FAP837: Review of the NASFAA National Conference, Free Stuff Friday

Listen now:

Student Financial Aid News
+ A review of the NASFAA national conference in depth
+ A longer than normal show

Scholarship Update
+ Scholarship Points, kids.
+ Scholarship Search Secrets eBook.
+ PodCamp Boston scholarships

Free Stuff Friday
+ I’d encourage everyone, regardless of whether you’re a student or not, to actively research cost-saving options for fuel and food. Take a look at community supported agriculture (CSAs) in your area - you may find a community farm that will save you significantly over the grocery store.
+ If you use oil heat, ask your furnace manufacturer if your heater can accept a mix of fuel oil and waste vegetable oil, or even straight waste vegetable oil, which could save you hundreds, even thousands, of dollars this winter.
+ For those families with fireplaces, investigate the potential cost savings of a wood stove fireplace insert, which will let you burn firewood instead of propane, natural gas, or oil.
+ Consider alternate modes of transportation - Matthew Ebel has recently highlighted a conversion kit for a bicycle for $1,000 that will transform a regular bicycle into an electric vehicle, which could be practical for those with relatively short commutes. If your budget permits, consider a hybrid vehicle; at the least, reduce your driving and inflate your tires to the maximum safe pressure.
+ Be mindful of your other utilities as well. Use power strips with off switches to prevent appliances like DVD players from consuming electricity unnecessarily. If you have access to your toilet tank, put a fist-sized rock in the tank to reduce the amount of water used per flush. If you find that your toilet performs satisfactorily, replace the rock with a brick or sealed, water-filled glass bottle to further reduce the water used per flush.
+ Make liberal use of free entertainment. Your local library has likely evolved quite a bit since your early childhood days, and if you haven’t been back recently, you may be surprised at what you’ll find. Local libraries often have significant CD and DVD collections which you can borrow for free or at nominal cost - my local library charges $1 per week for hit movies, and no charge for CDs and non-fiction DVDs, including past seasons of popular TV shows.
+ There’s tons of free entertainment online - download popular podcasts like the TED conference for some videos that will blow away anything you can find on television, plus thousands and thousands of other great shows. There’s still lots of free wireless to be found at places like public libraries, some fast food and coffee shops, and other locales. You can find great audio and video all over the place, and if you download it onto a laptop, you can take it home with you and watch it with the entire family.
+ Check out the events section for your town on popular event sites like Craigslist, Upcoming, and Eventful, as you may find terrific local music festivals and other community activities that are free. Many unconferences such as BarCamp and PodCamp are free, and those that charge may have scholarships for students to attend.
+ Your town may have lots of free stuff you don’t even know about. In the town I live in, there’s a weekly events calendar which is poorly organized and poorly publicized, but has lots of great events and activities on it, from free play groups for kids to free movie nights, and many other free or very low cost activities. Your tax dollars already go to support these activities, so make sure you check out your town’s municipal web site.
+ Check out the Friday episodes of the Financial Aid Podcast, where we highlight every week a bunch of free stuff online and offline that can save you significant money. Grab our free scholarship eBook to find scholarships using Google and other online tools. Check out our other student financial aid resources, too.
+ Free hearing aid batteries from Energizer
+ Dress like a cow at Chick-Fil-A, get a free combo meal today only
+ Free Stevia Sweetener

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Reminders
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+ Financial Aid Podcast Show Notes at FinancialAidPodcast.com.
+ Free scholarship search secrets eBook at StudentScholarshipSearch.com/ebook
+ Open an FDIC-insured savings account today!
+ Private student loans available at any time - visit AlternativeStudentLoan.com
+ Student credit card information at StudentPlatinum.com
+ FAFSA form tutorials and free help at FAFSAonline.com
+ Financial Aid discussion forums
+ Get FAFSA news at the FAFSA blog
+ Stafford federal student loans at StaffordLoan.com
+ The Financial Aid Podcast is a publication of the Student Loan Network.

I want to hear from you! Email me at financialaidpodcast {at} gmail {dot} com, visit http://www.FinancialAidPodcast.com, or call 206-350-1208.