Is It Really A Reward?

Rewards Cards.

In college towns, every restaurant has them. Buy five pizzas, get the sixth one free. Purchase ten Blizzards, receive the 11th for free. However when it comes to retail stores, the system can be a bit different.

For instance at Wet Seal and Books-A-Million, you pay a yearly fee to get a discount on future purchases. For book nerds like me, I used my Books-A-Million card about once a month, and it paid off in the end. For shopping addicts like my roommate, her Wet Seal card was worth it to her; she could get a new outfit and receive a discount just for purchasing it. However, if you don't shop at a store often enough to use the discount (at least once a month), then the card isn't
even worth purchasing.

Places like Sephora, Arden B, and Ulta allow you to receive a free rewards card, and every time you purchase something from these stores, you receive points. These points add up to free samples, free gifts, and major discounts. This type of rewards card is beneficial to have because even if you don't ever use it again, you didn't spend money to get a discount on future purchases in the first place.

So if you are ever approached by a pushy salesperson who wants to get commission and asks you to purchase a card, just say no. Unless of course, they know you by name.

The Price Is Right

I love game shows, especially The Price is Right. When I was younger, I used to spend my summer mornings watching it at 11 a.m., screaming at the television when the contestants were wrong. I always wanted to be a contestant, and I even contemplated writing Bob Barker a letter to have a show just for kids (and they would give out Playstations and other popular games when we were young).

Well, now that I have realized that it is harder to get on the show than I originally thought, I wanted to always make sure that I'm paying the right price for anything that I purchase when it comes to low priced items that can add up if bought at the wrong price. Office supplies and other menial tasks are often purchased at a higher price than what it's worth. Here are a few tips on how to save and get it for the right price.

Notary: If you ever needed a document notarized, don't spend your money to do so. Some stores charge two or three dollars, but banks like Suntrust and Washington Mutual notarize documents for free. Sometimes it depends on whether you are a customer or not, so check with your bank so see if they offer these services for free. This will save you a couple of dollars.

Fax: If you do not have access to a fax machine and you need to send documents long distance, make sure you spend your money wisely. I have spent as much as $2. 25 per sheet, when I could have spent as little as $1.29 per sheet. Make sure you call places such as Office Max, The UPS Store, Publix, or a local university that provides fax services and check their prices before you use your precious gas to spend an extra fifty cents per sheet. Believe me, the cents do add up, and they could have contributed to an ice cream cone on a hot day.

Ink: Yes, ink cartridges are expensive, and it often seems like you're buying them more frequently now that you have to print out term papers, job applications, and to do lists. Make sure you save some money (and the environment) by recycling your old ink cartridge and getting it refilled for less at places such as Walgreen's and Eckerd's. If your new cartridge is $15 dollars, it should cost about $10 to refill it.

Business Cards: Our professors, mentors, and advisors teach us the art of networking. Use this tool wisely in order to find a job when you graduate, and purchase some business cards. Right now, vistaprint.com has a special deal where you can get 250 free business cards. All you have to do is pay for shipping (which is about 10 dollars). This is a great deal if you don't have the time or patience to create your own business cards, and it can also be a bit cheaper than buying the software to do it yourself.

Introduction to Money Talks

Hi. I love smoothies, trips to Cold Stone Creamery, women's magazines, eating out at restaurants, and shopping.

However, as a college student at the University of Georgia, I cannot afford to live the lifestyle that I want every day without bugging my parents for money. So, I desire to get as much money as possible in different avenues.

More importantly, I have an insatiable desire to find out different ways to not only make money but also to spend and save it. I want to educate others on how to become financially independent and by doing this, I am servicing the millions of college students, adults, tweens, and whoever else reads blogs to follow suit.

I will calculate how much money I earn from the tips that I give on this blog as well as how much I save. I plan on earning at least 5000 dollars by the end of the year, and I want to save 2500 of it. I'm inviting you to claim financial independence with me. Follow some of these tips and watch your money pot grow. :)