhere Cheaper Just hear me out on this one: there ARE cheaper places to buy coffee than Starbucks, and they DO taste just as good. Some of the best and cheapest coffee drinks I've had come from gas stations, especially Circle K and QuickTrip. Both of these gas stations serve 16oz flavored cappuccinos for $.99! You can make your own coffee drink by mixing and matching yummy stuff like French Vanilla Cappuchino or Pumpkin Spice Latte or plain old flavored coffee. Not only is it cheaper, but you get MORE coffee, and it tastes DELICIOUS. (Plus: free unlimited flavored creamer!) If you buy one of these coffees 4x a week for a school year, you'll spend only $128 - practically 1/4 of what you'd spend going to Starbucks!
Use Gift Cards Sometimes it's just gotta be Starbucks. I get it. So for those times, why not use a free Gift Card? Where would you get those gift cards for free, you ask? Why, that site I keep talking about getting Amazon gift cards - you can ALSO redeem your points for Starbucks gift cards! I'm talking about Swagbucks, of course. They offer $5-$100 gift cards to Starbucks. They are slightly more expensive than the Amazon gift cards, but the average daily Swagbucker can usually make about 2250 points in a month - enough for about $15 in Starbucks gift cards. Not bad, eh? At least that's one week's worth of Starbucks paid for each month! That adds up to a savings of $120/school year. To learn more about earning Swagbucks, read this entry.

Stay tuned for Part 2: Make-Your-Own Starbucks Drink Recipes!!

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The Broke Student Gift-Giving Guide

2011-11-19T06:50:00.001-08:00

Holiday Gift Wrap Ideas make your cheap gifts WAY more classy.

The Holiday season is pretty much officially here (I mean, I don't think there really is an "official" arrival time, but it seems to me that it's pretty much happening, you know? I mean, Starbucks is serving Holiday drinks now - buy one get one free, even!)! One of my favorite things about the Holiday season - aside from two weeks or so off from school -is giving my loved ones the perfect Christmas/Hanukkah/Whatever present, and with no income to speak of, that gets difficult. The following will be your How-To Guide for being able to afford this year's presents, so you can avoid that disappointed look when you give your best friend yet another knitted scarf (or is that just my friends?). I present to you (GET IT? LOL) the Broke Student Gift-Giving Guide!

More cheap, creative Gift Wrap Ideas!

1. Before we begin, go and enter the Broke Student Giveaway, because you can buy lots of gifts with a $25 Gift Certificate to BuyGreen.com! Now, let's begin. The best way to give people quality gifts is, of course, to actually spend money on them. Which is where things get tricky, since of course, we don't have any money. If we did we wouldn't be reading this blog/entry. Have no fear! The Holiday season is the best time to cash in on all the hard work you've been putting into those Paid-To sites you signed up with months ago when I first wrote about them. (Right?!?!?! No? Ok, go sign up now, and hurry.) This month, I've cashed in a $45 check from InboxDollars.com, $75 in gift cards from Swagbucks.com, and a $50 Amazon gift card from MyPoints.com. For those of us who can't do math in our heads, that's a total of $170 that I'll have to spend on gifts this year! (Of course, after I buy my boyfriend all the video games he wants, that leaves about -$10 for everyone else. Which is why this isn't the only number in this list. Moving on.)

Wrapping your gifts in newsprint gives a vintage vibe.

2. Remember that entry I wrote about Mystery Shopping? If not, go read it. This month alone I've earned $114 from Mystery Shopping, which doesn't include payments that haven't been issued yet this month. Although some of that money is reimbursement (for things like meals I had to purchase) most of it is just income! So that brings my total Gift Budget up to $284! I do realize that #1 and #2 take quite a bit of planning, though, and it's kind of too late to catch up if you haven't already started with Paid-To Sites and Mystery Shopping (though do sign up now and start earning for next year!) So here's some stuff you can start doing TODAY.

Even more Gift Wrap Ideas!

3. Do you have a computer and some extra time? (Obviously you do if you're reading this, that was rhetorical.) Why not write your favorite companies to get some free stuff? Sure, some of them just send coupons - but some of them send coupons for FREE products, or gift cards! Example: I had a gross muffin at Panera, so I wrote them describing in great detail the grossness of that muffin. One week later, I had a sweet hand-written card with a $10 Panera Gift Card folded inside! That gift card will be someone's Christmas present! (Friends who are reading this: GO AWAY.) You can write with either genuine compliments or complaints - you'll typically get a response for either, as companies are very invested in keeping their loyal customers by rewarding them for their loyalty. Some of the best companies I've had responses from are White Castle (coupons for 6 free burgers!) and Starbucks (free drink coupons!). I'd also recommend trying Panera, Kohl's, Qdoba, or wherever you shop or eat the most. Just be genuine and talk about your relationship with that retailer or company! They usually respond quickly, so you should be getting some good stuff to use as gifts before Christmas. Let me know which companies respond with the best stuff!

4. Ok, let's talk about stuff you can do RIGHT NOW. Well, maybe after a trip to the store. These are tried and true gifts that stand the test of friendship: delicious edible gifts. Get ready to become your circle of friends' Paula Deen. (Yes, Paula Deen. PS, my boyfriend tried deep-frying balls of cheesecake, and apparently it was delicious and everyone loved it. So I'm not including that on the list, because gross, but technically that could be a pretty good gift. I will refer you to him if you have questions regarding anything deep-fried.) While baking cupcakes or cookies is always nice, these edible gift ideas are simple, unexpected and cheap - plus, no baking skills required.

Super simple chocolate dipped pretzels!

Chocolate Dipped Pretzel Sticks These are super easy to

Bourbon balls or truffles are delicious simple gifts.

Chocolate-dipped Marshmallows rolled in graham crackers.

make, with minimal ingredients which means not very expensive. You'll need a bag (or two) of pretzel rods, some chocolate to melt (look in the baking aisle - chocolate for candy-making is best, but you can use chocolate chips too) and whatever toppings or decorations you want: white chocolate, sprinkles, mini m&ms, crushed up oreos, etc. Get creative! Here are some detailed instructions, but it's super easy: all you do is melt some chocolate, dip a pretezel rod in that chocolate, roll it around in some toppings, and then lay it out to dry. SO FREAKING EASY. A quick Google search for "Chocolate Dipped Pretzel Sticks" turns up a million results with some great ideas about what to dip them in and how to package them nicely (I just stuck a bunch in saran wrap and tied it at the bottom with a pretty ribbon.) These are a hit with just about everyone and 1-2 bags will yield more than enough pretzels.

Chocolate Dipped Everything Anything is better dipped in chocolate. And it's SO FREAKING EASY to dip stuff in chocolate, so why not get creative? Snag some coffee stirrers from Starbucks (free Popsicle sticks!) and stick them into Bananas, Twinkies or Oreos (and then dip them in chocolate, obv.) Dip some Marshmallows in chocolate and roll them in crushed graham cracker crumbs for S'mores on a Stick. How about apples or dried fruit of any kind? Plain sugar cookies? If you can eat it, you can dip it in chocolate. Let your inner Paula Deen go wild!

Give the Gift of Balls There are so many kinds of balls that you can make this Holiday Season. First, watch the SNL Shweddy Balls skit to get you in the mood. Now that you're ready to make some balls, how about Cake Pops? Just bake a cake, crumble it up, mix it with icing and roll into balls that you can then dip in chocolate. (Tip: use LOTS of icing to hold the cake crumbs together.) Or how about Brownie Balls? Same idea: make brownies, crumble brownies, mix with icing, dip in chocolate! What about Chocolate Truffles? Truffles are easier than they look (only 3 ingredients, really!), DELICIOUS, and can be customized to just about anyone's taste. If you don't believe me, here's a giant list of truffle recipes. Here are some Oreo truffles, or perhaps you could customize your truffles with a liquor. Are you a peanut butter person? Make some Buckeyes! If you're from Kentucky, you've probably had Bourbon Balls before - did you know they're super easy to make? Here's another recipe to try. Make sure you have some powdered sugar or sprinkles on hand to dip all of these delicious balls into.

5. Are you over 21? If so, these gift options are for you. Alcohol makes a lovely gift. And no, we don't mean bringing over a 30-pack of Natty Light to the Christmas party. Have some class, really. These ideas will not only result in the best Christmas gifts ever, but they'll get your friends/family so drunk they won't even remember that you didn't get them anything else!

Skittles Vodka! Easy, pretty and delicious.

Infused Vodkas

Skittles Vodka As easy as it sounds, this is basically vodka + skittles = delicious skittles flavored vodka! Here's a how-to recipe. All you do is add some color-separated skittles to some vodka and let it sit for a while. You'll need to strain the skittles chunks before you serve it to your friends, but that's pretty much the hardest thing about this super-simple gift idea. Try jazzing it up with tropical skittles for a beautiful rainbow array of flavors and colors! I'm packaging my Skittles vodka in miniature $1 wine bottles I got from Kroger, but any capped bottle or container you have will do just fine. Just remember, you'll need one container for each color/flavor. Once you've completed your Skittles vodka, mix it with some Sprite for a super easy, super delicious mixed drink!
Infused Vodkas if Skittles don't float your boat, you can infuse vodka with a million other things, and it's really, really easy. Here are some guidelines. You can keep it simple (fruit + vodka, ginger root + vodka, cucumber + vodka, Rolos + vodka...) or make it more complex (habanero bacon vodka, perhaps?) Search Google or TasteSpotting.com to find some awesome recipe ideas. Just allow about a month for the infusion to penetrate the vodka.
Apple Cider Moonshine No, it's not really "moonshine," but it's a simplified version of this classic recipe made with straight grain alcohol such as Everclear. Before you instinctively vomit everywhere remembering the last time you had Everclear, hear me out. Here's the recipe. Essentially, you'll add Apple Juice to Apple Cider, boil it in a pot with a lot of sugar and a lot of cinnamon, cool it off and then add an entire bottle of straight grain alcohol. I made this last week and I can verify that it is, indeed, delicious.Your apartment will smell like apple pie and your friends will be drunkenly amazed at your skills. I bottled all of mine in leftover recycled pasta and jam jars that I intend to decorate!
Homemade Cordials and Mixers On this page you'll find recipes for everything from homemade Irish Cream to Sweet-N-Sour Mix. Here are recipes for Homemade Liqeuors. There are so many options, you'll be giving alcohol gifts for YEARS to come!!

6. By now there are probably some angry freshman who want to kill me for not including any gifts that don't require a kitchen. (You can microwave the chocolate, guys.) Anyway, just to be fair, here are some gifts that DON'T require any sort of kitchen equipment!

This is my boyfriend modelling his DIY shirt.

Customized T-Shirts Everyone loves those shirts on Threadless or similar. But the problem is, they cost money. Not to worry - making your own graphic t-shirts is easy and not that expensive! Think of the possibilities: a picture of your and your friend; an inside joke; a reference to your friend's favorite movie or TV series; lyrics to your friend's favorite song; something really silly, insulting and/or dumb - there are SO many directions you could go with this. Customizing a t-shirt can be done in a few different ways: iron-on transfer paper, stick-on letters, or plain ol' paint and markers. Head to your closest craft store such as Hobby Lobby or Michael's (be sure to search for and print out the weekly 40% off coupon first, though!) and locate the t-shirt decorating aisle. You can buy plain t-shirts here, or you can go to Goodwill or the Salvation Army. Anyway, look for iron-on transfer paper if you want to print out an image for your shirt. You'll need access to a printer and an iron for those. If you just want words, get some iron-on or stick-on letters - you'll want stick-on if you don't have an iron. There should also be fabric paint and fabric markers - you can decorate the shirt freehand! The picture you see to the right there is actually my boyfriend modelling his creation for Minecon 2011.
Get Crafty There are lots of gift ideas that only require some basic crafty skills and materials. How about making a Reasons Why I Love You booklet? Here are some examples using a deck of cards: Example 1, Example 2. Here are some other examples: Example 1, Example 2.These make great gifts for your boyfriend/girlfriend, and are a step above a mix CD or playlist. (Not that those aren't cool too.) They'll also work for your friends! Here's another idea: make a collage using pictures of you and your friends! Just print out your favorite pictures from Facebook and paste them onto a big sheet of poster board with some cute cut-outs from magazines and quotes. Or if you're no good at collages, make a Memory Board: Cover some foam board in pretty fabric and pin ribbons criss-crossing on top of the board to make a cute way to display pictures! You can decorate it however you like, or leave it blank for your friend to customize themselves. How about making some Custom Magnets by gluing pictures or jewels onto magnet backings purchased at a craft store? There are tons of ideas out there! Here are some tutorials, some more tutorials, and a forum filled with gift ideas. Happy searching!

Salt and Sugar Scrubs are easy and make great gifts.

Bath & Beauty Gifts Bath and beauty stuff is so easy to make. Whether you purchase a melt and pour soap-making
kit at Michael's or opt for making a simple salt or sugar scrub, there are tons of ideas out there. Here are some good tutorials. Some of my personal favorites are Bath Bombs, Lip Balm or Gloss, and Salt or Sugar Scrubs. The last one is really the easiest - just mix olive oil with sea salt or sugar, and add a scent! Here are a bunch of Sugar Scrub recipes. Surprisingly, you can find good ingredients for DIY beauty projects at the Dollar Tree, including Sea Salt (food aisle), Epsom Salts (bath aisle) and scented oils (in the candle aisle)

Cute comic wrapped gifts! Great for kids.

Ok. Hopefully at least ONE of those suggestions inspired you. And remember, gift wrapping is cool and all, but recycling a brown paper bag and tying it with a pretty ribbon is cheaper, more environmentally-friendly, AND looks more unique and super classy. Or try using recycled Sunday comics papers or magazine tears! There are so many ways to give awesome gifts to your friends, but if you still can't afford any of the ideas above, don't sweat it. Your friends/family will understand and forgive you for being broke as a joke. I have a friend who is a music major, and every year she writes and performs personalized songs for her loved ones. I've received hand-made cards with heartfelt notes in lieu of gifts, and it was sweeter than any store-bought trinket. Just because you can't afford to buy *stuff* doesn't mean you can't show your loved ones that you care about them. So relax! The Holiday season is meant to be fun and enjoyable, and there are many more things to enjoy and be thankful for than giving and receiving gifts. As always, let me know if you have any questions about anything in this post, and please comment with gift ideas not listed here!

Want to know about new freebies, samples, deals and money-saving as soon as they happen? Follow The Broke Student's Guide on Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr.

Freebies and deals of the week 11/11

2011-11-10T07:35:00.000-08:00

Save $25 off your purchase of $50 or more at Haute Look! Just use code 25OFF50HL at checkout. I freaking love HauteLook so I am psyched about this.

Get $25 gift certificates for only $2 from Restaurant.com! Just enter code "HAM" at checkout. These make great inexpensive gifts. PS: if you go through ShopAtHome.com, you'll get 35% cash back; or use Ebates and get 15% Cash Back! Just go onto each site and search for Restaurant.com and go through their link to get cash back, super easy.

FREE Keebler Fudge Jumbo Stick sample! The site is in Spanish. So good luck with that. Use a translator, or consider it homework for Spanish class. Click Here

FREE Hot Drink at Pilot Travel Centers. Print this coupon to redeem this offer. Valid at participating Pilot Travel Center or Flying J locations. Coupon valid October 31 – December 31, 2011. Print the Coupon

FREE Wendy’s "Wheres The Beef" T-Shirt (or alternatively, "Here's the Beef" or "Hot 'N Juicy" - your choice!) Just play some fun little games until you get to the end where you can sign up to receive your shirt. Click Here

FREE Vega Sport Sample Pack when you sign up for the Vega Newsletter, Includes: 1 Pre-Workout Energizer, 1 Electrolyte Hydrator, and 1 Recovery Accelerator. Click Here

FREE Sample of Purt Plus when you upload any photo and share it with your friends on their facebook page. Click Here

FREE trial-size sample of TRESemme! You get to choose from their most popular TRESemmé shampoo and conditioner formulas. Click Here

FREE 10-day supply of Estee Lauder Liquid Foundation! Visit your local Dillards and stop by the Estee Lauder counter! Offer good while supplies last. One to a customer, no purchase necessary.

FREE Sample of AmLactin Body Lotion courtesy of AllYou! You’ll have to qualify for this one by taking a short survey. If you don’t qualify you’ll be offered a coupon instead. Available to the first 100,000 only. Allow 6 to 8 weeks for delivery. Click Here

FREE samples of Airborne Chewable tablets. Copy and paste this link: https://secure.startsampling.com/sm/102094

Want to know about new freebies, samples, deals and money-saving as soon as they happen? Follow The Broke Student's Guide on Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr.

The 2nd Broke Student Giveaway: $25 Gift Certificate to BuyGreen.com!

2011-11-09T19:23:00.000-08:00

Hey, remember that one time I gave away a bunch of free stuff? Well, that time has come again! Except this time I'll be giving away a $25 Gift Certificate to BuyGreen.com! *Cue applause* All right, settle down. First let me share with you how on earth I can afford to be giving away $25 worth of anything (because trust me, I don't have $25 to spare, as much as I love you guys). This gift certificate was actually a prize from Recyclebank, as part of their "Green Your Vacation" contest. I write about Recyclebank a lot, mostly due to the free magazine subscriptions, McDonald's food vouchers, gift cards and coupons that you can get on the site just for learning about sustainability. And now I'm going to give them yet another shout out, because they are awesome. It is because of them that I am able to pay it forward and host this giveaway!

Super cute recycled notebooks!

BuyGreen.com, as you may have already guessed, is an e-commerce site dedicated to sustainability, selling eco-friendly, green and organic products. You'll find everything here from yummy organic lip balm to candles to bathrobes to picnic tables. I don't know why any of my readers would want a picnic table, but just in case you do, this is the place to get it! You'll be able to find something for everyone on your holiday shopping list - and if you're skeptical, just try searching the site using the "Gifts" tab. And hey, don't feel bad if you plan to use the gift certificate for yourself. You deserve $25 worth of organic beauty products or bamboo sporks. You've been working really hard this semester.

These water bottles are on sale!

So how can you win this fabulous prize? It's easy! Each of the following actions will earn you (1) entry. Once you complete an action, post a comment on this blog post including your email address, briefly explaining which action you took. Each action you complete, along with your comment, equals one entry. Make sure you leave a separate comment for each entry! At the end of the giveaway, I will use a random-number generator to pick a comment at random. If yours is chosen, you will win the giveaway! (Note: if your entry is invalid - say, you did not complete what you claimed - you will not be eligible for the prize, and a new winner will be chosen.) You will receive entries for EACH of the following:

1. Leave a comment about your favorite entry from The Broke Student's Guide, and how it helped you save money or get something for free! Be sure to include your email address in the comment. Limit: (1)

2. Follow The Blog using either Google Reader or Blogger. There's a "Follow" button on the right-hand side of the blog! Once you've followed, comment with your Google ID and email address. Limit: (1)

3. Follow The Facebook for (1) entry. Comment with a link to your facebook and your email address. Limit: (1)

4. Follow The Tumblr for (1) entry. Comment with a link to your tumblr and your email address. If you have multiple tumblrs, you will recieve (1) entry for EACH tumblr you use to follow the blog, up to 3. Limit: (3)

5. Follow The Twitter for (1) entry. Comment with a link to your twitter and your email address. Limit: (1)

6. Promote the giveaway on a social networking site or blog - receive (1) entry for EACH time you link to this post, OR link to any page on the blog. Comment in this post with a link to where you promoted the blog and an email address for (1) entry per EACH link. Limit: (2) per day.

You can copy and past the following:

Win a $25 Gift Certificate to BuyGreen.com from The Broke Student's Guide! Enter the giveaway: http://bit.ly/susaU5

Total Entries Possible: 9 today, + 2 per day until November 30!

What are you waiting for? Start now! The giveaway is closed.

The winner of the giveaway is Shannon! Congratulations! Check your inbox, Shannon.

Freebies Scores from September and October

2011-10-21T14:40:00.000-07:00

I've recieved lots of freebies since school started back up, but I haven't had a chance to post them yet! Of course that means several of them are already gone (RIP, full-sized candy bars from the Hershey's booth at the career fair that I ate almost immediately) but I gathered together my remaining goodies to post them! Here we go.

Career Fair Goodies: Goody hair elastics (see what I did there with the "goodies" thing? eh?), Bath & Body Works Snow Kissed Berry shower gel, Target and Marathon water bottles, Cintas hand sanitizer, Chase piggy keychain, pedometer, Discover sunglasses, free song from Gap Careers, thumb drive, bottle opener keychain, Bon-Ton stores flip flop keychain. Not pictured: like 6 full-sized Hershey products, 6 adorable greeting cards from American Greetings, reusable bags from Sears, Target and Bon-Ton Stores, another thumb-drive, and a bunch of pens and highlighters. And some business cards from some seriously kickass recruiters ;) Seriously you guys, career fairs are awesome for ALL the right reasons.

Mailed Freebies: Target beauty bag containing Pond's facial wipes, Garnier Fructis shampoo/conditioner sample, John Frieda shampoo/conditioner sampler, Burt's Bees moisturizer sample, Loreal Youth Code sample, and Tresemme Naturals sample; Origins night cream; Ojon serum; Infusium 23 hair treatment; Nivea body wash; Zantac pills; Obestrim pills; Youtonics collagen drink; Splenda with antioxidants samples; Tripliderm moisturizer; Wake Up Joe coffee; John Frieda shampoo/conditioner samples; Frederic Fekkai shampoo/conditioner and treatment samples; Glamour, Runway, Woman's Day, Family Circle and Good Housekeeping magazines

On-Campus Freebies: Kleenex, First-Aid kit, Aetna hand sanitizer (thanks, IU Health Center! They also have condoms and sunscreen on the 3rd floor. And a bunch of other stuff, listed here.)

Redeemed Freebies: Eureka! Cordless Vacuum cleaner from Amazon.com using my Swagbucks gift cards (read more about Swagbucks in this entry); HauteLook LORAC exclusive eyeshadow palette (learn more about Hautelook in this entry); check from BestMark.com for mystery shopping. (Note: if you sign up for BestMark, please enter my shopper ID, MO5014, on the 2nd page as your referrer!) Not Pictured: $100 or so and a ton of free meals from other Mystery Shopping companies (learn more about Mystery Shopping in this entry), and more stuff from Amazon via Swagbucks - milk frother, coffee machine, and some super cute boots.

So there you have it! What goodies have you received this month? Post 'em up here or on my Facebook page!

Want to know about new freebies, samples, deals and money-saving as soon as they happen? Follow The Broke Student's Guide on Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr.

Freebies & Deals of the Week: Super Mega Huge Edition!

2011-10-12T18:15:00.000-07:00

FREE Proctor & Gamble Brand Sampler! Click Here

FREE Quaker Smashbar Samples at Build-A-Bear Workshops nationwide from October 28-October 31! Come by in costume and receive more free virtual gifts during the Kooky Spooky Bear Bash! (Sidenote: is that the cutest party name ever or WHAT?)

FREE Thermosculpt Weightloss Capsules! Click Here

FREE Matador Fat-Burning Energy Shot! Click Here

FREE Obestrim Weight Loss Pill Samples! Click Here

FREE Nescafe Taster's Choice samples! Click Here

FREE Atkins Starter Kit including Atkins Bars! Click Here

FREE sample of Origins Plantscription Anti-Aging eye treatment! Click Here

FREE Flu Shots for anyone without health insurance from CVS! Pick up a voucher and redeem at any CVS. List of voucher locations: Click Here

‎$10 FREE coupon for Office Depot copy and print department! Use it for business cards, passport photos, photo prints, resume copies, laminating, binding, and more!! Expires 11/7/11. Click Here

$10 FREE when you sign up for CouponMob! CouponMob is essentially like Groupon, with mostly online deals. Click Here to Sign Up

FREE samples from Hero Nutritionals! Sign up and enter the promo code "KK Free Sample" for your free product sample and coupon. Click Here

FREE Eggroll at Panda Express when you text "Panda" to 49675. Also, IU students (and possibly other schools?) get a FREE orange chicken when you wear your Hoosier clothing to Panda Express on a game day.

FREE Feminine Hygiene Sampler! Hey girl hey. Get a super awesome sparkly free sample kit from BeingGirl. "Like" the facebook page, then click "More" on the lefthand column to find "Free Samples." Click Here

FREE Bare Escentuals bareMinerals® Pretty Amazing Lip Color in Confidence from Sephora inside jcpenney®. Print the coupon.

FREE 2oz Sample of Benjamin Moore Paint! Print the Coupon

FREE Coffee at Waffle House! Expires 10/15. Click Here

FREE Evamor Bottled Water. "Like" the Facebook Page

FREE Sample of Spark Energy Drink! Click Here

FREE Sample Natural Persimmon Tea! Click Here

FREE Sample of TeaChef Tea! Click Here

FREE Sample Yogi Tea! Send an E-Card/sample to yourself, and whoever else you want. Click Here

FREE Art of Ironing DVD! Come on guys .... this is an AWESOME free sample. Ironing!!! It's an art! .... No? You don't want to watch a DVD about the Art of Ironing? No worries, I gotcha covered. (Just in case though - Click Here for the world's most interesting DVD.)

FREE DVD rentals from Blockbuster! No ironing. These codes expire 10/13:

7650BW8
65DWTM7
73MAYB6
74ABDP3
97KRFT5
63SLRH5
49WHZS3
24NCCC7

FREE Kleenex Sample Pack for you and a friend! Click Here.

FREE L'Occitane hand cream, redeemable at your local L’OCCITANE Boutique. "Like" the Facebook Page

FREE sample of Flix Flossing Stix! (International) Click Here

FREE Subscription to Maxim Magazine! Click Here

FREE 1yr Subscription to SPIN Magazine! Click Here

FREE Issues (4) of OK! Magazine! Click Here

FREE Issue of Bridal Guide Magazine! Click Here

FREE Pristine Skincare Solution Sample! Click Here

FREE sample of Ojon Hair Serum! "Like" the Facebook Page

FREE sample of Burberry Body Fragrance! (International) Click Here

FREE Carol's Daughter Hold & Control Hair Smoother! Click Here

FREE Escada Perfume Sample! Click Here

FREE 16x20 Poster from WalMart! Order online, pickup in-store. Expires 10/31. Print the Coupon

FREE Portrait Collage from PictureMe inside WalMart! Click Here

FREE Aromatherapy Samples! Click Here

35% off at Gap.com! Use code GAPLINE to save 35% on your entire Gap.com purchase now through 10/13/2011. After that the same code will save you 30% through 10/14/2011. The savings drops to 25% on 10/15/2011.

Whew!! Did you get 'em all? Want to know about new freebies, samples, deals and money-saving as soon as they happen? Follow The Broke Student's Guide on Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr.

P.S. If you feel like over-achieving and getting even MORE free stuff .... My favorite paid-to site is Swagbucks. I earn at least $25 in Amazon Gift cards each and every month! Read more about Swagbucks in this entry.

Mystery Shopping: Get Paid to Shop! Seriously. Not even kidding.

2011-09-25T12:03:00.000-07:00

I have a lot of articles about ways to make money while at school, when you're too busy for a real job but need some extra cash. In addition to paid-to sites, paid research studies, donating plasma and the other suggestions I've made, I'd like to add one powerful new weapon to your money-making arsenal: Mystery Shopping!

What is mystery shopping? Mystery Shopping is a tool that companies use to evaluate their performance from a customer's perspective. A mystery shopper goes into an establishment with a situation provided by the company, in order to evaluate what ACTUALLY happens to a real customer on an ordinary day. They will evaluate everything from customer service, to cleanliness, to whether the correct signage is being used. Then they report their findings back to the company so that the company can see where they need improvements. If you've ever worked anywhere, you know that the day the district managers come to visit calls for a week of deep-cleaning and everyone using their best behavior to make it seem like that's how things always are. Management caught onto this awhile ago, and got sneaky: hence, mystery shopping.. The process of mystery shopping goes like this: Search for job. Sign up for job. Complete job at specified time. Fill out shop report and submit proof of receipts/documentation (to prove you actually did the shop). Receive payment 30-60 days later. (Some payment is sooner, but most is on a delay.)

As a mystery shopper, you are truly getting paid to shop. Or eat. Or get your brakes looked at. Or get a spray tan, or go to the movies, or talk to someone. If it sounds too good to be true, that's because it kind of has a bad reputation as a huge scam. You know, you see those ads like "Mystery Shopper Wanted: make a bazillion dollars by doing absolutely nothing!!! No catch!" which reeks of scam (not even convincing scam, either). While those companies ARE scams, mystery shopping in general is 100% legit. I was skeptical myself when I signed up for a few mystery shopping companies this summer, and I decided not to report back on the blog until I'd gotten paid from these companies to prove that they were actually legit. Several months later, and I'm here to tell you that THEY ARE SO LEGIT YOU GUYS OMG. This is hands-down the best way to make extra cash in college. I've actually resorted to mystery shopping as my primary source of income this semester. I'm in a small town, which means less companies to shop, so I'm making about $30/month on average, but when I was in a big city this summer, I was making MUCH more than that. If you live in a large city with a mystery shopping company located in that city (Louisville, KY is a great example of this - there are TONNSSSSS of mystery shops in Louisville!) it is perfectly doable to turn this into a part-time job, making several hundred a month. If you're willing to travel for a shop, you can potentially turn this into a full-time job. This IS possible, but you also will need to have a lot of mystery shopping equipment, like hidden video recorders, and pay extra to get certified for some higher-pay shops - but it CAN be done!

Still feeling skeptical? To the right is a pay
statement from one of my first months of mystery shopping. It adds up QUICK, guys. Some shops pay you just to go and talk to someone, some shops require you to make a purchase and then reimburse you later. So far, I've mystery shopped at banks, car dealerships, fast food restaurants, electronics stores, cell phone stores, and even an adult store (Indiana University Students: it was College Books. I totally got paid to shop at College Books.). It's fun, it's easy, and I end up making more per hour than most of the jobs I've had so far.

So, ready to give it a try? First, you need to find some mystery shopping companies to sign up with, or see if there are opportunities in your area. (Bigger cities are the best locations to be a mystery shopper.) The availability of the shops depends on the companies located near you and how many companies are employing their services. There are hundreds of mystery shopping companies located all over! To find out what's available near you, search using this handy little website. The sites I linked to are both on the MSPA site - the Mystery Shopping Providers Association. They're essentially a regulating certification board. To be on their site, you have to be a LEGIT mystery shopping company - no scammers allowed. Signing up with a company from their site ensures that you won't get scammed - they do a thorough check of each of their listed companies before certifying them.
So, found a few shops in your area? Interested in giving it a try? The next thing to do is to sign up with the companies that are providing shops in your location. Once you click on a description of a shop you're interested in, it will list which company is providing the shop, usually with a link. Click on that provided link to go to the website of the mystery shop company. Now, you need to sign up for that Mystery Shopping company. It will ask you a lot of information about yourself. Don't be scared - the more personal information they have about you, the better they can match you up for certain shops that are targeted at specific customers. Some companies may also ask you for writing samples, for example, writing about an experience at a store. Just try to give complete unbiased details, and use proper grammar and spelling.

Now, some things that will make you nervous. Every mystery shopping company will ask you for your Social Security Number. This is because mystery shopping is a legitimate form of income - read: job - and as such, they are required to report to the government if you make over a certain amount per year using their company (I think it's $600/yr) for tax purposes. It's no different than giving your SSN to a job in-person. If you look at the browser, it should read https:// instead of http://, which means your information is secure and encripted. I have yet to have a problem giving out my SSN to any of these sites, and I've signed up for about 10 of them. Second nervous-making thing: some mystery shop companies will ask you for your bank account information, to direct deposit your income into your account. Again, this is just like handing over a voided check at a job - just because they have your account number DOESN'T mean they can steal your money. It'd be like giving a check in your name along with a filled out deposit slip to a friend to deposit in your bank for you - all they'll be able to do is deposit that money. If that company is direct deposit only, that's how you will get paid. Many companies pay via paypal or mailed check, but I've also received direct deposit income with no problems at all.

Ok, now you've signed up with a mystery shopping company! You're all ready to find that shop you signed up for and get going! Before you request or self-assign that shop, you'll need to have a good understanding of how to complete a mystery shop properly. It's not rocket science, but if you mess everything up your first time, the site may not let you sign up for anything else, so you want to make sure you get it right (or at least, mostly right). First, read this detailed overview of what you need to know about being a good mystery shopper. It's long, but very informative and worth reading. Here are the most important points to remember:

1. Mystery Shopping requires acting - aka lying. If you're not good at acting or lying, Mystery Shopping may not be the right job for you. You'll be given a situation to memorize and you must stick to that situation and make it seem convincing - this may require making up additional details on the spot.

2. Mystery Shopping requires attention to details. Details may include things like, "How many seconds before you were greeted? How many TVs were turned off in the electronics department? Was there a coffee machine in the waiting room? What was the featured item on the drive-through menu? Did the sales associate mention the Supreme Extra Special Deal? What did the sales associate look like?" You will need to be able to remember what details you are looking for, AND remember exactly what you saw. I always take notes as soon as I leave a mystery shop so I don't forget them. These details are extremely important, and you must be hyper observant - in some cases, you have to sneak in observations while also talking to a sales associate and trying to remember your made-up situation, which can get tricky.

3. Mystery Shopping requires timeliness. Some shops must be completed at a certain time and on a certain day, and all shops require a report to be filled out and submitted within 24 hours of completing a shop. This is a REAL JOB, so treat it as such. If you turn in a mystery shop report late, you WILL be penalized.

Ok. Ready to get started? Sign up with as many mystery shopping companies as you like (I'm signed up with about 10). Make sure you keep a list of these somewhere and keep track of which shops are assigned for which companies. Select a job, and either request or self-assign it (every company is different). Complete the job, submit your report, and sit back and wait for payment. It sucks that there's a time delay, but after the first couple of months, you'll have income on the regular coming in monthly. It's fun, it's easy, and anyone can do it! What are you waiting for?? Go get paid to shop!!
As a quick reminder, here's where to start finding shops in your area:

Get Started

1. MSPA lists all of their verified (aka not a scam) mystery shopping companies, and you can search for available shops near you to find which companies to sign up with.

2. Jobslinger is a database for multiple companies using the Sassie user interface system. You'll be able to search multiple companies in your area using your zip code, and sign up for the ones offering shops near you. You'll need to sign up for each individual company offering the shops - Jobslinger is NOT a mystery shopping company, just a search engine!

3. Mystery Shopping Job Board is another site like Jobslinger - it's a search engine for a variety of different mystery shopping companies. Use it to find shops near you and sign up for those companies.

4. Mystery Shop Forum is a great place for mystery shoppers to talk about companies and jobs, as well as find out about more companies to sign up with. If you're curious about Mystery Shopping, check out this forum and browse some of the posts!

As always, contact me with any questions!

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