The Frugal Student: Living Frugally in College

The Many Uses of Baking Soda

2011-06-07T18:44:00.000-07:00

What is Baking Soda?

Baking soda, aka bicarbonate soda, is one product you should always keep stocked. It is a chemical salt which acts as a weak alkaline.

Why Baking Soda?

Short answer: It is the swiss-army knife of household products. No other product can match the many roles it plays.

Such as?

Here are 10 quick and easy uses of baking soda.

Baking soda will put out grease or electrical fires. So keep it handy near the stove. (It will also put out pretty much any other fire)
Baking soda is an efficient deodorizer. It will actually get rid of the smell opposed to masking it. Use it to deodorize the refrigerator. Sprinkle a little bit in your shoes to mask that hideous smell your friends have been complaining about. Before vacuuming, sprinkle some on the rug or carpet. This results in a odorless rug and vacuum bag. Be creative.
That Taco Bell giving you heartburn? A teaspoon of baking soda in a half-filled glass of water will do wonders.
Sunburn? Insect bite? Poison Ivy? Bee sting? Yup, you guessed it, baking soda made into a paste will relieve itching and redness.
Mix baking soda with 3% hydrogen peroxide to make a whitening, non-fluoridated toothpaste.
Not only does it clean your teeth but baking soda can be used to wipe/clean pretty much every household appliance. (word of caution: avoid using on aluminum products unless you want discoloration)
Use it to get rid of grease stains on clothing and dishes.
Just received a bouquet of flowers from a special someone. Put some baking soda in the vase-water to make them last longer.
Smelly armpits? Dab some baking soda on 'em.
And don't my favorite use, cooking! Baking soda is essential in many recipes since it acts as a leavening agent.

There you have it. Ten of my favorite uses for baking soda. By no means is this an exhaustive list. Listing all the known uses would require many more hours. Be creative and use baking soda to solve your everyday household problems.

the Benefits of an .edu E-Mail

2011-06-07T17:28:00.000-07:00

Nowadays, most colleges/universities assign each student an .edu email address. Unfortunately, many students rarely use this e-mail account. These students don't realize the nice perks they can receive. There are many benefits for signing up for certain services or products with an .edu e-mail account.

My personal favorite is Amazon's one year free prime deal. If you sign up with your .edu address and specify your school and major you get a whole free year of Amazon Prime. Which translates to free 2-day shipping on countless products.

Looking for a new Windows 7 PC for next school year? Just a heads up. Microsoft is offering a free Xbox 360 with the purchase of a PC. Don't need/play an Xbox? That's dandy, just sell it on e-bay for a nice few dollars.

Microsoft seems to target the student population. Microsoft Dreamspark offers free downloads of professional tools for students. (Visual Studio, SQL Server, Free Cert. Exam, etc). Microsoft also offers a discount of Windows 7 to students. From $170 down to $29.99.
If you enjoy watching your favorite shows on Hulu but don't want to pay for Hulu-Plus well then you're in luck. Sign up with your .edu address and get a 1-month free trail
Dropbox, a better version of google docs offers an extra 500mb of space if you create an account with an .edu address.

There are so many more deals like this all over the Internet. It just takes a little bit of patience and research. Oh, and never forget to ask if they offer a student discount.

What Does it Mean to Live Frugally?

2011-06-07T14:09:00.000-07:00

This Blogs Purpose:

Two years ago I was the stereotypical naive college student. I took out multiple student loans to pay for tuition; used my part-time job to fund my weekend habits; bought what I wanted and not what I needed and fell into every last one of the college money-traps.

Somewhere along the line I realized that this was not normal and something needed to be changed. I did some research, experimented, talked to some professionals. Now, with a changed attitude toward life, I am a happier, more social, and more successful individual (and no student loans!).

My goal with this blog is to share what I have learned so that others do not commit the same costly mistakes.

Living Frugally? How?

Frugality can be defined as living without waste, being thrifty. It involves living a lifestyle that prioritizes waste-reduction, debt-reduction, budgeting, saving, D.I.Y, and practical knowledge.

In short, frugality can be summed up nicely in one sentence: Living beneath your means. This could not be stressed enough. You cannot spend more than you have. It is amazing how simple that concept is yet how many people disregard it. Only now, with the economy in it's current state, are people starting to realize the pitfalls they have set themselves.

Arriving along with our slowly recovery economy is a wave of frugal thinking. A new respect for a simple living. With it comes some personal sacrifice but the short and long-term benefits greatly outweigh the hardships.

“Your life is the sum result of all the choices you make, both consciously and unconsciously. If you can control the process of choosing, you can take control of all aspects of your life. You can find the freedom that comes from being in charge of yourself.” -Robert F. Bennett

I invite you to take control of your life.