Wendy Boswell over at LifeHacker (a favorite site here at HackCollege) mentioned a site with awesome tips for saving money while attending college. Every college student knows that money can be tight, especially after you subtract that money for those “beverages” you consume (you know exactly what I’m talking about). So before you go out and spend your hard-earned dough, glance over these tips - they could save you a bundle.

Read on to your heart’s content »

So CollegeToolkit.com is offering a $10,000 scholarship for students. Submit an essay (i.e. you can submit one you’ve already written) and get other users of the site to vote for you.

Let me repeat that: There are no outside judges.

So if you’ve got loads of “friends” (via Facebook, Myspace, Friendster, Glee, whatever), you just get them to join the site and vote for your essay. Popularity contest? Maybe. Scheme to get a larger user base? Definitely.

Essays are due July 31st, but it’s probably the best idea to submit your essay early and spend the rest of your efforts getting “votes”. So hit the comments with a link to your essay, if you submit one. We’ll vote.

While I still have a few more years of a certain debauchery and Cliffnotes, Rosario’s leaving the undergrad circuit come this May, along with everyone else that’s walking. To help her out, I’m relaying this post on seven financial tips for graduates.

No one likes being broke: Seven Tips for Soon-To-Be College Grads [Consumerist]

Hot on the heels of last week’s post “Want a Job? Start a Blog.”, we’ve come across another article from bokardo. Their article is organized into a nice “top 5″ list.

Get a job: The Blog is the New Resume [bokardo]

For us folks in California, an extended weekend is coming up (Cesar Chavez Day is tomorrow). That means no class. No class means less time spent studying and more time mingling.

If you’re in the market and a player, you might just be taking a special someone on a date. Check out this list of inexpensive dating ideas from zen habits:

Cheap but Great Dates

At one point or another during the year, we’re probably going to have to fly somewhere. Being the students and capitalists that we are, we deserve to pay as little as possible for a service because we, surprise, poor.

While perusing the Internet I found this comprehensive post over at Money for the Rest of Us. Enjoy:

15 Tips for Cheap Travel: How to Find Cheap Plane Tickets

Before coming to school, I moved all of my money from a local bank account to a Bank of America accounts. LMU’s got a Bank of America ATM on campus. I wasn’t about to pay $2.00 every time I needed to give a friend some cash.

Unfortunately for me, Bank of America has a pathetic interest rate on their savings account. We’re talking about a half a percent. As some might say, “That’s hella lame, yo.”

Read on to your heart’s content »

I don’t know why I haven’t posted about this before, but Project Gutenberg allows anyone to download free e-books from them. Just about every classic can be downloaded from the site, from Great Expectations to The Declaration of Independence.

So… boycott your monopolizing campus bookstore

You can never grow up fast enough.

Because I’m a loyal American, I spend money and lots of it. My current weapon of capitalist choice is my Bank of America Visa Check Card. The check card just withdraws the amount of the purchase directly from my checking account. Cool enough.

But a friend started using his fancy Visa Starbucks Duetto card in front of me. I’ve been generally jaded towards credit cards, until now. I forget the exact benefits, but he makes back a good portion of his Starbucks purchases and is constantly accumulating credit to be cashed in at a Starbucks. All of this is highly appealing to a caffeine addict.

Read on to your heart’s content »

the simple dollar has put out a great list on how to make this Super Bowl a bit less expensive. To start, don’t go to the bar to celebrate. Host your own party or go to one. Then:

Buy refreshments in bulk.
If you are stuck buying refreshments, this is a great day to check out your local warehouse club. These are almost always great places to get snacks in bulk, especially Sam’s Club. Plus, you may find other items that you can buy in bulk there that will save you some money.

Paint your face.
This is a great and cheap way to liven up a party. Paint your face in the colors of your preferred team. Two small containers of tempera paint from the art supply store will provide more than enough to paint your own face and that of your family. Of course, if you’re painting your face in dark blue and orange, be aware that tears make the paint streak.

Don’t waste money on decorations.
Most people could care less about decorations. If you happen to already be a superfan of one team or another, use the supplies you already have and wallpaper the party room in Peyton Manning jerseys. Otherwise, don’t invest anything in decorations; just clean the place well and have the televisions ready to go.

Bag up any leftover snacks and eat them as side dishes for the next day or two.
Don’t waste food unless there’s a reason for it. Save some of the leftover snack food and eat it in the coming days. Anything that should be refrigerated should be eaten quickly, but dry snacks can be used over time.

Be sure to check out the full list over at the simple dollar. And…

Go Colts!