How to Benefit from Academic Discounts on Software
Many software companies like Microsoft, Quark, Corel, Sony and Adobe produce “education version” software that is specially priced with an “academic discount” available only for students, teachers and educational institutions. This software is essentially the same as the regular full versions although in some cases some of the non-essential commercial or business features may be removed. Eligible students and teachers (and sometimes even parents) can purchase these software titles at these academic discount prices provided they demonstrate eligibility.
K-12 students (and often their parents) and students, faculty and staff from degree granting colleges and universities are usually eligible for academic discounted software. Some software companies also allow non-profit, charitable organizations to take advantage of academic discounted software.
Because of the large discounts offered, proving one’s academic status is very important. The criteria varies by software manufacturer so be sure to check before you purchase. In general, though, it is common for software companies to require a school ID and/or some kind of photo ID. When purchased online from stores like Academic Superstore, usually the student’s school ID can be scanned and emailed or faxed to the retailer to document one’s eligibility for 12 months.
It is well worth searching for an academic discount for your software needs if you Read more
Five Gas-Saving Tips
With gas prices so high I wanted to pass on five simple tips for enhancing your vehicle’s gas mileage.
- Did you know that gas pumps measure by volume but not density? Gas is more dense when cool which means if you fill up during the coolest time of day you are buying the most dense gas per gallon. Translated into something easy to understand, that means you are getting a little more gas for your money during the coolest time of day.
- Keeping your car’s windows closed when driving down the highway reduces your vehicle’s drag and makes it easier for the car to overcome wind resistance. The result is an increase in your gas mileage.
- Keeping your tires inflated fully to the manufacturers recommendations improves efficiency. Fully inflated tires require less fuel to move than under-inflated ones.
- Removing excess items from your vehicle means your car has less weight to move around than before. That means it won’t take as much energy to move it over the same distance and speed. It’s amazing how many things seem to automatically appear in the trunk, floor and seats over time so take some time and remove the unnecessary things.
- Plan ahead for hilly areas. If you accelerate, it is more efficient to do so before reaching the hill than while driving up it.
Estimating the Financial Value of a Homemaker
One of our readers sent me a thought-provoking email she received from “Laine’s Letters” in answer to a question to one of her readers about “homemakers.” This reader’s question for Laine had to do with feeling that her job as a homemaker was worth “little or less” than being employed within a career. Laine’s response was to show that a homemaker contributes an enormous amount financially to the family and she assigned a dollar value to 33 categories of services and savings within her own family.
One thing that Laine suggested was for homemakers to write down everything they as a homemaker save per month by being a homemaker. Multiply that figure by 12 and that’s a homemaker’s “yearly savings salary.” Laine had the goal of trying to double her husband’s annual salary by her savings as a homemaker. In her example, she did more than that. (In her case, they worked very hard to become debt free and she homeschools the children. Her figures come from what friends and family members are paying each month for similar items in southern California where she and her family reside.)
I wanted to share a portion of this letter since many of our readers and shoppers are homemakers and I thought it might be an encouraging exercise for each homemaker to find her “yearly savings salary.” I’m sure many women feel unappreciated and undervalued and I hope this information will Read more
Shopping-Bargains.com Makes Holiday Shopping a Little Easier on Your Time and Budget!
I’m not sure what it is about this time of year that makes us all go a little crazy when it comes to holiday shopping. Maybe it’s the list of people to buy for, the hundreds of email offers and store sales that we sort through trying to find the best deal, or if its plain old holiday spirit that encourages a lot of us to blow the budget on our holiday spending.
For me, the holiday season is really two holidays, my husband’s family is Jewish and my family is Christian, so with 8 wonderful nights of Hanukkah and one lovely Christmas day, we are talking a lot of gifts to buy!
I don’t know about you, but the thought of hitting the mall with all those thousands of people — especially with my two kids in tow — doesn’t exactly sound like a dream. So like many others, I’ve started doing my holiday shopping online.
Lowest Price is Not Always Best Price
Did you know that getting the lowest price doesn’t always mean you are getting the best price? Have you ever considered that it might be better to pay a little more for things like quality, security, shipping and store reputation?
Here are some reasons why it might actually be more expensive in the long run to buy from the store that currently has the lowest price.
Tips to Save Money by Using Less Gas
Here’s some money saving tips I use to spend less on gas by actually driving less. Driving less also means my car will last longer (which has huge long-term savings benefits). It also makes me feel better knowing I’m conserving resources and doing my part to reduce crude oil imports.
Basically, I try to keep my driving to a minimum by combining trips and finding alternatives. Sometimes that means packing lunch, walking, carpooling or waiting a few days to get something. Let me explain a thought process I use to make these sometimes inconveniences easier to take. Read more
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