1. KeePass – This program helps you store and keep track of your passwords for nearly anything you do on your computer.  This program isn’t absolutely necessary for those of you that are using Firefox’s built in functionality, but this program takes things a step further. It’s great and easy to use! Check it out!

2. Pidgin or Meebo – Like most students, you likely spend a ton of time online. As you’re surfing, you’re likely using some sort of instant messenger to keep in touch with your friends. Pidgin and Meebo (web-based) makes things easier. They both allow you to login to multiple accounts (Yahoo, MSN, Google chat, etc.) all at the same time. The days of having 4 different programs all running at once are over!

3. GIMP - Gimp is probably the best free program out there that can compete (sort of) with Adobe Photoshop. Save your $300+ and use this instead of buying photoshop!

4. Open Office - You may already know about this one. It’s essentially a free alternative to Microsft Office. If you’ve been used to Microsoft, this will take some getting used to, but not spending $150 is worth that!

5. VLC Media Player – This program will play nearly any kind of video file you throw at it. If you’re like me, you probably aren’t a huge fan of Quicktime or Real Player. This easily takes the place of them!

6. OttoBib – This is a nice little site that makes writing up a bibliography much, much easier. It does all the work for you!

7. FreeMind – This program allows you to do what is called “mind-mapping” – which basically means brainstorming. It allows you to take ideas in your head and put them down on paper in a natural, readable layout. I used this a lot when preparing to write papers or when starting projects. You’ll be amazed at how much it helps your thoughts stay organized!

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My niece recently reminded me of the first soup recipe I taught her to make.  It was my college go-to recipe for a delicious meal on a limited budget.  I lived on this soup during my college days at the University of Arizona.  Truth be told, I also made it frequently after college as young working gal. A large pot of soup could last for days – and was wonderful hot, warm or cold.

It still amazes me that these simple ingredients combine together to create a taste of Greece – making this meal not only simple and nutritious but also a respite during a busy week.  This recipe became my signature soup at dinner parties during those years and now my niece makes it as part of our family Thanksgiving dinner.

Soupa Avgolemono (Greek Lemon Soup)
A Greek classic.  This recipe makes rich, filling, comforting soup. The blend of flavors is intoxicating.  Enjoy the subtle melding of lemon, chicken, eggs and rice. Serves 4 -6 (can be doubled)

Ingredients

• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1/2  cup orzo, small pasta or rice
• 2 eggs
• Juice of 1 lemon (more or less depending on taste)
• Fresh ground black pepper

Preparation

• In a stockpot bring broth to a boil and add orzo, small pasta or rice and simmer on low until tender – about 20 minutes. As the pasta/rice is cooking, whisk the eggs in a medium bowl until well incorporated, beating continuously, add lemon juice, and mix until frothy. To temper the eggs before adding to the broth/rice mixture – ladle 1 cup of the broth in constant slow stream while continuing to beat rapidly so you do not curdle the eggs.
• Lower the heat on the stockpot. Slowly add the egg mixture back to remaining broth, stirring constantly. The soup will turn a cloudy white-yellow color. Stir for about two minutes. Do not re-boil; heat slowly until very warm or you may curdle the eggs. Serve.

Notes and suggestions:

• When you reheat the leftovers do not re-boil, gently reheat on low.
• For dinner parties garnish with parsley – for a festive look.
• If you have leftover chicken, shredded chicken makes a nice addition but it isn’t necessary.

It’s a vacation in a bowl – enjoy the memories.

Chef Bio: Lynn Epstein and Iris Feinberg, co-founders of Mama Says, recently introduced the No More Frozen Pizza! a recipe collection for recent college graduates, newlyweds and those finding their way in the kitchen.  The collection includes delicious and economical recipes for main dishes, sides and salads packaged in a retro pizza box.  It is available online at www.mamasays.us/.

Photo credit: SPOONS © Angela Luchianiuc | Dreamstime.com

Paper route -  My local newspaper advertises that they will pay you $400 per month to deliver newspapers. I haven’t done a cost-analysis to determine what it would come to per hour, but it’s not too shabby for some part-time work. You’ll be forced to wake up much earlier than the 10 or 11am that you might be used to, but you’ll have to decide if having some extra money is worth losing some sleep.

Mowing Lawns -  I’d be willing to bet that many of you mowed other people’s lawns for your first job when you were a kid. Why not go back to it and do it while in college? I’m not saying that you should start a business and do a ton of lawns, but maybe get to know some people that live near you and see if they’d be willing to pay you to do the work for them. There’s always other students who are renting a house or apartment and are responsible for doing the yardwork, but don’t want to spend the money to get a lawnmower also.

Deliver Phone Books -  This job will NOT be a steady source of income, however, once or twice a year, you can make some extra cash. Phone book companies are always looking for capable people to deliver their phone books to certain neighborhoods or whole towns and cities. This last year, I saw some kids that were delivering them to my apartment complex and they were walking around with a big stack of books in a red wagon. They said they were getting a $100 for doing it. I’m not sure how much work they were doing, but I think this one is worth looking into.

Be a Golf Caddy -  So this one might seem a bit weird, but there can be good money in it. I think your best bet on cashing in on this one would be to find the course that costs the most in your town and figure out a way to hang out in their clubhouse for a while. Then do some schmoozing with the players and see if any of them need some help carrying their clubs. Obviously, you’re going to do much better at this if you actually know something about golf. Give it a shot and maybe you’ll find a guy that will need you once or twice a week and you’ll have some steady income!

Babysitting -  This one probably takes you back to middle or high school, but it can have some good money. Families with kids that I know often have a hard time finding reliable people to watch their children. They often have to use irresponsible teenagers to do it. Although you might not be the most responsible person in the world, you are definitely a step up. I know lots of families that would jump at the chance to have college students watch their kids and even more who already do. I’ve seen people make anywhere from $10 to $30 an hour babysitting.

So there you go! I hope one of these side jobs can help you out. Choose the one that you think will fit you and your schedule the best and go for it!

I wanted to make a quick update about this program. It happens to be one of my favorite ways to make money. Why? Well, mostly because I have to do absolutely nothing to make money with it! All I do is leave my computer on and I make money from it. The exciting news is that the Gomez Peer program is now paying out even more money than they used to!

In addition to the normal money that they paid you before, they have now added a feature where if you leave your computer on and connected to the internet for at least 20 hours in a day, you will be paid an extra 10 cents per day per computer!

Yeah, I know it’s not a ton of money, but I’m now seeing about $5 to $8 per month coming in to my pocket from this program. This is money that I wouldn’t have had otherwise so it’s worth it! You’ll have to decide whether it is worth it for you, but if you leave your computer on all the time anyways, why not get paid for it? I hope you like it! Feel free to post a comment and ask questions if you have them!

First, you can go to MagazinePriceSearch.com and see if you can find a good deal on the magazine you’re looking for there. The search checks a bunch of different websites that sell magazines and will sort them by the lowest price. It’s pretty nice!

Second, you can go to eBay and search for magazine subscriptions being sold on there. I would make sure that the seller is reputable, but you can really save a lot of money by finding your magazine on there. I’ve purchased 3 subcriptions on there and have never had a problem. Go see for yourself!

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So how much can you make? Well, you can make up to $240 per month at the center nearest to me. They allow you to make two donations per week and you can earn up to $60 per week. I think $50 per week is likely more typical around the US. That’s a whole lot of money for what you do. Imagine having an extra $2500+ of income! How sweet would that be? They’re even now giving you the money in the form of a debit card, so you don’t have to deal with cashing checks or anything like that. You go in, you donate plasma, and they add money to your account. It’s that easy!

You basically sit there for about an hour and a half during a process that is very similar to donating blood. The only difference is that you don’t have all the nausea and dizziness that can be associated with donating blood. They put all your red blood cells back in you so you don’t feel those side effects. It’s great! If you can handle donating blood, you can certainly handle doing this.

Go and check out Biolife and see if they have a center near you. They’re located in a ton of different places in every state. Go and make some more money!

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Please know that all deals are up to the specific restaurants and thus some might not participate. So if you’re standing in the middle of Taco Bell screaming for a free taco and they aren’t budging, don’t come crying to me! Also, feel free to add / refute any places you do / don’t see here!

Food:

All-American Cafe – Free dessert
Amato’s Sandwich Shop – Join the Tamatos Club and get a free birthday sandwich.
Applebees – Free dessert
Arby’s – Sign up and get coupons yearround, including on your birthday.
Austin Grill – Free meal (May need to register first on their website)
Bakers Square – Free pie
Baskin Robbins – Free ice cream treat
Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream - Register on-line and you can get some free ice cream!
Bennigan’s – Sign up for their Bennigan’s Club and get a coupon for a free entree plus a free dessert.
Bob Evans – Free Kids Meal for kids under the age of 12.
Boston Market – Free Kids B-Day meal coupon for kids under 12 and coupons online for their various entrees.
Buffalo Wild Wings (BW3) – Free dozen hot wings
Burger King – Free kids meal to all kids club members
Caribou Coffee – If you join up, they’ll e-mail you a wee or two before your birthday with a coupon. Print it out and get a free coffee drink.
Cheesecake Factory – Free dessert
Chilis – Free dessert
Coldstone Creamery – Join on-line and get a free creation.
Cracker Barrel – Free dessert
Dairy Queen – Free ice cream coupon in e-mail for kids 16 and under. They also have a Blizzard Club for adults with the same offer.
Don Pablos – Free dessert
Denny’s – Free meal to kids under 10
Famous Dave’s Barbeque – Free meal with advance signup.
Fuddruckers – Free ice cream sundae
Golden Corral – Free meal to Birthday Club members (And many people say this isn’t limited to just kids!) during month of birthday.
Hard Rock Cafe – Free dessert
Joe’s Crab Shack – Free cake
Krispy Kreme – Free half dozen glazed donuts and a coffee mug with either coffee or soda in it! You might want to sign up ahead of time.
Macaroni Grill – Free dessert plus an OPERA-style “Happy Birthday” song, which is always different.
Maggianos – $10 off purchase of $20 if you sign up in advance.
Marie Calenders – Free dessert
Olive Garden – Free dessert
On The Border – Free appetizer if you sign up
Outback Steakhouse – Free dessert or appetizer
Perkin’s – Free stack of pancakes
PF Changs – Free cake or cheesecake
Qdoba Mexican Grill – Join their eClub and get a “buy one, get 1 entree free” coupon.
Quizno’s – Join their mailing list and get a free birthday gift (I think this means coupons?)
Red Lobster – Free slice of cake if you join their Overboard Club.
Red Robin – Free Hamburger if you sign up for Eclub, plus a free gift just for signing up!
Ruby Tuesday – Sign up in advance and they’ll send you something!
Sonic – Free Wacky Pack Kid’s Meal on children’s birthdays if you register ahead of time.
Steak & Ale – Free mini choco cake plus other free gifts.
Steak-N-Shake – Free dinner for “birthday club” kids
Taco Bell – Free combo meal of your choice
TGI Friday’s – Free birthday dessert plus free appetizer just for signing up!
Tony Roma’s – Free dessert if you sign up for Expert Club first.
Wendy’s – Free kids meal

Entertainment:

Dave And Busters – $5 game card credit
Hollywood Video – Free video rental if you sign up in advance.
Safeway Grocery – Free movie rental

Service / Other:

Auto Zone – Free oil change (Some Auto Zone’s don’t do oil changes, so call ahead.)
Captain Dizzy’s Carwash – Free car wash
Hallmark – 20% off coupon for one item.
Scrub-A-Dub – Free car wash

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