If the economic slump has got you down, there are several ways to have fun for very little while staying around campus.

Late night is always a good option when you want to do something for free. A few weeks ago I made caramel apples, listened to a ghost hunter, ate popcorn and carved a pumpkin. Although there isn’t always this much to do (there was also a Haunted Marquette ghost tour, but it started way too late for me), it is always a good time.

Bingo is also completely free. I haven’t gone yet this year, but there are always some pretty good prizes and at least there is popcorn. The only downside is to get the good prizes you have to spin a wheel. The one time I did this I spun men’s socks and was understandably upset.

Another option is movie nights in the Varsity Theater. With a MarquetteCard, movies are only $2, but without it’s still only $3. I wouldn’t recommend this for a first date, but when gong out with friends, it’s pretty fun. I saw Wall-E a few weeks ago, and I admit I would not have paid $10 or however much it costs to see a movie at a real theater, but it was well worth my $2.

Lectures are also a great place to get free food. I recently went to a lecture that was pretty boring, but the cheese platter and juice afterwards were enough to make me happy after a long day of work. Information sessions are also home to smorgasbords of free food. I mean, what is one way to draw in students to join a club? Free food. The downside to this is ending up on an e-mail list for all eternity, much like the ones that I am still on from using this strategy my freshman year.

This might be a stretch, but if there is anything else I enjoy, its free furniture. Whenever buildings are remodeled, tons of furniture is marked for discard. It is at that point that I swoop in and take a free chair, or more recently a free desk. Although there might be some defect, and this can also lead to pulling a chair several blocks (in my case eight, all uphill), it is very fulfilling to know that it probably cost less to furnish my apartment then it costs for some people to eat for a month or drive across town.

If getting things for free doesn’t work out, the next option is taking full advantage of getting a student discount. The Rave offers $5 off if you buy your tickets there a few days before the show, Dragonfly on Brady Street gives 10 percent off each purchase if you show your id and this also works at most movie theaters, including the Oriental.

Have fun and I hope that these tips work.

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You have checked and double checked, packed and repacked. You have been school shopping, grocery shopping and clothes shopping. You might even have a list that you will check again (that makes twice) before you take off for school. You’re all set. Except for when those pesky classes start and you actually have to learn.

Fortunately, all the information you will need for your classes has been conveniently bound into one location: textbooks. You are already paying an arm and a leg or two for tuition, and many find themselves surrendering both arms in the aftermath of textbook shopping. There’s no doubt that textbooks are expensive, but you can save yourself a little bit of money if you know what all your options are, and are willing to do a little leg work – assuming you still have both after paying tuition. Once you have all the information, you can decide what works best for you.
BookMarq is the university owned and operated bookstore located just north of the Annex on 16th Street, the same street that McCormick Hall is on. Textbooks are always in abundance, and the convenience of being able to order your books online is very appealing to many students. Bookmarq’s central location makes them very accessible to students on campus and if you order your books online, you can have them shipped to your home or pick them up at the store. The academic sections and books are well marked and easy to find.

BookMarq does not provide this level of convenience and ease for free; prices tend to be slightly higher than the alternatives. Students who choose the campus bookstore generally do so for convenience. “When I have to take my business to a campus bookstore, I take it to BookMarq because I can use my Marquette Cash there,” said Amanda Wolff, a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences. BookMarq’s number is (414) 288-7317.

Sweeney’s: If students are not willing to pay for that level of convenience, but do not want to look off campus, they generally head to Sweeney’s. Located on the corner of Wisconsin and 17th streets, Sweeney’s is campus’s independently owned bookstore. Prices are generally cheaper, but books are harder to find and not always readily available.

Sweeney’s tries to make their main customer the student and not the University, as they argue BookMarq does. Sweeney’s will be relocating after the fall semester to 14th and Wells streets, a location that used to be a Chinese restaurant, if any of you were curious about the pagoda over the front door. Their store hours for August are Monday-Friday 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. For more information about Sweeney’s or to order books online, click here.

Online Options: Many students are beginning to explore alternatives to campus bookstores. Online textbook shopping has exploded in the past couple of years, with more and more students trying to save any amount of money they can. Some popular sites include Amazon.com, half.com, textbooks.com, barnesandnoble.com and chegg.com to name a few. “[Chegg.com] has definitely become my favorite,” said Wolff. Chegg.com is a book rental site that rents books to students for the semester, then takes the books back with no return shipping charged. Many students, however, are weary to try online options because of the security risk involved; students are afraid that books will never be shipped or they might receive the wrong edition.

Whether you buy at BookMarq or Sweeney’s, Barnes and Noble or Amazon, almost everyone suggests shopping around a little bit before pulling the trigger. “Wait until after the first day of classes to buy your books,” said Andrew Schueller, a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences. “A few times a ‘required’ book wasn’t needed at all, so wait until your teacher personally hands you a book list and then buy those.”

So no matter where you buy from, it is important to explore all your options first, and hopefully buying books doesn’t have to be too painful.

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Sweeney’s College Books, 1634 W. Wisconsin Ave., has been a cheaper alternative for buying textbooks since the fall of 2004. Soon, however, since Marquette University bought the property, it will no longer be able to do business in its current location.

Sweeney’s lease enables sales through the summer and fall 2008 semesters, but after fall sales end, the bookstore will move to its new location, 1400 W. Wells St. China Garden, a buffet-style Chinese restaurant that delivers, currently occupies this space.

Jun Mei, China Garden’s manager, said China Garden is not going out of business; he is still unsure of a moving date. The owner is currently looking for a new location close to campus.

Chris Zilvitis, Sweeney’s assistant director, said he does not believe Marquette’s purchase of the property was anything personal.

“A number of buildings from the one who owned this were bought,” he said. “It doesn’t have anything to do with us. The University has actually become more open [to Sweeney’s] over the past 3 years.”

Marquette purchased the property from Taxman Investment Company. Taxman also owned the Marquette Apartments, 1622-1634 W. Wisconsin Ave. The apartments, which are located above Sweeney’s, will be converted into suite-style residence halls.

Marquette University Student Government expressed its disappointment with the University for not renewing Sweeney’s’ lease, but Zilvitis said MUSG never contacted the store itself. He said Sweeney’s is not going out of business and he thinks the new central location will actually help the store’s sales.

“In bad weather, the students will have less distance to walk to save money,” Zilvitis said.

Sweeney’s will continue to offer the “no textbook left behind” deal, and Zilvitis said he believes it will be easier for students to sell books back at the end of the semester, especially if BookMarq does not buy back certain books.

Hannah Kalinowski, a sophomore in the College of Engineering said she has only eaten at China Garden a couple times, but will continue to shop at Sweeney’s, regardless of the location.

“I know that they were trying to find somewhere, but I didn’t know where,” Kalinowski said.

Sophia Jurgens, a sophomore in the College of Business Administration, said she never really bought books at Sweeney’s, but only because of the location.

“It would be better and more convenient for me if they moved,” she said. “The only reason I’ve bought books from BookMarq is because it’s closer.”

Autumn Botsch, a sophomore in the College of Arts & Sciences, said she is a loyal Sweeney’s customer.

“The prices are better and they have the stuff I need,” she said. “The new location will make it more convenient [to buy books].”

Sweeney’s will reopen in time for fall semester buyback, and the grand opening will be in time for spring semester book sales. It is still undetermined where China Garden’s new location will be.

Popularity: 8% [?]

Everyone hates buying textbooks. According to a recent government report, college students spend an average of $900 a year on books. After their first time plunking down five hundred or more dollars at BookMarq or Sweeney’s books, most Marquette students begin to look for other sources to purchase books from. Half.com, Amazon and DogEars are all popular internet sellers. After buying online this semester, I ended up saving about twenty percent over buying used book at either of Marquette’s physical bookstores. Continue Reading

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The hikes between classes can be exhausting and cause need for a good thirst-quencher. Rather than getting enough sleep and drinking eight glasses of water daily, most opt for caffeinated beverages to stay awake and sugary drinks to further dehydrate. Although a popular belief at Marquette is that something more expensive must be better, this is not the case with beverages.

Most vending machines have the same prices for drinks. Pepsi vending machines are usually $1.25, and Aquafina products run between $1.50 and $2. Other than the pricey vending machines, one can find a decent deal on a drink without feeling completely ripped off.

The typical hall store is a treasure for the bargain hunters. Although hall stores do not usually open up until 6:30 p.m. during the week, they are convenient stops for underclassmen. Run right past those vending machines, and get the same beverage for a much lower cost: a soda product for $1 and fruit drinks $1.25.

Like residence halls, the AMU houses both vending machines as well as cafeteria services, but prices vary within the building. In addition to the typical Pepsi vending machine, the AMU has machines that sell Aquafina, SoBe and Tropicana products. These prices, however, differ from the prices found only a few feet away! For example, a 20 oz. Tropicana lemonade from the vending machines is $1.50 while it is ten cents more in the Marquette Place. Additionally, a SoBe beverage in the vending machines is a mere $1.50 compared with the preposterous amount of $2.25 found in the cafeteria.

“I can see why they would increase the prices where you buy more than meals,” said Wendy Walker, a sophomore in the College of Communication. “But they should be more sensitive to our college financial means.”

Most students do not realize the differences in prices for beverages around campus.

“I buy juice all the time at the Brew,” said sophomore Clare Arquilla, a sophomore in the College of Health Sciences. “I had no idea there was such a difference in price.”

For the caffeine cravers on campus who refuse to go to the Brew for pricey beverages, take a trip to the basement of Straz Tower building. There one can find a coffee vending machine that houses your basic cup of java for under a dollar. Although the machine is circa 1978, the sweet taste of saved money will be worth it. A typical cup of coffee is 50 cents, and hot chocolate is 65 cents.

The Haggerty Engineering building also has a great deal for soda – or pop – lovers. Located on the first floor, the building’s vending machine has Pepsi products for $1.

But where is the greatest bargain on Marquette’s campus? Aside from the always-free water fountains, head for Club Raynor. Rather than paying the normal $1.25 for a Pepsi product in the Bridge, purchase your preferred beverage at the hot dog stand on the sidewalk. The price is right; a typical canned beverage is only 75 cents.

Although there are slight differences for the price of drinks across campus, it is a variation worth considering.

“Education lasts a lifetime,” said Walker, “but juice only lasts five minutes.”

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Being a college student makes it difficult to budget both time and money for this festive holiday season. Rather than wasting away these remaining weeks of first semester on merriness and cheer only to end up broke, here are a few ideas on how to be a frugal student this holiday season.

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Popularity: 5% [?]