Friday, February 18, 2011
Thursday, February 17, 2011
What to do if you're textbook is late in the mail
You ended up buying your textbook online. The only thing is that the darn thing has yet to arrive. :( You can pray and hope that it will get there by tomorrow, but that can only do so much.
If you're book is at least five days late contact the company and seller and explain their situatuion to them. This can either get you a refund, a discount, or possibly nothing ,but communication is key in these situations and can honestly make you're life a tad bit easier.
Try and get in contact with someone in you're class and see if they will be kind enough to let you borrow the textbook overnight one week so you can get caught up. Just try and remember to return the favor.
If you're taking a history,science, etc. class most books on the subject matter have very much in common and you might be able to get away with reading a book on the same subject that wasn't assigned. This can get through for a week or two so you're not completley lost or it might work out for the whole course and you find out you never needed some stupid $100 book. It's a bit of gamble to be honest.
Check and see if you're library has it. (If you're library has it available for youe even for an hour or so at a time then you probably shouldn't even bother purchasing the textbook, but it depends on what class you're taking I suppose.)
See if you're textbook is available online at Course Smart. Course Smart is a website that is dedicated to providing onlinw textbooks for students. They will let you download a two-week free trial for certain textbooks. This can be helpful because two-weeks should give you're book enough time to get to you.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Chegg Review
I currently had the opportunity to use the widely known text book renting site known as Chegg. Chegg is a website that's been known to help reduce the cost of school books for students everywhere, but does the site live up to its reputation.
First off, Let's start with a little history of Chegg shall we?
The first business model didn't work; in 2003, the founders modeled the company as a quasi Craigslist but for college campuses where "students would buy and sell everything from used mattresses to textbooks."[1] The plan was to make money from advertising[1] but their biggest seller was used textbooks.[1] The problem faced by most college students is that textbooks are expensive, often priced higher than $100 per book; students usually didn't need the heavy books after each semester, but there was no good way to sell them. One estimate was the college students spent, on average, $667 annually on books in 2009.[3] A second estimate was $1000 per year,[4] with signs that the prices of books were increasing faster than inflation.[4] Some college bookstores would offer to buy back the used books for a fraction of their original price.[1] The founders noticed how people were becoming accustomed to renting things online because of services like Netflix.[5]
In 2007, Rashid and Phumbhra repositioned the company along the lines of Netflix as a way to rent textbooks to students.[1][6] But there was little money initially. When an order came in, Rashid would buy the book using a credit card and have it shipped to the student; automation came later.[7] At one point, with a huge volume of traffic on his credit card, his credit card firm suspected fraud, but Rashid was able to persuade the credit supplier to extend credit using multiple numbers of cards.[7] Books normally rent around half the retail price; for example, a macroeconomics textbook priced at $122 at a college bookstore would rent for $65 at Chegg.[8] But savings varied from book to book. Round-trip shipping costs, paid by Chegg, average about $4 per book.[8] The simplicity of the model helped the marketing; investor Ted Schlein said "when you describe this idea to someone, they immediately get it."[9]
Stories in campus newspapers helped spread the idea. One senior at Arizona State University calculated he would spend about half as much renting books than buying them for one semester.[2] The idea clicked. In 2008, the firm hired the former chief executive of Match.com Jim Safka to run the firm.[10] In 2008, revenues were about $10 million; in 2009, revenues in January alone were $10 million, according to Safka.[10] The firm has raised additional capital from venture capitalists.[11] In January 2009, USA Today reporter Julie Schmit described Chegg as a "leader" in the "burgeoning arena of college textbook rentals."[12] The firm had 55 customer service reps at that point.[13] The firm employs software engineers to improve its website.[13] The four-story office building in Santa Clara "hums with the sounds of clicking computer keys, ringing phones and snippets of conversations" and has "trash bins burst with soft-drink cans, paper plates and discarded snacks."[13] It has a cat named "Mongo."[13]
The name Chegg is a contraction of the words chicken and egg, based on the founders' experience after graduating from college: they couldn't land a job without experience, but couldn't get experience without a job, or a chicken and egg type quandary.[
I only rented from Chegg because when it come to just purchasing and then reselling the text book it just wasn't cost effective. If you want to be good with your money never go off to Chegg right off the bat. Do a little research and see if you could actually rent or purchase your copy instead.
Check out my post on ways you can save on college textbooks.:
http://collegesurvivalplease.blogspot.com/2010/07/college-surivival-vol2-how-i-saved.html
Chegg is a pretty basic you register put in the title, author, or ISBN # of your text book. You can choose to rent the text book for a 90 to 120 days. You pay via credit card and Chegg notifies that your order has been received and the text book will be shipped out on such and such a date.
It also notifies you that by renting a textbook that a tree has been planted in your honor. Chegg has a deal with American Forests. Even though I doubt a tree is planted for each text book the gesture is still nice.
First off, Let's start with a little history of Chegg shall we?
The first business model didn't work; in 2003, the founders modeled the company as a quasi Craigslist but for college campuses where "students would buy and sell everything from used mattresses to textbooks."[1] The plan was to make money from advertising[1] but their biggest seller was used textbooks.[1] The problem faced by most college students is that textbooks are expensive, often priced higher than $100 per book; students usually didn't need the heavy books after each semester, but there was no good way to sell them. One estimate was the college students spent, on average, $667 annually on books in 2009.[3] A second estimate was $1000 per year,[4] with signs that the prices of books were increasing faster than inflation.[4] Some college bookstores would offer to buy back the used books for a fraction of their original price.[1] The founders noticed how people were becoming accustomed to renting things online because of services like Netflix.[5]
In 2007, Rashid and Phumbhra repositioned the company along the lines of Netflix as a way to rent textbooks to students.[1][6] But there was little money initially. When an order came in, Rashid would buy the book using a credit card and have it shipped to the student; automation came later.[7] At one point, with a huge volume of traffic on his credit card, his credit card firm suspected fraud, but Rashid was able to persuade the credit supplier to extend credit using multiple numbers of cards.[7] Books normally rent around half the retail price; for example, a macroeconomics textbook priced at $122 at a college bookstore would rent for $65 at Chegg.[8] But savings varied from book to book. Round-trip shipping costs, paid by Chegg, average about $4 per book.[8] The simplicity of the model helped the marketing; investor Ted Schlein said "when you describe this idea to someone, they immediately get it."[9]
Stories in campus newspapers helped spread the idea. One senior at Arizona State University calculated he would spend about half as much renting books than buying them for one semester.[2] The idea clicked. In 2008, the firm hired the former chief executive of Match.com Jim Safka to run the firm.[10] In 2008, revenues were about $10 million; in 2009, revenues in January alone were $10 million, according to Safka.[10] The firm has raised additional capital from venture capitalists.[11] In January 2009, USA Today reporter Julie Schmit described Chegg as a "leader" in the "burgeoning arena of college textbook rentals."[12] The firm had 55 customer service reps at that point.[13] The firm employs software engineers to improve its website.[13] The four-story office building in Santa Clara "hums with the sounds of clicking computer keys, ringing phones and snippets of conversations" and has "trash bins burst with soft-drink cans, paper plates and discarded snacks."[13] It has a cat named "Mongo."[13]
The name Chegg is a contraction of the words chicken and egg, based on the founders' experience after graduating from college: they couldn't land a job without experience, but couldn't get experience without a job, or a chicken and egg type quandary.[
I only rented from Chegg because when it come to just purchasing and then reselling the text book it just wasn't cost effective. If you want to be good with your money never go off to Chegg right off the bat. Do a little research and see if you could actually rent or purchase your copy instead.
Check out my post on ways you can save on college textbooks.:
http://collegesurvivalplease.blogspot.com/2010/07/college-surivival-vol2-how-i-saved.html
Chegg is a pretty basic you register put in the title, author, or ISBN # of your text book. You can choose to rent the text book for a 90 to 120 days. You pay via credit card and Chegg notifies that your order has been received and the text book will be shipped out on such and such a date.
It also notifies you that by renting a textbook that a tree has been planted in your honor. Chegg has a deal with American Forests. Even though I doubt a tree is planted for each text book the gesture is still nice.
I'm feeling all warm and fuzzy inside.
The shipment was relatively fast and was around 4 dollars. It took about three days to get the textbooks. The textbook also came with a nifty little pen. ( I loose pens all the time so a free pen is pretty nice.) There was a tiny rip in the textbook, but besides that the book was in pretty good condition.
It turns out I didn't need the textbook as much as I thought, which is great news because I get to review their 21-day return refund guarantee. This will happen at least once in everyone's college career. A teacher tells you to purchase a book. You purchase the book just like the teacher told you an it turns out that you really didn't need the darn thing as much as you thought you did. This is where Chegg's return policy comes in handy. To return the book log into your Chegg account and look at your purchases. Click the book you wish to return and there should be a return option that lets you print out a return slip. Put the book back in the box Chegg orinially sent the book in and insert the return slip. Tape the return shipping address ontop of the box and drop it off at your nearest UPS.
I was glad to see that Chegg had given me my refund after their book arrived at its proper destination.
In all honesty if anyone asked me about Chegg I'd actually reccomend it. They seem to be pretty reliable and most of the rentals are at a fair price. Their process is actually quite simple and makes life a little bit less stressful for college students.
I never get tired of promoting this site, but if you're renting from Chegg check out RetailMeNot.com. Chegg almost always has a promotional deal going on that can save you a bit of money.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Updates and a new blog
Sorry no new updates yet, but I will be posting some entries in the future.
The things you will see in the future are
*A Chegg review (Expect this one to be up in a week or so.)
*Getting music for cheap/free
*What to do when a class textbook is late in the mail.
I've also started a horror blog with a few of my friends. If you are interested in horror films, literature, and other okky spooky tidbits check it out. http://dreadfuldreary.blogspot.com/
The things you will see in the future are
*A Chegg review (Expect this one to be up in a week or so.)
*Getting music for cheap/free
*What to do when a class textbook is late in the mail.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Free/Cheap Creative Arts Software
We all have our creative side and the computer is a great tool for personal, business, and school projects. Most computers come with the extra ordinary paint program that allows users to perform simple creative tasks, but the common user wants to do more without shelling out the extra cash to do so.
Free Photo shop Alternatives
You don't need photo-shop for photo editing you can download many programs off the internet that can produce many of the same results photo-shop can deliver. My advice would be to test out each program and see which one works best for you.
Gimp:
This program is probably to closest to photoshop. It might not be able to do all the things photoshop can, but it comes pretty close. The program can be a tad bit complicated at times, but once you get the hang of it things aren't that difficult.
http://www.gimp.org/
Gimp Tutorials:
http://gimpology.com/
http://www.gimp.org/tutorials/
http://gimp-tutorials.net/
Aviary:
Another image editing program that I honestly don't know much about,but I've heared good things about it.
http://www.aviary.com/
Tutorials:
http://www.aviary.com/tutorials
flaunr R:
A simple photo editing program that is probably best used for personal projects than scholarly ones.
http://www.flauntr.com/
Pixlr:
This program is supposed to the mist popular editing program on the web.
Tutorials:
https://sites.google.com/site/pixlrgrabber/pixlr-tutorials
Picasa
http://picasa.google.com/
A much more simple editing tool, but is great for photo touch ups.
Other:
A list of even more editing programs not listed. There are many out there so find which one is best for you.
http://www.guidetoartschools.com/tips-and-tools/free-photo-editing
http://www.snap2objects.com/2007/07/20/45-best-freeware-design-programs/
Illustrator Alternatives
Illustrator is an amazing program that allows you to create spectacularworks of art that you can't always produce by hand. Unfortunantly the program is really expensive, but there is good news! There are now several sites that allow you to download their creative drawing software for free.
InkScape
Inkscape is a vector graphic editor that is kown for it's great uder interface. It's basicly the GIMP of Illustrator.
http://inkscape.org/download/?lang=en
SmoothDraw
SmoothDraw is another great program that allows you to create works of art onyour very own computer screen.
http://www.smoothdraw.com/product/freeware.htm
Serif
Another great illustrator like program. This program makes it easy for you to create the quality type of work you'd find on other Adobe Programs.
http://www.serif.com/free-graphic-design-software/
Still want Adobe Software?
All of the programs listed above are descent or excellent subsitutions for the Adobe programs, but they still can't replace them 100%. There are loads of ways you can save money when puchasing these programs. Check out the student discounts that Adobe offers on their website.
http://www.adobe.com/education/students/
Check with your school as well and see if your school can offer you an even better discount than the Adobbe website provides. If you are an art student make sure to check with your school because many times the schools offer spectacular deals on Adobe software. Also feel free to check out http://www.academicsuperstore.com/ and http://www.gradware.com/
I bought my creative suite from http://www.journeyed.com/ for only $200. That's five programs for under the price it would cost to puschase one program.
If you are not currently a college student chek out http://www.buycheapsoftware.com/ and purchase most of the Adobe aftware at a discounted price.
Like all things it's best to shop around and compare prices. Always check out RetailMeNot.com to see what coupons are available for online purchasing. You can purchase last years edition for a fraction of a price and many times the programs are just as good as the brand spanking new edition.
Try Corel
Corel is another software company renound for their creative software. It might not be just like the Adobe programs, but they are most likely just as good and not as costly. http://store1.corel.com/corel/?storekey=us
Good Luck!
Free Photo shop Alternatives
You don't need photo-shop for photo editing you can download many programs off the internet that can produce many of the same results photo-shop can deliver. My advice would be to test out each program and see which one works best for you.
Gimp:
This program is probably to closest to photoshop. It might not be able to do all the things photoshop can, but it comes pretty close. The program can be a tad bit complicated at times, but once you get the hang of it things aren't that difficult.
http://www.gimp.org/
Gimp Tutorials:
http://gimpology.com/
http://www.gimp.org/tutorials/
http://gimp-tutorials.net/
Aviary:
Another image editing program that I honestly don't know much about,but I've heared good things about it.
http://www.aviary.com/
Tutorials:
http://www.aviary.com/tutorials
flaunr R:
A simple photo editing program that is probably best used for personal projects than scholarly ones.
http://www.flauntr.com/
Pixlr:
This program is supposed to the mist popular editing program on the web.
Tutorials:
https://sites.google.com/site/pixlrgrabber/pixlr-tutorials
Picasa
http://picasa.google.com/
A much more simple editing tool, but is great for photo touch ups.
Other:
A list of even more editing programs not listed. There are many out there so find which one is best for you.
http://www.guidetoartschools.com/tips-and-tools/free-photo-editing
http://www.snap2objects.com/2007/07/20/45-best-freeware-design-programs/
Illustrator Alternatives
Illustrator is an amazing program that allows you to create spectacularworks of art that you can't always produce by hand. Unfortunantly the program is really expensive, but there is good news! There are now several sites that allow you to download their creative drawing software for free.
InkScape
Inkscape is a vector graphic editor that is kown for it's great uder interface. It's basicly the GIMP of Illustrator.
http://inkscape.org/download/?lang=en
SmoothDraw
SmoothDraw is another great program that allows you to create works of art onyour very own computer screen.
http://www.smoothdraw.com/product/freeware.htm
Serif
Another great illustrator like program. This program makes it easy for you to create the quality type of work you'd find on other Adobe Programs.
http://www.serif.com/free-graphic-design-software/
Still want Adobe Software?
All of the programs listed above are descent or excellent subsitutions for the Adobe programs, but they still can't replace them 100%. There are loads of ways you can save money when puchasing these programs. Check out the student discounts that Adobe offers on their website.
http://www.adobe.com/education/students/
Check with your school as well and see if your school can offer you an even better discount than the Adobbe website provides. If you are an art student make sure to check with your school because many times the schools offer spectacular deals on Adobe software. Also feel free to check out http://www.academicsuperstore.com/ and http://www.gradware.com/
I bought my creative suite from http://www.journeyed.com/ for only $200. That's five programs for under the price it would cost to puschase one program.
If you are not currently a college student chek out http://www.buycheapsoftware.com/ and purchase most of the Adobe aftware at a discounted price.
Like all things it's best to shop around and compare prices. Always check out RetailMeNot.com to see what coupons are available for online purchasing. You can purchase last years edition for a fraction of a price and many times the programs are just as good as the brand spanking new edition.
Try Corel
Corel is another software company renound for their creative software. It might not be just like the Adobe programs, but they are most likely just as good and not as costly. http://store1.corel.com/corel/?storekey=us
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Gift Giving 101
Still don't know what to give your loved ones for the holiday season? Well here are some more gift giving tips and ideas for the holiday season.
To go with my post on holiday shopping here are a few articles on other great deals for the holiday season.
Items under $30.
http://shopping.yahoo.com/articles/yshoppingarticles/471/great-holiday-gifts-under-30/
Too Fast is having some great deals for their 12 days of Christmas. From December 10- 21st you can get some spectacular deals.
http://www.toofastonline.com/
Have a geek in your life? Then check out ThinkGeek. You can find the most spectacular and interesting items and you won't just find things for your geeky/nerdy friends. Think Geek is sure to have something for everyone and all at a reasonable price.
http://www.thinkgeek.com/
This coffee mug is perfect for anyone who has gotten into The Walking Undead craze and best yet it glows in the dark. This certainly one coffee mug that wont be dropped off at the nearest GoodWill at first chance. Price: $9.99.
To go with my post on holiday shopping here are a few articles on other great deals for the holiday season.
Items under $30.
http://shopping.yahoo.com/articles/yshoppingarticles/471/great-holiday-gifts-under-30/
Too Fast is having some great deals for their 12 days of Christmas. From December 10- 21st you can get some spectacular deals.
http://www.toofastonline.com/
Have a geek in your life? Then check out ThinkGeek. You can find the most spectacular and interesting items and you won't just find things for your geeky/nerdy friends. Think Geek is sure to have something for everyone and all at a reasonable price.
http://www.thinkgeek.com/
This coffee mug is perfect for anyone who has gotten into The Walking Undead craze and best yet it glows in the dark. This certainly one coffee mug that wont be dropped off at the nearest GoodWill at first chance. Price: $9.99.
You'll love one will be feeling lighter than air when you get them this butterfly in a jar for the holidays. Price:$19.99
If all else fails get that person a gift card. Many shopping centers have a place where you can buy giftcards for Target, Starbucks,AMC theater, etc.
Also check out the gift card mall.
You can also purchase giftcards at a discount at giftcard rescue. You can even sell back those unused gift cards from last Christmas and get a little something from them.
If gift giving isn't your thing or that person on your shopping list doesn't want anything for x-mas, why not take them out to a movie or a meal on you. You'll get to spend time together and have a chance to treat them as well.
Friday, December 3, 2010
Christmas Shopping on a Budget
The Holiday season is a time of giving, but that giving can put quite a huge dent in your wallet. When you have so many people to give gifts to it can be hard to stay on a budget. Here are some tips and tricks on how you can make the gift giving season a little less stressful.
Finding Gifts for everyone on your list for $30 or less.
ABC Distributing is a great place to find useful thong for a reasonable price. If you take a good look around this site I'm sure you can find something for everyone on your gift list and the best thing is they will have no idea that you got their gift for such a low price.
http://www.abcdistributing.com/
Finding Gifts for everyone on your list for $30 or less.
ABC Distributing is a great place to find useful thong for a reasonable price. If you take a good look around this site I'm sure you can find something for everyone on your gift list and the best thing is they will have no idea that you got their gift for such a low price.
http://www.abcdistributing.com/
Cupcake Hats: $4.95 +Shipping
Set of Two Throws: $7.95 + Shipping
Price: $7.95 to $10.95+ Shipping.
Have a Disney freak or a youngin on your shopping list? Check out the Disney outlet; a place to get Disney merchandise at a discounted price.
Nightmare before Christmas Ornaments
Price: $12.95 +Shipping
Tinker Bell Pajamas
Price: $15.00 + Shipping
Personalized Spider-man Backpack
Price: $12.99
These cute little buggers are $10 a piece and there is such a huge variety you'll be sure to find at least one to fit everyone on your shopping list.
All $10.00
Other Great Shopping Sites:
http://www.chocomize.com/ (Personalized Chocolate Bar)
http://www.yourmusic.com/enroll/enroll_200605_maroon_features.html (Hottest Cds for $6.99)
http://us.penguingroup.com/static/pages/shop/index.html (Books classic and contemporary)
http://www.tcm.com/shopping/index/?shopref=TCM.com%20Nav:Shopping%20Home (Find classic and contemporary movies here.)
Does someone on your wish list want something like the new Rock Band or some other expensive item? Why not get everyone they know to pull together $20 each and get the item they really want. Trust me it's a much better investment in the long run.
DIY
If your the crafty type why not take a crack at making some gifts yourself.
If you can sew make something simple like pillows or a totebag.
If you can bake try your hand at making delectible treats.
Other ideas:
Soaps
Jewlery
Knitted Items
Hair Acessories
Just take a look at a craft store like Jo Ann's,Micheal's, and Hobby Lobby for some inspiration.
Finding the Perfect Gift
Finding out what everyone wants can be stressful. If worse comes to worse just ask and get an idea what that person wants. If you don't want to ask you do have options. If they have a Facebook you can see what their likes are and get an idea with that. You can also just ask your friends and family to create an amazon wish list. You can either purchase something off their list or you get a pretty good idea on what they want.
Do you have to send gifts from afar?
If you have to send out your gifts I'd suggest just purchasing a gift card,money or a check. It may not be the most personalized present,but you won't have to pay all insane shipping fees either. If you are buying their gift online in the first place you can probably send it from the website directly to wherever you need and often times you can even get your package gift wrapped.
Wrap it up
I have to admit 'm not too big on gift-wrapping. Thank goodness for those gift bags. The great thing about gift-bags is that you can just keep reusing them. They are fast,efficient, and environmentally friendly.
Even better yet purchase one of those eco-friendly bags. Forever 21 and Disney have a few great ones to choose from ranging from $1.50 to $5.00. The bags are so great looking they are often like a gift by themselves.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)