Campus Book Rentals Helps College Students Save Big Bucks!

The Summer Semester is starting soon. Many college students are trying to get things in order and dreading paying for their books that they will use for only several months. Sure they can spend a fortune at the campus book store but who wants to do that? Those books will probably sit in a box for the next 15 years in someone’s garage anyways. Campus Book Rentals has the solution, they will rent you books for whatever class you need them for. You can save 40%-90% off bookstore prices. The selection is amazing. Seriously, you may think they wouldn’t have a book for that class but they do. I have a friend who is taking classes for something really specific, that is only offered at a select number of places, and Campus Book Rentals has books for her class.

 It’s so great for the environment when you rent your textbooks instead of buying new.  You can even have flexible rental periods to make sure you have the book as long as you need.  Don’t worry about highlighting in the textbooks, it’s totally allowed. If you are just learning about Campus Book Rentals, have no fear, you can sell your old text books too. It would be a great way for college kids to make an easy buck, free up space and help others. So, if you took classes recently, dig out those old books, and check out Campus Book Rentals.  Campus Book Rentals offers Free Shipping both ways.

Campus Book Rentals also supports the amazing charity Operation Smile. Operation Smile helps babies and children with Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate get surgery and the treatment they need to suck, eat and speak and smile. Smiling is important. Just think if you couldn’t smile.  Operation Smile saves babies and children’s lives.  

For more information on Campus Book Rentals check out their website.

College Regrets

When I was in school, I decided that I didn’t want to go to college. I wasn’t really in to school, I liked to learn but I did not like doing homework. I wish that I would have gone to college now. I plan to go to college when Noah is a little bit older. I would love to be a paralegal because I love to research people and things. I also really like learning about law. Ideally if there wasn’t 7 years of school, I would love to be a lawyer, but there is no way I would be able to handle that much time with raising my son. I remember a lot of my friends went to college and they had to take the SAT test. One of my old friends had a SAT tutor to help her prepare for the test. I would have needed some kind of tutoring because tests were not always my strong suit in certain subjects. I wonder if you are an adult, do you still have to do tests like high school students do. If I go to a college where I have to take the SAT test, I will definitely need a tutor.

I have not been in school for a long time now. I loved subjects like biology and history. I am horrible at math though. A calculator is my best friend. I hated algebra. I am still not sure what the point of it was. I can’t remember a time in my life where I did an algebraic equation, not being homework or in school. Maybe I will someday. I kind of regret not going to college but I know that I can still go at any age. There is not an age limit for college. I honestly think it was probably a good thing I am waiting. I have heard many stories of kids going to college and partying away the nights and not really getting the education they were supposed to get because they were too hung over to learn.

Did you go to college? What did you study?

No Gift Birthday Parties

My son has a ton of toys. He receives them for presents from my family and me. Some of them are birthday gifts and Christmas gifts but sometimes they are for no reason. Honestly, I kind of feel like when his birthday comes along it just means more stuff. Now that he is older and will start having birthday parties with friends, it will only get worse. I am thankful for the gifts we receive of course. I really am.

I have an issue with the quality of some toys now days. I can tell you that I have quite a few toys from my childhood that are still in good condition or well working condition. I bought Noah a remote control helicopter for his birthday that was broken less than a month later. Another issue is a lot of toys are made in China and end up getting recalled for lead or whatever reason.

I would like to see my family and friends use their gift money to go towards his college education. That would be a gift that would really last a lifetime. I also think that quite a few parents are interested in a no gift birthday party. As my mom would say, your presence is present enough.

Did you know saving just $25/month when your child is a toddler can result in up to $10,000 when they're ready for college? That's just one coffee a week.


If you reach $1,000 in the 60 day window GradSave will give you $100 to use towards your college savings or to pay for your birthday party.  How cool is that?

You can learn more about the GradSave Birthday Challenge.

What do you think about no gift parties? I look forward to your thoughts.

Enter the GradSave $10,000 Scholarship Sweepstakes

One of the things that I thought about when I found out I was going to be a mom was how I was going to pay for Noah’s college education. If you haven’t heard he wants to be a marine biologist. I am sure by the time he is ready to go to college the price will have gone up a lot. I have the opportunity to share with you about this wonderful giveaway from GradSave! You can win 10,000 dollars for your child or grandchild’s education. How amazingly helpful would that be?

                                                           Want to Enter? Click HERE
 You can purchase GradSave Gift Cards and save $10 off. The holidays are coming and you know the special children in your life already have a mountain of toys. Why not purchase something that will help them receive an education. Get the $10 off offer


Eligibility. If you are an individual legal resident of the United States (except for the State of Rhode Island) or the District of Columbia and are 18 years of age or older at the time of entry, you are eligible to enter the Sweepstakes. Our employees, their immediate family members (spouses, domestic partners, parents, grandparents, siblings, children and grandchildren), and our affiliates, advisors or advertising/promotion agencies (and their immediate family members) are not eligible to enter the Sweepstakes. Prize. We will award one (1) Grand Prize Scholarship that will be payable, at the option of the winner, either as (i) a deposit of $1,000 per year for the next 10 years into a child’s college savings fund ($10,000), or (ii) an up front payout of $4,000, which represents the present value of an investment in a college savings fund for a 1 year old with withdrawals starting at age 17 and a 6% compounded annual rate of return on such investment (This just shows you how a college savings fund grows…); provided that, if the winner is a resident of the State of Florida or the State of New York, such winner must select the upfront payment of $4,000. IN THE CASE OF A SINGLE PAYOUT OPTION (I.E., OPTION (II) ABOVE), ACTUAL FUTURE VALUE OF SCHOLARSHIP MAY VARY BASED ON THE RETURN RATES OF YOUR PARTICULAR COLLEGE SAVINGS FUND AND/OR THE AGE OF CHILD.


Odds of Winning. Odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received. Certain promotions will be held where additional entries will be awarded as prizes for action, which may include liking us on Facebook, entering free photo contests, etc. Check our home page at www.gradsave.com for more information on these free promotions

Campus Book Rentals Review

College is expensive, worthwhile but expensive. The tuition usually includes a dorm room and sometimes a meal plan depending on the school. One thing it doesn't include is books. Parents and students end up paying big bucks to get books that are required or suggested for different courses. Depending on the class sometimes they don't even use the textbook. I know that friends have paid a hundred dollars for one book. This book is only for one class so afterwards it becomes a doorstop or something that sits in a box or on a shelf for many years. I remember when I was in school, we had to pay a book rental fee for our books. We had to give them back but really? What would I do with a sixth grade science book? I am sure my son would like to look at it but other than that it is useless to me. I remember when the school would change books, they would let the students each choose an old textbook. I thought that was cool because I liked to play school. There is a website called Campus Book Rentals that allows college students to rent their books. I love this idea because not only is it so much cheaper and it reduces clutter but it is greener. Think about how many textbooks a publisher prints a year. If it is for a required class that all college kids take it could be hundreds of thousands. All of those trees for a few months of classes. How many people actually reopen their college textbooks and read them again a few years later? I am willing to bet not many. So why not save money and save the trees at the same time. Here are some perks of the program: -save 40-90% off of bookstore prices -free shipping both ways -can highlight in the textbooks -flexible renting periods -Campus Book Rentals donates to Operation Smile with each textbook rented Campus Book Rentals has pretty much everything. My uncle was a professor at Purdue and he also wrote a textbook. They have it too. Noah would like the textbooks about Marine Biology because he is going to be a Marine Biologist when he grows up. Congratulations to all the college students this year!

GradSave Gift Card Deal

Looking to build up your child's college fund? Check out this deal!

GradSave Gift Card on Living Social
$50 (Pay $24) or $25 (Pay $12) Toward a GradSave College Savings Plan
Living Social GradSave Deal

Investing in Noah's Future

Noah is starting kindergarten in the fall, where has all the time gone?  It seems like just yesterday he was a baby.  Now that I have registered him for school, and soon will be buying him school supplies and paying book rental and sending him on the bus, it has me thinking about the future. I have always thought about the future but I really need to start some kind of college fund for him so when he graduates high school, he can go to college.  I am not going to be a parent that relies on a scholarship for my son. I have faith that he is smart enough to get one but you never know.  I know that he is very advanced for his age but I need to be proactive about this.  I need to sit down and look in to investing my money in to something that can provide for Noah’s future if he goes to college or not.  I want to check out purchasing some walking liberty half dollars.  I was always told that gold and silver were both a good investment. 

My dad gave me a couple pieces of silver when I was in Jr. High and I still have them both.  I couldn’t tell you where they are, but I still have them tucked away somewhere.  I thought it was really cool that he gave them to me.  I could have sold them at a pawn shop or something, but I kept them for a rainy day. I think I might pass them down to Noah when he gets older.  You know I am big on heirlooms and by the time he is an adult, they will be over 25 years old. I know some of you might be thinking he’s only 5 now and I have time, the last 5 years has flown by so I am assuming the faster I get on the ball I am able to help him go to the college of his dreams.  He wants to be so many different things, it changes all the time so who knows what he will do with his life.  I just need to check out a company like Independent Living Bullion to start investing in Noah’s college fund while he is still young.  The longer you have the more likely you are to be able to do something like this.  I have big dreams and hopes for Noah to be whatever he wants and will help him achieve his goals in life.

Do you invest in anything? Do you have college funds for your children?

Gerber Life College Plan

One of the things you have to start thinking about the moment you find out you are going to be a parent or when you find out you are having another child is paying for the child to college if that is something they want to do. I am not one of those parents that will demand that my child goes to college. I am pretty sure he will want to because even at 4 years old, he loves to learn. Many parents start saving for their children’s college education from birth. I wanted to share with you about the Gerber Life College Plan. Everyone knows about Gerber with the iconic Gerber Baby. I learned recently that they offer a college plan to help you save and pay for your child’s future education. It is an endowment life insurance policy. It is designed to help parents save a guaranteed amount of money for their children's college education expenses in a safe and secure way. I am sure a few of you are wondering what an endowment life insurance plan is, I didn’t know until I checked out the FAQ.

I think that this is a great gift to give your child or grandchild. It will help them in the future. You don’t have to worry about losing it by having it tied up in investments and have the stock market crash, and be left with nothing. I know that has happened to a lot of people recently with the economy being so bad off. It is a small monthly gift that will provide a lifetime of education which will provide a future for your child or grandchild. I know in some families it is customary for the grandparents to pay for college, why not start now and have it taken care of without having to pay a large sum every year.

For more information please visit the Gerber Life College Plan’s FAQ.