Marilyn Brodeur

Using Points to Save Money at Christmas

December 19, 2007 By Marilyn Brodeur 1 Comment

I have never been able to make money online. I’m terrible at it. I’ve done survey sites, sign-up for stuff sites, read these email sites and rate our product sites. I’m resigned to the fact that I’m just not creative or persevering enough to read 500 2-cent emails to make the 10 dollar minimum that will be deposited into my paypal account.

What I am really good at is getting points. I like points. What’s genius about points is they are kind of like money. So it doesn’t matter that I’m no good at making money from those other sites. Now that the Christmas season is upon us, I’m finding that hoarding up my points puts me in a great position to spend close to nothing on presents for my friends and family. Here are some methods I recommend for gathering points. It may be too late to begin racking up points for presents this year, but why not get an early start on next year?

Harris poll: I learned about Harris poll from one of my classmates who has been doing it since high school. Last year she splurged and bought her parents a digital picture frame with some of her points. This is a survey site that rewards participants strictly with HI-Points. The points can be traded in for magazine subscriptions, watches, DVD players, and even a surround sound system. My husband and I have noticed that when we both get sent the same survey invitation, whoever completes it soonest gets the most points. Also Harris Poll is pretty smart. They have some sort of system to track answers that don’t make sense in order to recognize people who are just randomly filling in answer choices. Don’t lie. They won’t send you more surveys if you do. Harris Poll is my favorite survey site not only because of the rewards, but the surveys are formatted nicely. I especially like the “progress” bar at the bottom which gives some idea of how close to the finish you are.

MyPoints: I originally signed up for MyPoints because my frequent flyer program said they would give me 5000 miles if I did. So I did. And I got my 5000 miles too. MyPoints is a program that gives you rewards for shopping online. MyPoints advertises various websites and if you buy something through that website, you will earn points according to the dollar amount spent. I know eBay was recently going for 2 points per dollar spent. It’s an easy way to rack up points if you are an eBay-er. You can also earn 5 points for each email by opening them everyday and clicking through to the advertisers. Occasionaly MyPoints sends out surveys which can earn 10-60 points. As rewards, MyPoints offers gift cards to various websites and restaurants. For presents I recommend buying a gift online with a MyPoints gift certificate.

Lightspeed panels: Behind Harris Polls, Lightspeed is a decent survey-for-points website. I don’t particularly like the format of their surveys. However, they do send survey invitations out more often than Harris Poll so it’s not hard to rack up points.

Credit cards: Honestly, my husband and I buy everything on our rewards VISA. We buy gas, food, tuition, etc, and then pay it all off each month. The result? Easy Christmas presents. The array of things to trade points in for is astounding. Our reward card was even nice enough to send us a Christmas catalogue with the cost of each item in points.

I love that it’s possible to earn cool presents from filling out surveys when I’m bored or from buying food and tuition on credit cards.

Image courtesy of Zoppola

9 Ways to Maximize Time in College

December 14, 2007 By Marilyn Brodeur 11 Comments

One of the major costs of college is the amount of time you stay there. By being able to graduate in a shorter period of time, students can not only save on tuition, but also college related expenses such as room and board. So what can college students do to ensure they spend no more time in college than they need to?

1. Pick a major early on and stick with it: I understand picking a major can be difficult. Personally, I changed majors three times. In my first semester.

After that, I stuck with my bio major and got out of undergrad with a biology degree in 3 years.

Don’t be afraid to switch out of a major that won’t work, just do it by the end of freshman year.

2. Know graduation requirements: Once the major is selected, tackle the specifics. Write out possible schedules to fit in all the courses. Just for kicks, make up possible scenarios for 5, 6 or 7 semester college careers. Colleges are also constantly changing their curriculum. Keep up with new classes that could count for a requirement.

3. Take a community college class over the summer: When planning possible schedules, if a student is a class shy of being able to break through to the next level of classes, consider a community college class during a break. Nowhere do colleges state “thou shalt never ever attend another institution while thou art going to ours.” Talk to an advisor about the possibility of taking a class back home and transferring it to your primary institution. Not to mention the community college class may be cheaper per credit that the regular school.

4. Never take the minimum credits to be full-time: Always be over the minimum by at least a credit or two. The difference between the minimum and a little over will add up to an extra semester over the college career.

5. Take advantage of off semesters: At the University of Maryland, the month of January is winter term. Students can take the month off or get ahead. Most colleges offer summer classes also. Many times these classes are more relaxed than during the normal semester because there aren’t as many students. This can be a nice time to check off some more requirements.

6. Finish prerequisites early: Prereqs can really hold students back from tackling their majors. Once the major is set, take prereqs as soon as possible. The first semester even. Many students aren’t sure of what they are doing when they first start, so a student with a plan can really move ahead by knocking out prereq courses their first semester or two.

7. Make friends with college advisors: Advisors know things that students don’t. They can waive a student from taking a prerequisite, they can add a student to a needed class that is full, and they can also count a similar class as fulfilling credit for another required class. Make friends with these people. Let them be an ally to help with an early graduation. If they understand the goal, they can keep an eye out for options to get students there.

8. Find fun classes to fill requirements: At my college, biology majors had a variety of upper level courses to choose from to fulfill their advance requirements. Instead of taking something intense like advanced cell biology or histology I took Bioethics. It was the best class I ever took in undergrad because we talked about all sorts of ethical issues not covered in standard biology classes, like banning evolution in public-schools, when to take someone off life support, and stem cell research. The class was fascinating and I got myself closer to graduation with it.

9. Take double whammy classes: You know what I mean. Classes that fulfill two requirements. Sometimes a class can fulfill two GE requirements or a major and a GE requirement. These classes are golden because students essentially get two for the price of one.

Hopefully these tips and strategies elucidate exactly how a student can save on student loans by being strategic. Graduating early can set a student ahead of their peers financially and also in the real world. Many professional schools I applied to were very impressed with my drive to finish school so quickly and assumed I was an extremely hard worker. That’s really not entirely true. I did work hard, but I’d say it was also working smart.

Image courtesy of Jonnny

Cut College Costs in Half through Community College

December 13, 2007 By Marilyn Brodeur 1 Comment

While one way to cut the cost of college is take AP classes, many cost saving college pundits suggest another is going to a less expensive community college rather than starting straight off at a more expensive 4-year university. I agree with them. I also think those savings should also be claimed by high school students. Walking across the stage to receive a high school diploma does not magically endow students with the know-how to survive a college class. Students can get a year or more of college out of the way while they’re still in high school.

Community College: My aunt, who graduated with a master’s at 21, did much of her undergraduate work by taking community college classes while still in high school. My grandma realized that it was a lot cheaper to pay for an inexpensive local community college class while she was still in high school than to pay for traditional college. My aunt took classes on top of her classes in high school. She took the easy college prep classes at the high school instead of demanding honors or AP classes. She went to school at night at the community college. During the summers she loaded up on college classes. When she graduated high school she already had over 60 credit hours. And because of careful planning, ALL of those credits transferred to her major after graduating high school. She cut her college cost in half by taking cheap credits. By starting early she freed up time to live abroad.

Starting at a community college is easy to learn about. For instance, a quick search on the Houston Community College’s website taught me that high school juniors and seniors are eligible to enroll in academic courses if they have satisfactory grades. Even gunner freshman and sophomores can petition for admission if they like. The option to take a course for just college credit or for both high school and college credit open up the possibilities. The cost per 3 credit course is $164. Not bad at all. If the student plans to stay in-state, the transfer process is easy to a traditional 4-year university. Now I realize not all students may be able to afford or want to go the path like my aunt. However, an extra class a semester at a community college and 2 or 3 courses during the summers could easy take a year out of college expenses.

Independent Study: I love the Internet. One of the many reasons why I do is because things like college classes become more accessible through independent study. A Google search of Independent Study yielded over a million results. Be sure to shop around. One university charged 137 per credit while another university charged 76 per credit. This can be a great option if Community College and local University Exchanges don’t work out. Especially for teenagers who can’t drive themselves and parents with busy schedules who can’t shuttle them around. Do not take this option on lightly. The student needs to be very disciplined to get through courses online because they are not as pressured to get work done as in a classroom.

Exchange with local university: Did you know that qualified students in the Boston area can go to Harvard extension school and even receive a scholarship if their family is below a certain income level? In Georgia, the Accel program completely covers the cost for Core Classes taken during high school. Talk with guidance counselors and local university admissions offices to see what benefits to high school students are available in your area. Again, don’t be shy to shop around. Calcultating cost on a per credit basis is a nice way to check to make sure the student makes good use of the money. The whole point is to get in some cheap, quality college before graduation.

Attending university can be a better alternative to AP. As a student who received credits through AP, I can tell you it is not an easy test. I felt like many of my college classes where far easier. Test out the waters. If a student does poorly on AP tests sophomore or junior year, check out some real college courses as an option. I had some friends in high school that kept taking AP classes for the prestige, but failed every single one of them. Going to the local university senior could have made a much more cost-effective use of their time.

Image courtesy of Jonnny

How to Reduce College Credit Cost By 90%

December 11, 2007 By Marilyn Brodeur 3 Comments

Oh the AP tests. One 4-hour exam can determine the fate of a whole college course. The 1st two weeks each May, high schoolers across the US gather at testing sites to spill their brains onto their testing booklets in the hopes of proving they are worthy of college credit.

Here are the basics. This test is offered by the College Board, the same people who admister the SAT. Tests are scored on a scale of 1-5, 5 being the highest. At least a score of 3 is required for credit. It’s possible to get 2 semesters worth of credit with a score of 4 or 5. The bottom line is higher scores can reward more college credit and more savings. Many school disctricts help subsidize the cost of the $84 exam. Even without a subsidy, 84 bucks for 3 credits or more of college isn’t bad.

Now here are some strategic tips to get your money’s worth out of these exams.

Take some APs outside of the future major: There is little thing most colleges like called General education. GE classes will force you to take some classes outside of your major. Why not get that over with in high school? If a student is dead set on engineering, take some history, language, government, or psychology APs in high school.

Check out College AP transfers before taking the class: Pick a couple of colleges that seems a likely fit after graduation. Some colleges are AP snobs in certain subjects and will only accept a 5 for AP credit. Know what is needed to get the credit and if the effort for the grade is worth it.

Get more bang for your buck with a higher score: Depending on the test, some schools will reward you handsomely for just passing the test. For instance the University of Nebraska dishes out 8 credits of general chemistry to any student who gets a 3 or higher. Note which classes those are and go for it.

Beware the fake credit APs: What do I mean by that? It’s possible to take the AP test, pass it with flying colors, GET CREDIT FOR THE CLASS, and still have to take it in college. This is the case for many science majors going to professional school. I passed out of college physics through AP, but I still had to do physics in college because most dental schools won’t accept AP credit for a science prerequisite like physics. I still recommend taking them to get a leg up on the material, just don’t be disappointed when you have retake it in school. There is one perk-easy A when taken in college.

Review books: AP classes are tough. There is a ton of information, like the over 300 years of social, political, and economic history of the United States. Get an AP review book on ebay for a comprehensive review of a years worth of course material. A good book can be an investment in a shorter, cheaper college experience.

Self-directed APs are possible: If the high school doesn’t offer the AP class of interest, march into the principal’s office and ask them to make a class for individual study time specifically for that AP class. Seriously, what is the principal going to say? “Well, I don’t know if I want students passing more AP tests and making our school look better.” My husband did this with AP Statistics. One of his math teachers gave him a Stats book that he systematically went through and he asked the teacher questions when he didn’t understand something. He got a 5.

With those tips in mind, let’s crunch some numbers here. Say a student attends a reasonably priced college like the University of Nebraska which made the list of Kiplingers Best Value Colleges. The University of Nebraska estimates that for a student taking 15 credits a semester living on campus will spend about 15 grand. 30 credits for the year, at $15,000 a year evens out to around $500 a credit. Now let’s say that same student going to University of Nebraska passes an AP test earning 3 credits that gets the student out of a GE requirement. We’ll estimate the cost of the test as $150 for the unsubsidized test and a $60 review book. Passing that test dropped average college credit cost down from $500 to $50, or a 90% savings per credit. Maybe those classes aren’t so bad after all.

Image courtesy of Jonnny

Have More Fun For Free

December 1, 2007 By Marilyn Brodeur Leave a Comment

So you have decided to zip up your wallet or cut up the credit cards so you can start meeting your financial goals. Fantastic. But, um, what are you supposed to do for fun? Have no fear, fellow frugal friends. Take some ideas from the poor newlywed couple. You can have loads of fun trying to do things for free. I’m serious. We are cutting our spending so we don’t have to take out more student loans, and we manage to do lots of great things together. We have an extremely powerful weapon when it comes to battling the forces of boredom. Creativity.

Card games: Nothing like a little friendly competition to spice up your life. Some of my personal favorite 2-player games include California Speed (my personal favorite), Speed, Egyptian Rat Screw, or any number of other Card games.

Chess: I never fully appreciated the strategy and concentration required for a serious chess game until I played against my husband. For instance, I recently learned that occupying squares in the center-most region can limit the options of various attacks the opponent can make. Library books or online searches can yield some great chess knowledge.

Book Store Wandering: Pick up a travel book with a friend or significant other. Did you know Turkish beaches offer tree houses as a lodging option? As nerdy as it was, my hubbie and I loved to peruse marriage books when we first got engaged. Book stores seem to have the most interesting book titles. It’s easy to get lost learning about personal finance, opera, astrology, listening to music selections, looking at the really over-priced photography-of-the-Grand-Canyon books, etc.

Go to church: Run with me on this one. Organ recitals, choir concerts, I even saw a church advertising Tai Chi lessons. Not only are there fun performances, but the actual buildings and services can be an interesting diversion. My husband and I accidentally went to Mass the other day because we wandered into this gorgeous Cathedral. This cute little old man gave us a program and said, “Come. Sing with us. Be blessed.” We couldn’t really say no to that. There is definitely something enlightening to seeing how others worship. And it’s free.

Library books: Libraries are awesome. Partially because you can take a piece with you for three weeks.

Podcasts: The day I discovered podcasts on itunes, my roommates didn’t see me for a good 4 hours. You can learn about Roth IRAs from Charles Schwab, shark attacks from National Geographic, or even sign up for French lessons. Our favorite is “This American Life.” Pretend you are in the 1930s and gather round to listen to the radio. Best part is it’s F-R-E-E. Just download itunes from itunes.com and go wild.

Revert to childhood: Borrow a movie from the library you used to watch as a kid, build a fort, dig out some old board games, or even pull out some childhood pictures and take a walk down memory lane. This can be particularly fun if you have kids.

Frugal doesn’t mean all the life, fun, and energy is sucked out of your soul. Steal these ideas, make up your own, get creative. And perhaps when frugality is no longer a necessity, your ingrained creativity habits will continue to pad your savings.

Image courtesy of Jigme Datse

The Great Secret to Cheap Dental Care

November 29, 2007 By Marilyn Brodeur 78 Comments

Within the US and Canada there are over 60 dental schools which provide inexpensive dental treatment. With locations all over the US from Louisville, New York City, Ft Lauderdale, Los Angeles, Omaha, and Chapel Hill it is very likely there is a school nearby. As a dental student, I’d like to reveal some factors to consider when choosing to get dental work done at a school.

Insurance

Dental schools accept most insurances. It is still a good idea to call the school ahead of time to be sure there are no problems. Going to a school may be a good option if the regular dentist drops insurance coverage.

Expert overseers

When I started dental school, I was surprised to find that celebrities exist in the dental profession, and many of them are my professors. My “cavity professor” frequently speaks at conferences and publishes in journals. A couple of professors at my school were recently recognized for a new innovation in tooth whitening. These are the people who oversee every step of patients’ treatment at the school.

Inexpensive

Cleanings, crowns, root canals or even veneers are cheaper at dental schools. I’d estimate that treatment is about half as expensive as a regular dental office. Students are good resources for learning about the best values offered at the school. Ask them if there are any procedures that are particularly cheap at the school. Perhaps tooth whitening kits are particularly inexpensive. It depends on the school.

Work with students

I may be a little biased, but dental students are cool. Your typical dental student is a 20 something-year-old studying for classes and working to become a good dentist. Don’t underestimate what your student knows how to do. They are trained to do crowns, fill cavities, and even put on veneers. Dentistry is continually changing with new advancements, and schools are very good at updating their curriculums so students know the most up to date techniques.

Possibility for absolutely FREE work

To become licensed as dentists, students must pass the National Board exams. This consists of working on patients that have a specific type of cavity under the supervision of a Board examiner. If you qualify as a National Board patient, your student will love you and fix your teeth for free.

When you decide to get work done at a school, expect it to take a while. Here’s why:

A couple appointments

Because students are so closely monitored, it normally takes 3 appointments until patients begin treatment. Also many schools suffer from faculty shortages. Appointments that take 1 hour at a regular dentist office could take 3 hours because the student is waiting for a professor to check their work. Bring a book or something because you might be alone in the chair while the student is waiting for a professor. Sometimes schools even offer evening clinic sessions which offer greater flexibility for patients.

Slow, perfectionist students

Hey, we are learning here. Students practice on manikins, plastic teeth, and each other before they are let loose on real human beings. When practicing, good clinical results, not speed, are graded. Students are competent at performing the procedures – we are just slow.

No assistants

Normally students are working solo. So you may be asked to help make the process go faster. Maybe write some numbers or hold the suction in your own mouth.

Think it over. If you don’t mind spending some extra time at the school you can get a great bang for your buck.

Image courtesy of completosinmallo

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Here is a list of all Dental Schools in the country courtesy of wikipedia (thanks Kelly in comments)

Alabama
University of Alabama School of Dentistry, Birmingham, Alabama

Arizona
Arizona School of Dentistry and Oral Health
Mid-Western University school of dentistry (fall 2007)

California
Loma Linda University School of Dentistry, Loma Linda, California
UCLA School of Dentistry, Los Angeles
University of California at San Francisco School of Dentistry
Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry, University of the Pacific, San Francisco, Calif.
University of Southern California USC School of Dentistry, Los Angeles, California

Colorado
University of Colorado Denver School of Dental Medicine, Aurora, Colorado

Connecticut
University of Connecticut Health Center School of Dental Medicine, Farmington, Connecticut

District of Columbia / Washington, D.C.
Howard University College of Dentistry

Florida
Nova Southeastern University College of Dental Medicine, Ft. Lauderdale
University of Florida College of Dentistry, Gainesville, Florida

Georgia
Medical College of Georgia School of Dentistry, Augusta, Georgia

Illinois
University of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry, Chicago, Illinois
Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine, Carbondale, Illinois

Indiana
Indiana University School of Dentistry, Indianapolis, Indiana

Iowa
University of Iowa College of Dentistry, Iowa City, Iowa

Kentucky
University of Kentucky College of Dentistry, Lexington, Kentucky
University of Louisville School of Dentistry, Louisville, Kentucky

Louisiana
Louisiana State University School of Dentistry, New Orleans, Louisiana

Maryland
University of Maryland Dental School of the University of Maryland at Baltimore, founded as the Baltimore College of Dental Surgery

Massachusetts
Boston University Goldman School of Dental Medicine
Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Boston
Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, Boston

Michigan
University of Michigan School of Dentistry
University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry, Detroit, Michigan

Minnesota
University of Minnesota School of Dentistry

Missouri
University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Dentistry

Mississippi
University of Mississippi Medical Center School of Dentistry, Jackson, Mississippi

Nebraska
University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska
Creighton University School of Dentistry, Omaha, Nebraska

Nevada
UNLV School of Dental Medicine also known as the University of Nevada at Las Vegas School of Dental Medicine

New Jersey
University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-New Jersey Dental School

New York
Columbia University College of Dental Medicine, New York City
New York University College of Dentistry, New York City
State University of New York at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine
State University of New York at Stony Brook School of Dental Medicine
University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York

North Carolina
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Dentistry

Ohio
Ohio State University College of Dentistry, Columbus, Ohio
Case School of Dental Medicine of the Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio

Oklahoma
University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center College of Dentristy, Oklahoma City

Oregon
Oregon Health & Science University School of Dentistry, Portland, Oregon

Pennsylvania
Temple University School of Dentistry, Philadelphia
University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine
University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine

Puerto Rico
University of Puerto Rico School of Dentistry, San Juan, Puerto Rico

South Carolina
Medical University of South Carolina College of Dental Medicine, Charleston, South Carolina

Tennessee
University of Tennessee College of Dentistry, Memphis, Tennessee
Meharry Medical College School of Dentistry, Nashville, Tennessee

Texas
Baylor College of Dentistry, Texas A&M Health Science Center, Dallas, Texas
The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Dental Branch
University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio Dental School

Virginia
Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry, Richmond, Virginia

Washington
University of Washington School of Dentistry, Seattle, Washington

West Virginia
West Virginia University School of Dentistry, Morgantown & Charleston, West Virginia

Wisconsin
Marquette University School of Dentistry, Milwaukee, Wisconsin