Cutting Tuition to Boost Enrollment

According to CNN Money, students looking for a college might be able to find themselves a deal... by finding religion.

Blake Ellis wrote,

"With church membership dwindling and more families struggling to afford the cost of college, many private religiously-affiliated colleges and universities are slashing tuition and offering incentives to attract new students -- and to stay afloat.

Some Christian colleges are cutting tuition by double-digit percentages, while others are capping the price of admission for all four years or offering huge discounts based on academic performance."

These reduced costs come at the price of reduced financial aid and scholarships offered. Also, cost cuts are made all around the universities.

Now some students worry about how attending a smaller private college might affect their ability to find a good job. In order to combat this some of the colleges are cutting out Bible or Christian from their names.

"Johnson Bible College, in Knoxville, Tenn., for example, changed its name to 'Johnson University' earlier this year to 'eliminate barriers that our students and graduates often face,' the college's president Gary Weedman said in a statement on the school's website."

Overall the idea of cutting tuition is very appealing to students, but one has to decide what is worth reducing in order to facilitate the lower costs.

Check out the article, Want Cheaper Tuition? Find Religion, and tell me what you think. Should MNU apply any of the ideas or concepts presented?

Staycation

Here's another way to save a little green:

STAY HOME!!! My first thought when I think of a nice evening in Kansas City is pretty typical. Go to a nice restaurant downtown, maybe catch a play, sporting event, opera, etc. (Ok, I don't really like opera.) Now this is quickly turning into a Visa commercial.

Gas $20
Parking $10
Dinner $50
Date with Her: Priceless

Unfortunately this adds up FAST, especially for a college kid. I am not saying everyone should just 'cheap out' on date night, but here are a few ideas. First of all, stay home! Try cooking a meal with your date. There are hundreds of possibilities as far as the menu goes, most of which can feed a party of two for around $25. Instead of going to the movies ($10 a person) try renting a movie. If you actually prefer talking to your date, maybe pick up a card or board game. On a whole other level, girls are weird and enjoy a leisure walk. It's the strangest phenomenon: they enjoy walking in no particular direction for no particular reason. Yet, for some women it can make their day! Again, if you like talking to your date this might not be a bad idea. Plus, the price is right!

More Tips for Saving at the Pump

So last time we discussed a few ways to save some money while visiting the gas station. Well, a few more tips never hurt, so for those eager to save Check this out!

Score a gas discount with coupons and deals

Did you know that some gas stations offer coupons in newspapers or online? According to the article, "A quick web search will result in printable coupons for as much as 7 cents off per gallon, but they're scattered across various stations around the country."

Here's a challenge: Check and see if you can find any coupons for gas savings online and let me know!

Also, have you tried shopping for more than just food at discount clubs like Sam's Club or Costco?

You can score savings up to 5 cents off per gallon based on your grocery spending.

Money Saving Tips

So, when I am bored, I liked to look up random stuff.  And since this blog is mainly based upon ideas for being thrifty, I found a website called Money Saving Tips.  I thought this was an adequate site because it has a bunch of random ways to save money.
One idea is to cut coupons.  Now, I do not normally go "couponing" but you can save tons of money by doing that!  One of my friends likes to save coupons and she gets lots of stuff for cheaper than the regular price.
Another idea is to take up hobbies that do not cost money...which can be basically anything you want.
Finally, it said to try to get group discounts.  This is a great idea, because you can save lots of money that way!  For instance, I am going to the Hillsong concert in Springfield, MO.  The individual tickets were about 30 bucks, while a group of 10 or more cost only $18 per person!  I got my tickets with a group of people, so I saved money by buying with a group.
Basically, anything you decide to do you can find easy ways to cut back the costs and save yourself some money!

Gas-Saving Devices

There are many different products in the automotive department that are supposed to instantly increase gas mileage in any vehicle. However Popular Mechanics recently tested 7 different fuel saving devices and found NO CONCLUSIVE EVIDENCE of any fuel savings realized.
To date, the EPA has tested around 100 different fuel savers and found only 12 to have even a slightly positive effect.
The piston engine has been around for around 100 years. Many brilliant minds have looked at every angle, every dimension, every possibility to squeeze a little more power out of our Detroit power-plants. That's not to say improvement is impossible, its just not going to come in the way of a plastic part found on Ebay for $3. The best way to guarantee good fuel efficiency in any vehicle is pretty simple.

1. Check to make sure the air pressure is at the manufacturer's recommended level.
2. Make sure the wheels are balanced and the frame is straight. Any wobbles should be fixed.
3. Get the oil changed every 3,000 miles. Synthetic/non-synthetic does not matter.
4. Routine check-ups every year after the car has passed 75,000 miles.
5. Make sure air filter/fuel filter are clean and coolant is at appropriate level.