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Just when you thought back-to-school time couldn't get any more expensive, you have a child who heads off to college. Here are some quick tips for making sure you aren't spending more than you have to. Save Money on Dorm Room Furniture * Know what you need.Generally, the college will provide a bed, dresser, chair and desk. The rest of the furnishings will be up to you. Now, before you go nuts shopping for furniture, make sure to take a look at the room or, at the very least, get an idea of the dimensions. You don't want to buy a lot of stuff that just plain won't fit. * Reuse. Have your child use as much of the items as possible from her room at home. You might need new sheets because dorm room beds tend to be extra long, but blankets, pillows, and décor items can easily be reused, especially since these items will probably come home again in the summertime anyway (at least for the first year or two.) * Shop at the right time. Discount stores, such as Walmart and Target, only stock certain items in summer and early fall. Mini fridges, papason chairs, and other dorm favorites will be at their best prices just before you need them. Save Money on Textbooks Once your child is registered for all of his classes, and he has his list of required textbooks, you have a few options.. One, you can buy them new, which is crazily and ridiculously expensive (but sometimes the only option). Others, you can buy used right there at the college bookstore or even online, through amazon, for example. * Share. When I was in college, I knew some kids who shared books with friends or other people in the dorm, but this never worked for me. I liked having my own book. Still, it might be an option for you, if you have the right group of friends. * Check online. Amazon and Barnes and Noble sell a huge variety of textbooks and you may be able to get a better price than you can at the college bookstore. Take your smartphone or ipad with you when you go to get your books so you can compare prices as you go. * Consider textbook rental. Chegg is the largest textbook rental company, and it helps students save as much as $500 each year. Chegg offers more than 2 million titles and a buyback option, which allows you to sell your used textbooks back to Chegg. Chegg even plants a tree for every book returned, purchased, or sold. More information on Chegg is here: http://www.susies-coupons.com/daily-picks/2010/01/09/chegg-save-money-by-renting-your-textbooks/ Save on Technology If you need new technology items for college, especially such items as laptops, ipads, smartphones, etc., keep an eye on your favorite daily deals sites so you don't overpay. There are some great deals this time of year if you know where to look. Check your local Walmart store (which often has the best deals on tech items) for a baseline. Then see if you can do better by comparison shopping online. Newegg.com, for example, has terrific online deals on new and refurbished tech items, but their daily deals tend to change very quickly. Here's a site that keeps a running list of the latest and best newegg deals: http://www.newcouponsanddeals.com/coupons/newegg.php Save even more money on back to college items by getting the latest and best Office Depot Coupons and Quill Coupons.
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