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.