How to Use Amazon Prime Student to Save Money in College

Our oldest son is a college Freshman. I don't know how that snuck up on us like it did! Oh my gosh, are you ever *really* prepared emotionally for this time?? (my momma heart!!) On top of the emotions and letting your baby bird fly, those expenses sure do rack up fast!

Needless to say, college is expensive! Not just classes, books, room and board. But, the other “stuff” that no one really tells you about: case of Pringles here, body wash, toilet paper, batteries, light bulbs, etc, etc!!!

If you have college students, I imagine you are looking for ways to save money on any and all college expenses like we are. If you haven't yet considered Amazon Prime Student for your student or your wallet, keep reading!

Amazon Prime Student Cost

Any student can join Amazon Prime Student as long as they have an EDU email address, which your school will give you. Once you have your EDU email you can sign up for Amazon prime student. The student is eligible for the 6-month free trial of Amazon Prime so they can take advantage of all amazons great offerings.

Amazon Prime Student Trial

If after the Amazon Prime Student trial the student wants to continue the Prime benefits, they can renew at half price for up to 4 years or until you graduate whichever comes first.

Even better you get to enjoy the perk of earning $10 for every friend you refer. That $10 can buy them a 24-pack of toilet paper. They're gonna need it.

Amazon Prime for College Students

Free two-day shipping is the best perk of any Amazon Prime account. As a college student, you will find that many items cost more locally than on Amazon.

Two-day shipping means you don't have to worry about paying more for basics you need and everything is delivered right to your door. This is really handy when you need to get a good deal on those college textbooks.

Amazon Student Book Perks

Amazon is a great resource for your college textbooks. Amazon allows you to rent, buy, and trade your textbooks lowering your costs by a large chunk. We recently rented through Amazon and it was so simple!

You can also trade your old textbooks in for Amazon gift cards. Turn around and use that gift card to buy or rent your next set of textbooks no matter where you bought your textbook from.

You get to enjoy getting up to 80% of your textbooks value back at the end of your class. Every bit – big or small – helps!

Amazon Prime Free Audible Channels

You can save time and money listening to articles, news, and talks with Amazon Prime Student included unlimited Audible Channels. This is a great way to keep up with what is going on and enjoying top content to help you further your education while working out, riding public transportation, or waiting in line scrolling Facebook.

Prime Student vs Prime

Have an entire library at your fingertips. Install the free kindle reading app on nearly any device and enjoy unlimited books, magazines, comics, and kindle singles. This great feature is not part of the regular Amazon Prime but an add-on with extra cost that you enjoy free with Amazon Prime Student.

Amazon Prime Instant Video

Saving money on entertainment is easy with Amazon Prime Student. You get unlimited streaming on all Prime videos.

Video streaming is a great way to cut costs allowing you to relax and enjoy a movie without paying a fortune for a cable subscription that you don't have time to get your money worth between classes, working, and trying to balance a social life.

Amazon Games

Do you like to play games online? How about streaming your favorite gaming channels? With Amazon Prime Student you now get Twitch prime scoring you awesome in-game loot every month to help you relax and unwind after a long day of classes or give you something to do while you procrastinate on that paper due this week.

Amazon Prime Photos

Don't lose any of your great memories from your college days or pay for photo storage. Amazon Prime Student also comes with unlimited photo storage allowing you to not lose those great shots of that awesome college party next time you drop your phone.

Amazon Prime Benefits

Amazon Prime Student members can take advantage of the same benefits that all Prime members can get PLUS a few more as we have mentioned! Save even more money by scoring lightening deals with early access available to prime members to the best Amazon deals each day. Checking these for deals on school supplies, cool gadgets, and even everyday essentials is a great way to save money.

What other Amazon Prime Student perks do you love?

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Find MORE College Savings Ideas HERE

Ways College Students Can Save More Money

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How to Become a Seasonal Tax Preparer to Earn Additional Income

I've received a few submissions sharing ways that others earn money from home. I will be publishing them over the remainder of the series. This one comes from Janell sharing how you can earn additional income doing seasonal tax work.

Seasonal Tax Preparer Jobs

This isn't working from home, but consider doing taxes at H&R Block during the tax seasons. You only work January 2 through April 15. There are continuing education requirements, but you can complete the courses online after the first year.

This is a way to pick up a few thousand dollars in a few months, and you can work selected hours. I work a few nights a week and some weekends.

In doing some additional research on this topic, I found a few resources that will be helpful if you want to be a seasonal tax preparer to earn additional income.

Tax Preparer Classes

Check out the Seasonal Tax Preparer Classes on Udemy. They have several courses which start at $10 or less.

My husband recently went through a Quickbooks Online training so he could learn how to do the bookkeeping for my business. The courses are thorough and most include videos along with written documentation! Every class we have taken has been thorough and put together well. Just check the reviews before you purchase.

As Janell mentioned, you can take the income tax course through H&R Block, as well as other tax service providers. From looking at the H&R Block training site, you will go through 75 hours of instructor-led training and take a 3-hour final exam. Training occurs during the weekends or during the week (whatever is more convenient for your schedule).

Tax Preparer Jobs From Home Flexible Hours

Lots of companies will hire you to work from home. YES! With that comes flexible hours. Of course, you need to get all of your work completed on time and ensure the company you have a private work space given the nature of the work.

If you are working outside of the home for this one, many times you can set your own hours. This is always a plus with any job. You work as much as you want, and can earn as much as you want during this timeframe too.

Online Tax Services

If you want to venture out onto your own, you can offer online tax services. I would start with friends and family both near and far away.

Thanks to so many amazing technology options, you can easily have face-to-face review meetings with each person! I would use a service like Google Hangouts to start since it's free, but there are lots of other options which cost money that could be beneficial once your business is booming!

After tax season is complete, get yourself prepared to open shop officially online! You can follow many of the steps in my How to Start a Blog and Make Money Blogging series. Creating a site to send people to is super simple to do and can get you on the fast track to a great business with serious side income potential!

If you have a unique way that you earn money from home, please share it with us.
I would love to include your experience with our readers!

More in the Earn Money from Home Series

Start a Homemade Cake Decorating Business
Make Money Doing Freelance Work Online
Start a Sewing and Alteration Business
How to Self Publish an eBook to Earn Income
Offer Babysitting Services
Internet Research from Home
Earn Money as a Home Organizer
Selling Online to Make Extra Income
Start a Small Business Doing Odds and Ends Jobs
Earn Money By Creating How-To Videos

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Earn Online with The Best Paid Survey Sites

Updated: January 17, 2018

Online survey sites have been around a while. I have been doing paid surveys for more than 10 years! Some months I fill out more surveys than others, but I continue to do surveys if time allows for it.

I have my personal best paid survey sites listed for you. I want to make it easier to clear through the clutter online and find the *really* good ones.

I constantly get survey requests. From time to time, there are a few that look really attractive too but then I opt for family time instead. Not all online survey companies are created equal.

In fact, the best paid survey sites list I created only has sites pay cash or by Paypal. I have never bothered with any other type of site since I actually want to get paid take surveys more than anything else! While I do consider some surveys that pay good rewards, my attention is primarily focused on those that I can actually make money doing surveys.

Here are a 5 tips to consider when you join or complete online surveys:

Paid Surveys at Home

{1} Sign up from someone you trust (like me, of course). :D Not that you will receive junk mail from others, but some of them are just junk mail sites. They want to get your information so they can send you spam. I am confident in the companies I have shared since I have personally used them and continue to receive really good offers.

Make Money Doing Surveys

{2} Use a survey email address. Use even the same email that you use for your Freebies. But, be sure to check this email on a frequent basis. The really hot paying surveys are filled super fast.

Get Paid For Your Opinion

{3} Understand the company's terms. I was burnt by Inbox Dollars since I didn't complete a survey in several months. According to their terms, if you don't log into your account to do some small action then your account is closed. I was the Gold level too so I lost out on some nice incentives. I'm still mad about that!

Legit Paid Surveys

{4} Share with your friends! But only if they want to try them too (see tip #1 – no one likes spam :). Many of these sites offer referral benefits so if you get a friend to join and complete surveys too, you will receive a reward of some sort. These vary upon all the sites but they can be cash or points for you to redeem for rewards.

Earn Money Taking Surveys

{5} Validate your time worth. If a survey takes you an hour to complete and the reward is only $5, is it worth your time?

I haven't had this situation personally. To avoid this issue, I would always check the reward first before I even considered doing a survey. Most of the companies also give you a time estimation so that helps to get an understanding of your involvement.

Check out my tips to Earn Referral Credit without a Blog. Facebook is a great place to share these sites with your friends so follow my suggestions to help you earn a little extra too!

Best Paid Online Surveys

{6} All online survey sites are NOT created equal! For a list of legitimate paid online survey companies, check out my Online Survey Sites page and sign up for a few. Some of my faves (from that list) include:

• ePoll
  
• Survey Savvy (even got one for $50!)
  
• Toluna
  
• My Survey
• Valued Opinions
• Gongos Consumer Village

Surveys for Money Paypal

{7} I personally prefer to only do surveys that pay cash or money via Paypal. To help you clear through the clutter of the various survey sites, I have compiled a comprehensive list for legitimate online survey companies.

In that post, I give a full description of each online survey company along with an explanation of the benefits, cash, or gift cards that each company offers.

Online Survey Companies

Do you have other online survey companies you love that aren't listed on the Online Survey Sites page? Leave me a comment and let me know who they are and what type of program they offer. I'm fine with adding others to my list as long as they come from a recommendation from a friend (see tip #1 :)

Disclaimer: This post contains a link to an affiliate. See my Disclaimer Policy for additional information.

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Broccoli Cheese Sauce – Easy Cheese Sauce Recipe!

I love broccoli with cheese dipping sauce! My mom used to make this all the time when I was growing up. Whenever I make this, or eat it anywhere, it always takes me back!

This cheddar cheese sauce recipe is really easy to make and can definitely be used on more than just broccoli. We also use this cheese sauce for cauliflower, or whenever a recipe calls for a creamy cheese sauce. It's a great cheese sauce for potatoes, chicken, in any type of vegetable bake, or makes a simple cheese sauce for pasta.

Basically, you need this cheese sauce recipe in your life!

Broccoli Cheese Sauce Recipe Ingredients

• 2 cups, Milk
• 1/4 cup, Butter
• 1/4 cup, Flour
• 2 cups, Sharp Cheddar Cheese (shredded)
• Salt & Pepper (to taste)

Use our favorite long handle measuring spoons to measure and stir the ingredients together!

Broccoli Cheese Sauce Recipe Directions

1. Allow milk to warm to room temperature.
2. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
3. Sprinkle flour over melted butter while stirring to form a roux. Then cook for several minutes.
4. Gradually add milk to roux while whisking to form a well blended mixture.
5. Cook about 5 minutes until thickened.
6. Gradually add in the cheese while stirring constantly until it is melted and smooth.
7. Serve hot.
8. If you would like to spice things up add 2 teaspoons hot sauce and 1 teaspoon chili powder.

With the cold weather here recently, I'm gonna make a batch and put it on some baked potatoes. Yummy broccoli cheddar baked potatoes coming up! I'm telling you, it works on everything! If you try this homemade cheese sauce, let me know how it tastes for you!

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Copycat Long John Silver’s Chicken Recipe

I can't remember the last time I visited a Long John Silvers! You won't even know the difference between this batter recipe and the Long John Silvers chicken batter recipe! I'm sure this has to be healthier. In my head anyway! Either way, this copycat recipe hits the spot when I'm craving Long John Silvers chicken!

I worked at a shoe store during college. I often frequented the Long John Silver's during lunch breaks. I would always get their chicken planks, hush puppies, fries and a large pink lemonade (check out these homemade lemonade recipes).

Ahhhh, to be young and able to consume all the greasy foods again. Well, I make this in my Air Fryer now so it's less greasy. But still.

Copycat Long John Silvers Chicken Ingredients

• 1 lb Chicken Tenderloins
• 3/4 cup, Flour
• 2 Tbsp, Cornstarch (or Arrowroot Powder as a Whole30 or Keto alternative)
• 1/4 tsp, Baking Soda
• 1/4 tsp, Baking Powder
• 1 tsp, Salt
• 1 tsp, Sugar
• 1/4 tsp, Onion Powder
• 1/4 tsp, Garlic Powder
• 3/4 cup, Water

Copycat Long John Silvers Chicken Directions

1. Combine all of the batter (dry ingredients) in a bowl and mix well.
2. Add water and stir until well combined.
3. Heat oil to between 360 and 375.
4. Dip fish or chicken in batter to coat completely.
5. Deep fry for until golden brown (about 3 minutes per side).

I'm telling you, you won't know the difference! If you decide to modify the ingredients to make it more Whole30 or Keto, try using Almond flour in the place of the flour. You can even put this in the air fryer (I love our model we use it it daily – even the kids!) to save more time and have it even healthier with less grease!

 

Find MORE Recipes HERE

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Try this yummy copycat for a Chipotle Burrito Bowl with chicken including the best Chipotle Black Bean recipe!

This Olive Garden Chicken Alfredo recipe is to DIE FOR! I promise, the alfredo sauce tastes BETTER than Olive Garden!

Find MORE Restaurant Copycat Recipes HERE

Disclosure: This post contains a link to an affiliate and support this site. See my Disclaimer Policy for additional information.

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Best Household Things to Buy on Amazon (that are actually useful!)

Are you an Amazon household? Our family is! There are so many benefits to buying on Amazon! I buy as much as possible on Amazon because it saves so much time. But, I love Amazon for finding deals and products that are hard to find locally too.

The best way to take advantage of household deals on Amazon is to get an Amazon Prime membership. Free two-day shipping on items you use every day is a great way to save time and money. You can buy Amazon Prime here and get a free 30-day trial.

Best Things to Buy on Amazon

When it comes to the best things to buy on Amazon for the house, the list is pretty long! Whenever we are low on an item, I immediately add it to my shopping cart. With the big list of Amazon coupons available, you can now save on things, along with the time savings. No more running to the store for an everyday item that you run out of.

And, with the Amazon Alexa, it's even easier to remember to add items to your shopping cart! It's almost *too* easy! When you see that you're running low on trash bags, you literally say “Alexa, add more trash bags to my shopping cart.” In fact, I have to keep my kids from talking to Alexa to prevent unwanted purchases – HA!

Find qualifying products on the Subscribe and Save page here.

Amazon Household

Cleaning supplies are a great household item to order off of Amazon. Subscribe and save to items you go through regularly and never worry about running out of the basics or having to remember to place an order.

If you have more than 5 Subscribe & Save subscriptions set up, you will save 15% more on your entire order! Your subscriptions can be cancelled at anytime. You can also use Amazon coupons on these Subscribe & Save options to save even more!

Find the grocery coupons on Amazon here.

Amazon Prime Pantry

Family not large enough to make shopping in bulk worthwhile? Amazon Pantry is the perfect way to save for you. You can shop for groceries and household items in everyday package sizes.

Prime Pantry products also match up great with weekly coupons and sales! Yes, it's like a grocery store but your items are delivered to your doorstep! BONUS:  the Wickedly Prime items are all included in Prime delivery too!

Amazon Prime Household

Toiletries items like tissue paper and conditioner disappear faster than you can stock them. Ordering these items off of Amazon allows you to never worry about running out of them just when you need them most.

Amazon is a great place to find your favorite beauty items long after stores stop carrying them. This happened to me so many times! If you can no longer find your favorite shampoo check Amazon Household before giving up.

Best Buys on Amazon

Amazon is a great place to find good prices on batteries. Amazon’s brand is a great quality and they offer rechargeables for all of those energy sucking things around the house. We purchase these rechargeable batteries and love them so much that we purchased an additional set! They last for hours in lights and game controllers.

Amazon is perfect for finding those harder to track down battery types and have them shipped to you instead of having to go hunt them down. We use Amazon to restock our batteries with fresh ones at the beginning of the storm season so we never have to worry if we have fresh batteries in our emergency kit.

Start your free 3-month trial of Amazon Family here.

Amazon Family Benefits

Have a baby? Diapers, wipes, and other baby essentials are perfect to order off Amazon thanks to Amazon Family. Nothing sucks more than running out of diapers so order before you run out. Enjoy discounts with Amazon Family and never have to run for diapers with your baby.

Amazon Pet Supplies

Amazon is a great place to get deals on your pet supplies. I love that we can find a larger selection and better prices than our local pet store not to mention we can get a stock of things we need without the risk of someone wanting to bring a new pet home.

You can create an Amazon Pet Profile for your beloved pet(s) and start to get coupons, deals and personalized suggestions for your pets! This is such a great program considering some of the higher pet quality foods aren't easily accessible at our local department stores.

Shop the grocery section on Amazon to find some great sales!

Amazon Alexa Shopping List

Did you know there are special deals for Amazon Alexa users? There are! Find the Alexa Shopping List Deals and make sure you tell Alexa what else you may want to add to your shopping list before you checkout!

Amazon Prime Samplers

The drawback to shopping at a wholesale store or online and purchasing items in bulk is that you may order a large size of a product and not really love it. You can always give the items to friends, but wouldn't it be great to try it FREE even? Yes, I agree! So, just how to get free samples from Amazon?

Amazon Prime now offers Free Samples! Well, they aren't *technically* free but you get a store credit when you purchase one of several available items. It's basically an Amazon sample store!

Top Amazon Products

Buying everyday household items from Amazon can save you time and money making your busy life easier. We all need a hand once in awhile and having regularly used items show up at your door with the push of the Amazon Dash Button or on a regular interval takes away a lot of stress involved in managing your household.

What Amazon Prime Household Items Do You Purchase?

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Save more money on Amazon with this EPIC list!

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Monthly Budget Ideas: Template and Strategies to Stay on Track

Within the past few months, I've had a conversation with multiple people about budgeting. I don't think I'm an expert by any means, but we've been through a big debt payoff, a job loss, and other financial circumstances, and have managed by having a monthly budget in place.

Keep it Simple (KISS)

The advice I give to everyone starts with simplicity. Keep all your bills on a spreadsheet or in a notebook. List the name, due date and amount; you can add other information if you need it. Pay attention to the due dates so you never miss a payment and incur late fees.

I will be honest and say that I've paid more than my fair share of late fees. Not because we had insufficient funds, but because I was busy with so many other things. Consider adding items to a calendar so this doesn't happen to you.

Free Budgeting Spreadsheet

Create a Bill Paying Process

Pay all your monthly bills that have a fixed amount like your rent or mortgage first and then go in and pay your other monthly bills. Fixed bills are usually the most expensive and are always due on the same day every month. We have the fixed bills set to auto-pay which is super convenient if your online bill pay/bank offers this.

Pay your other monthly bills by the due date and in the order of importance. For instance, pay the electric bill before paying the cable bill. If something should go wrong, you at least have heat and lights. And if you're in debt payoff mode, just cancel the cable all together. There are lots of ways  you can watch TV for free.

Arrange any Overdue Payments

If for some reason you cannot pay a bill when it is due, don’t throw it aside and pretend it’s not there. Call the company and make arrangements to get it paid as soon as you can. The last thing you need is to have a bill turned over to collections, especially if you can make payment arrangements.

6 Simple Ways to Save Money

Create a Filing System

File your receipts as you go. Make files for all your categories like medical, donations and the like. After you pay the bill, put the receipts into the appropriate file folder. This only takes a few minutes and saves quite a bit of time come tax time.

While you are paying bills, it is a good time to sort receipts for items you may have purchased that month. File receipts alphabetically so you have instant access to them incase you need to use a warranty or return an item to the store.

Setting up your filing system and your account log whether it is on your computer or hard copy, takes time so definitely download the budgeting spreadsheet above to help in that department. Start now to get those files ready so you can make paying your next round of bills a little easier.

Saving Money on Groceries without Using Coupons

What budgeting tips do you have?

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