Savvy ways to save money
Tips for today’s fragile economy

By Katy Eslick · The Mainstream
Published January 25, 2011

Conserving money even in small ways can add up to huge savings, especially for students who must limit their work hours due to time spent in class and studying. The following tips can help keep money where it belongs, in your pocketbook.

Textbook Savings

The exact same textbook you paid $140 for, other students in your class may have only shelled out $40 for, so examine your options. You might want to consider, however, that money generated from UCC bookstore sales does benefit the college, working to keep programs running (a portion of bookstore proceeds, for instance, prevented layoffs during recent budget cuts).

Besides regular book sales, the bookstore offers a book rental option with savings up to 75 percent through www.uccbookstore.rentsbooks.com.

A credit card is needed to rent the books, but the books ship in a short amount of time (usually about three days or less) and are sent with all the materials needed to ship them back. The books can be rented for an entire term or longer and then returned when no longer needed.

Extensions on the rentals can be made for additional fees. There is even the option to apply the rental fee towards the cost of the book to buy it for permanent use. Students who fail to ship the books back on schedule, however, must pay the full purchase price.

Another way to save is to go directly to websites that sell books. A credit card, of course, is still required to purchase online, but places like Walmart carry prepaid credit cards that can be repeatedly loaded with money if you’re worried about credit card bills piling up.

Comparison shopping on sites such as Amazon.com, Half.com, and cheaptextbooks.com can bring in huge savings.

Amazon.com does offer free 2-day shipping for students, but the website is rumored to occasionally sell books that are not in stock. Customers have complained about shipping getting repeatedly delayed, a problem that can not only impact your ability to do reading assignments but can also put  charges on your credit card that you’ll have to clear before you order elsewhere.

Communication Studies and writing instructor Melinda Benton advises, “Talk to your future instructors to find the titles, authors and edition numbers of any textbooks they require before the previous term ends as many instructors may be unavailable during the break. You can also ask your instructor if a reserve copy of the textbook has been put in the UCC library. Just keep in mind that not all instructors for the same course use the same text. ”

One smart thing to help you get at least some of your textbook money back is to take good care of  the textbooks that you purchased at the UCC bookstore.

During Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday of finals week, the bookstore will buy your gently used textbooks back from you for a portion of the original purchase price. However, make sure you won’t need those books again for the next class in a sequence as sometimes the same textbooks are required for multiple terms.

If you buy a new book with plastic on it, don’t remove the wrapping until your first day of class. Since the UCC course schedule is always subject to change, especially as new courses are constantly being added to meet increased enrollment, your instructor may change at the last minute to one with different text  requirements.

Remember to always save your receipts as well. For returns, the bookstore requires a copy of your current schedule dated the day you come in and a receipt for proof of purchase.

For more information contact the UCC Bookstore at 541-440-4664

Save By Working Out At UCC

If you like to work out and exercise, but can’t afford those costly gym memberships, try enrolling in a P.E. class.

Access to UCC’s Fitness Center, which was recently upgraded with new equipment, is available by enrolling in P.E. 185, a 1 credit class with a $25 fee. The access will last the entire term that the student is enrolled. For non-credit students the fee is $95.

This is a definite savings from a YMCA membership that is $28 per month for students 13-20, with a $25 joining fee or a steep $50 per month with a $50 joining fee for adults 21 and up.

Fitness Center hours for Winter 2011 are as follows: 7 to 9 a.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays with additional slots from 10 to 11 a.m. and 12 to 8 p.m. On Tuesdays and Thursdays open times are 7 to 11 a.m. and 12:30 to 8 p.m.

The Fitness Center has three elliptical machines, a treadmill, a rowing machine, a recumbent bike and a leg press, as well as various weights and gym mats.

For more information, contact Donna McGeehon in the P.E. Department at 541-440-4686.

Automotive Repairs

To reduce some of the pricy repair bills for your vehicles, try arranging for the UCC automotive shop to repair your ride for you.

All you need to purchase out of pocket are the parts needed. For more information on the type of repairs the automotive students are currently working on, contact Margret McCallister at autoparts@umpqua.edu.

Selling Gently Used Clothes

Students who have clothes they don’t wear, like the sweater grandma gave you for Christmas that just isn’t your style, there is an alternative to posting them on Craigslist. It is called Vanilla Gorilla, a Roseburg shop owned by Laurel Kruegar. She will buy your name brand clothes from you. By simply calling Laurel at 541-957-8274, you can find out if she’s accepting clothes (I was told they are currently buying). There may be specific labels she’s looking for. The Vanilla Gorilla is a much simpler, less time consuming way to dispose of unwanted clothes than using Craigslist.

Help With Mortgages

If you recently lost your job, but have a mortgage to pay, Oregon was offering $20,000 to qualifying applicants to assist with this heavy burden. The application deadline was January 14th, but if you go to www.oregonhomeownerhelp.org, you may be able to file an extension, as the state probably still has funds available to those that qualify. Also you can go to the website I just mentioned, click on the Douglas County link, then Umpqua Community Development to find other ways to get assistance with mortgage payments.

Putting Food On The Table

If you struggle every month with buying groceries, you may qualify for the (SNAP), formally called food stamps. No one should be too proud to apply for this great program that helps with those expensive trips to the grocery store. To apply, just pick up an application from the DHS office off Harvard Avenue (West side of freeway) in Roseburg or you can go to www.oregon.gov/DHS. Once completed, you can mail, fax, or drop the application off at the DHS office. You then must make an appointment for an interview with a caseworker. Its important to make it to the interview. Not all that apply will qualify, but its worth a try if you worry about making it through the month with enough food in your cupboards.