Tips from a college student

If you open a Zecco trading account now through my link you will recieve a free book titled 'China Shakes the World'. With Zecco you receive $0 Stock trades for up to 10 each month. I opened a Zecco account 2 weeks ago and am very pleased so far. It is great that the prices are free for regular trades, and if you go over 1o or do options trades they are only $4.50 each, which is still a great deal!

If you are new to stock trading, Zecco has a community forum where members answer questions, and after reviewing it I found it to be very informative and helpful. If you have been wanting to try stock trading but have never signed up, now is the time. You can purchase just one stock if you like through Zecco, just to get the feel of it. I am starting out slow, but eventually will probably trade more.

If you sign up through my link, you get the free book and I get $50. I just wanted to put that out in the open. So don't wait, sign up now!

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I have finally given up on high yield savings accounts. Okay, that isn't completely true, but I'm going out on a limb here. With the FED cutting interest rates what seems like every day now, no one is earning any signifcant interest on their savings. The stock market is down as the recession is freaking everyone out, so I decided now would be a good time to begin investing in the stock market.

I began researching a few different stocks about a week ago and finally chose a few to begin with. I am going with Apple, Microsoft, Verizon, and J.Crew to begin with. I am watching a few more right now, but I want to see how things go and get used to things before I put too much money out there.

After choosing stocks, I realized that I needed to choose a broker or dealer or whatever you call the place you buy stocks from. I began looking online, and quickly realized I was looking for a discount online broker. So I started googling every name I had heard, E*trade, Sharebuilder, Zecco, and a few others. I decided on Zecco for several reasons, the main one being price. As long as you have $2,500 in your account, the first 10 trades a month are free. I don't plan on doing a lot of trades, so this should be perfect for me.

I read several blogs about it and all of the comments, and I read every bad story I could find about it. It appeared to me that all of the bad stories were from people who didn't do what they were supposed to, like send in the correct paperwork. And most of the problems people had were in the application process, which I found to be very simple and easy.

I have now completed the application and been approved, and everything is great so far. Many of the things I read that were complaints I noticed were not problems in the application. It was completely online, so nothing needed mailed in. I am now waiting for my ACH transfer to go through and complete funding, and then I will be ready to trade!

Check back for a complete review of Zecco once I have had time to do a few trades and see how everything goes.

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I have been analyzing my spending, and have realized that my two biggest expenses are gas and food. I'm still working on the food thing, but for gas I started doing some work on Google. I realized that I have two options: I can buy a small fuel efficient car, or I can make my truck more fuel efficient. I decided to go with the latter, because in the end that will be cheaper than buying another car, plus I don't like little cars.

After looking on Google some, I came across this website that this guy has made that talks about putting acetone in your gas and getting better mileage. At first I didn't believe it, and I'm still not convinced yet, but I was just enough intrigued to finish the article.

There are several reasons that this sounds legit to me. First of all, he emphasizes experimenting with it yourself and tracking the results. I don't see how he could make any money off of this, and it seems like he is legitimately looking for better gas mileage instead of just trying to rip you off like most people do.

Then I said, how come I haven't heard of this before? I think the oil industry is so powerful that they do their best to keep all of this out of the news. The article kind of alludes to this several times, but it just seems like everything is tied to the oil industry. All the politicians seem to have ties, rumors going around that the war is about oil, and some people are getting very rich off of it all. If it gets out that you can get significantly better gas mileage another way, then it will hurt them.

Anyway, without wasting anymore space, here is the link. Read it, if nothing else I think you'll find it interesting. I will probably try this if I ever get around to buying acetone and putting it in there. If I do I will give my results.

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Evidently the IRS decided to waste $42 million of taxpayers money so people could know they are going to get a refund soon. I love our government, they use our money in such productive ways. I mean seriously, that $42 million could not have been used any better. People really need to know that they are going to get their refunds. Who cares about starving people, or kids who can't afford to go to college, or AIDS, or the budget deficit, or the war? Lets waste money on mailings to let people know they are going to get refunds.

(sarcasm off now)

Here is the link

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Several things have been going on lately that are important, so it's time to share them.

First of all, vitamins are worth every dollar you pay for them. Every one of my friends has been sick with everything from the flu to colds to stomach viruses, and many are on antibiotics now. I always take a daily vitamin, but when I realized that everyone was getting sick I decided to really crack down. I have been taking a one a day mens and 2 echinacea every day for 2 weeks and have felt the best I ever have without even a hint of getting sick. I also have doubled the amount of water I am drinking and have been using germx like crazy. There is no doubt in my mind that if it weren't for this I'd be sick as a dog with the rest of campus. So the lesson here is: kids, do what your momma says and take your vitamins and wash your hands!

The second thing that is important is never pass up opportunities. If you have a chance to go on a trip or meet some new people, do it if it is at all possible. College is a time when you are supposed to be having fun and meeting lots of new people and making memories, and if all you ever do is worry about working all the time and trying not to go to far in debt then you will never have any fun. This may sound contradictory as I am the biggest advocate of saving money and not going into debt, but in 20 years you won't remember those 2 days of work that weekend, but you will remember that beach trip that you took with your buddies when you skipped work. I am not advocating going into debt for this, but am just saying that if you have some money and have a chance to go do something then do it. Have fun, make memories, and do it as cheaply as possible. That, my friends, is college.

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I have decided that I should go to college for free. College students are constantly bombarded with advisers and financial aid stuff saying that there are billions of dollars available in scholarships, and yet it seems like no one I know can ever find any of those dollars. So as of today, I am now on the lookout for free money for college, not loans, but free money and scholarships.

Today I called the financial aid office to inquire about any aid the school could offer me and they confirmed exactly what I expected: I'm not eligible for any more than I have because of my parents income bracket. I have been thinking about this and was wondering if I could file taxes independently from my parents and then be eligible for financial aid because I would be in the lowest tax bracket, but I was told that I have to include my parents information on my FAFSA until I'm 24 so that wouldn't work either.

Then I asked the guy at financial aid about any outside scholarships I should apply for, and he said that first of all DO NOT USE FASTWEB. He was very persistent in this and said that all they do is sell all of your information to mass marketing, and that hardly anyone gets results from Fastweb. He gave a longer explanation, but just trust me in that I will no longer be using Fastweb. He said to use search engines and put in criteria that you fit in along with the word 'scholarship' and it should turn up results. I have not had time to investigate this fully, so I will be writing again soon once I try that.

He also said to check local retailers and companies such as Wal-Mart and Costco for scholarships, as well as my parents employers. I have checked my parents employers in the past, but will be checking on that again soon. I need to check the local retailers, but haven't had time yet.

I really hope this new search turns something out, because I really need to get some money for school or I am going to have massive student loans, which is what I am trying to avoid. I have a job, but there is no job you can work in college that even begins to touch the amount you owe. It covers my gas money and has helped me establish some savings, but besides that I'm stuck.

If you have any advice or a success story on finding a scholarship feel free to leave a comment or send me an email at tipsfromacollegestudentblogatgmail.com. If you have some money you want to donate towards the college fund, I would gladly except that. There is a donate link on the right of this page, or you can email me and we can talk.
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Most college students don't have any money. Some don't even have a car. I know at least for me every time that I go out on a date I'm racking my brain for something to do that is cheap and fun. So I have made a list of different things that college students can do for cheap dates, and if you're single you could do most of these things with your friends too.

1. Play a sport.
- Most college campuses have places available where people can play sports. These range from basketball and tennis courts to huge open fields. Many people enjoy Frisbee golf or ultimate Frisbee. These are a very low-cost activity that can provide hours of entertainment.

2. Go to the movies.
-Go to a matinée movie at a lower price, and check for low price movie theaters near you. We have a $1 theater here, and back home we have a $2 theater. That is cheaper than Blockbuster! Just be sure not to spend to much on snacks and drinks there, because that's where they make their money!

3. Play a game of Laser-Tag.
-Thinking back to high school, Laser-Tag can be fun for just about anyone, and it doesn't cost that much either.

4. Bowling.
-Bowling is a great date! Also fun with a group of friends. Also try going at night and see if they have blacklight bowling. Most of the bowling alleys near me do, and that is pretty fun also.

5. Play Miniature golf
-Watch for good deals, often times putt putt runs specials or you can get coupons.

6. Spend an evening playing board games by candlelight.
-or not by candlelight, whatever floats your boat! Board games are a great way to be easily entertained for hours. And after the upfront cost of buying, they are free! If you are too poor to buy a game, ask friends. Almost everyone has a game or two stuck in the closet.

7. Go window shopping.
- this can be a good or bad idea, depending on your money habits. My favorite way to do this is put $20 in your wallet and leave all your cards at home. That way you have a spending cap. An interesting variation to this is going to flea markets and places where used stuff is sold. That can be very entertaining.

8. Take a hike.
-Lots of places here to go hiking, ask the locals to see if there is somewhere near you to go hiking. You may also be able to get information from your school as to where there are some good trails.

9. Check the university schedule for school-sponsored activities.
-So basically, check your school home page for free events.
-There is almost always some type of sporting event going on, and if you are enrolled in the college they are often free. Even if you aren't interested in the sport, this can be a good place to hang out.
-Also watch for debates. Occasionally a school will host a debate on an interesting topic.

10. Visit the zoo or museum on a free or lower admission day.
-Good idea if there is one near you. Be on the lookout for discounts!

11. Star gaze. Ponder the mysteries of the universe.
-Really good idea.. free and romantic! also try sunsets.
-Probably one that you only want to do with your significant other.. your friends probably won't think this is too cool

12. Dance lessons.
-This provides entertainment for years to come. Once you've had dance lessons you can randomly just dance anywhere, which can be a fun or romantic activity.
-This is very entertaining. It does cost money, but is very fun.

13. Take a stroll through downtown.
-Window shop, people watch, make random conversation, talk to random people. Don't be scared, it'll be fun!

14. Play around: Visit a quiet playground (without kids). Share secrets or interview each other..
-Random stuff is fun, and it's free!

15. Take a walk.
-The ultimate free date. Just walk around and talk. Provides exercise, conversation, and scenery if you walk through an interesting area.

More ideas for college students...

Watch people. This basically can be a lot of fun. Go to Walmart or a mall, and just observe the people around you. There are some very interesting people everywhere, and I'm sure you will be entertained if you watch them.
If you get bored, do random stuff like sneak stuff into people's carts at Walmart, or glue a quarter to the floor and watch people try to pick it up.


There are infinite options for free entertainment available to you, you are only limited by your creativity. So be creative and go have some cheap fun!