Stupid Expenses
May 24, 2007
I have been thinking a lot about the future lately; about all the upcoming expenses and things I need to do to get my life in order. The second I turn 18, I’m applying for a Student Visa so I can start earning a good credit rating - and trust me, I won’t abuse it like most teens would. What would I abuse it with? I’m not a fan of going on several expensive shopping trips, and I’d only use it when I had the money to pay it off right away. I want to establish a good crediting rating so buying a car and a house will be easier.
I have got to come up with a game plan for buying text books, since I would rather get them second hand. The problem is I am working every day and I can’t make random trips up North to get them second hand before they are all sold. Plus I don’t have a book list yet, and I have no idea when I should expect that.
I still also need to find out if I am going to put in a landline with a long distance plan, or somehow find a really good cell phone with a decent long distance plan. Maybe unlimited incoming calls, local or long distance? Pff that’s probably a dream. In any case, my To Do List is growing with each passing day.
Although I am excited about college, I am also dreading it. I just know I will miss Nifty so much and it will suck only seeing him one day a week, but we’ll make it work. If its real like we believe it is then it will work.
May 24th, 2007 at 9:29 pm
< ![CDATA[Wait until you get your book list to worry about it, then order online. Half.com and others sell them much more reasonably than your school bookstore will, even used. Your book list should be available before classes start, and they only take like a week to get to you, so it all works out in the end. I do this every semester and it saves me a TON of cashj]]>
May 25th, 2007 at 9:51 am
< ![CDATA[Your first semester's books can be bought new if you have to. The rest of the semesters, you'll be there, so you can buy used books then. Don't sweat it.
And a cell phone with unlimited long distance and free nights and weekends would be the best, so you can use it for drives and from home and school.]]>
May 27th, 2007 at 9:13 pm
< ![CDATA[Amanda, Avi, thank you both! I am thinking of gearing towards a cellphone with a long distance plan, plus I'm hoping Nifty will pay 25 bucks a month for unlimited calling in Canada. It's cheaper then what I would have to pay!
I will have to look into half.com because I’m not sure if its purly American or all that jazz, but thanks Amanda for the heads up!]]>
May 28th, 2007 at 11:55 pm
< ![CDATA[I just graduated from Queen's, and so here are my 2 cents as a Canadian graduate...
a) Do NOT get any books until after your first class. You will not need them then, and if you drop the class, you’ll be unhappy to have spent $100 for nothing. Also, most universities have a used book store or a student run bookstore where you can buy the required books for a fraction of the price.
b) Be careful getting a student visa as opposed to a normal account. For example, I’m with TD Canada Trust, and the student accounts seem nice, except you get slapped with fees every time you make a withdrawal or transfer…it may be different for visa though, and for different banks.
c)the cellphone with a long-distance plan is a great idea; you can’t answer the landline when you’re out, and companies like Virgin, Bell and Rogers have great long-distance plans. Again, remember that with cellphones, it’s not the long-distance that will necessarily kill you; sms and local calling can cost you every single time if you’re not careful.
D)Have a blast!]]>
May 29th, 2007 at 9:38 am
< ![CDATA[Jess - thanks for the awesome advice. I am seriously considering a Rogers cellphone with a long distance plan. I'm thinking buisness plans are better with the long distance? I don't know.. heh.
I’ll try to have fun! And what did you go to Queens for?]]>