30+ Freebies For Teachers

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These rewards programs will save you some money.

Office Depot and Office Max: In July and August, Office Depot and Office Max have a few weeks where teachers can get up to 25 percent off their purchases. They also at that time have a Teacher VIP savings card to save more throughout the year.

Staples: Staples has a Teacher Rewards Program that gives you 5 percent back in rewards and 10 percent back in rewards for teaching and art supplies. You also get free shipping at staples.com.

The Container Store: Join The Container Store's Organized Teacher Discount Program, and you'll get special discounts emailed to you throughout the year. Just for joining you'll get your first offer that you can redeem in-store, online, or by phone.

Michaels: Teachers get 15 percent off their purchases at Michaels every day.

Jo-Ann: Sign-up for Jo-Ann's Teacher Rewards and you'll get a rewards discount card that will get you 15 percent off your purchase every day of the year.

Ben Franklin Crafts: Teachers get 10 percent off classroom materials every day at Ben Franklin.

Hobby Lobby: Hobby Lobby gives teachers 10 percent off but they must pay with an organization check.

Party City: You can get 10 percent-20 percent off at Party City, but you'll need a signed letterhead from school to get it.

A.C. Moore: Teachers get 15 percent off sale and regular price purchases at A.C. Moore.

Lakeshore Learning: Teacher's Club members at Lakeshore Learning get 15 percent off everything in-store.

 

TEACHER DISCOUNTS ON BOOKS AND NEWSPAPERS


Remember to check with your local bookstores and papers to see if they have a teacher discount.

Barnes & Noble: Through the B&N Educators program, teachers get 20 percent off the publisher's list price for purchase for classroom use and 25 percent off during Educator Appreciation Days.

Half Price Books: Teachers and librarians are eligible for an Educator Discount Card that will get them 10 percent off their purchases all year long.

Book Warehouse: Book Warehouse has an Educator's Book Club that will get them 15 percent off everything in store.

Bookmans: Bookmans' Project Educate gives a 20 percent discount on all purchases for teachers.

Books-A-Million: Books-A-Million's Educator's Discount Program gives educations, librarians, and homeschoolers a 20 percent discount on classroom items and books.

The New York Times: Teachers, as well as students, can get a special rate on The New York Times subscriptions.

The Wall Street Journal: Educators get special rates on subscriptions to The Wall Street Journal.

TEACHER DISCOUNTS ON CLOTHING AND SHOES


Most schools have dress codes for teachers and luckily some of the clothing and shoe stores have realized that teachers would appreciate a discount.

J.Crew: Teachers and college students get 15 percent off at J.Crew, J.Crew Factory, and J.Crew Mercantile.

LOFT: Sign-up for the LOFT Loves Teachers program and you'll get 15 percent off all purchase as well as teacher appreciation nights, sweepstakes, and free style guides.

Aerosoles: Show your teacher ID or pay stub when you checkout at Aerosoles and you'll get 15 percent off any footwear priced $39.99 or higher.

Talbots: Teachers get 15 percent off their purchases of full-priced items at Talbots.

Banana Republic: Both teachers and students get 15 percent off full-priced purchases.

Madewell: Teachers and college students can get 15 percent off with a valid school ID.

TEACHER DISCOUNTS ON WIRELESS SERVICE


Just for being an educator you may qualify for a discount on your wireless service. Enter your phone number and email address and see if you qualify.

Many times your school will need to have a contract with them for you to get a personal discount.

Verizon: Verizon Wireless also offers a discount for some education employees.

AT&T: Enter your school email address and you'll see if you can get a discount of up to 20 percent on service, devices, and accessories.

T-Mobile: K-12 staff, college staff, and college students are eligible to save on smartphones at T-Mobile.

Sprint: Enter your phone number to see if you are eligible for a teacher discount.

 

TEACHER DISCOUNTS ON SOFTWARE AND ELECTRONICS


Apple Store: Apple Store for Education offers discounts to teachers, school staff, and homeschool teachers. Included ar MacBooks, iPads, accessories, and more.

Bose: Teachers will get a discount of up to 15 percent at Bose including speakers, earbuds, headphones, music systems, and sound systems.

Adobe: Educators can get special discounts on Adobe software for personal use.

Lenovo: Students and faculty can save on computers, laptops, and tablets from Lenovo. Just select your state and school to see what offers are available.

TEACHER DISCOUNTS ON HOTELS AND ATTRACTIONS


Teachers want to have fun and they can do it even on a shoestring budget with these discounts on hotels and attractions.

Marriott: Teachers are eligible for Marriot's government discount that will save you on even personal stays.

LaQuinta: Teachers can get LaQuinta's government rate at more than 800 LaQunitas around the country.

Preferred Hotels & Resorts: Teachers and educators can get 20 percent off the best available rate at Preferred Hotels & Resorts.Resorts.

Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin: Teachers get special low rates to these two Walt Disney World hotels.

SeaWorld: Teachers can get into SeaWorld for free when they get a SeaWorld Teacher Card.

Legoland: Teachers can get into free at Legoland in both California and Florida.

Art Institute of Chicago: Illinois educators, teaching artists, and homeschool parents can get free tickets to the Art Institute of Chicago.

100+ Amazing Freebies for College Students

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by Diane Schmidt

Dorm Supplies

Retailers love the back to school season. Many students get excited about going off to college for the first time and spend a bundle on notebooks, pens, expensive plastic storage containers and packages of snack foods. So how do you get what you need and not overspend? Here are some savings tips:

  • Buy school supplies at the lowest price available. Late July and August are the perfect time to stock up, especially at stores like Walmart and Kmart. You'll find that their notebook prices may be under 50 cents, while other times of the year, the prices can be triple.

  • You'll find that a small refrigerator is a necessity, especially when it comes to saving money on food. Consider renting one from the college or do the math and see if it's cheaper to buy your own. Also microwaves will save you time and money.
  • Get your stuff organized. The summer before going off to school is the perfect time to go through your closets and drawers. Consider donating clothes you no longer like or that do not fit. Once you have your basic wardrobe organized, decide whether buying new clothes is necessary.


  • If you have a lot of stuff you don't need and don't want to bring with you to school, consider having a garage sale. Get your family involved in cleaning and organizing your home. Another way to get rid of extra stuff is to sign up for free seller accounts on ebay.com and half.com. Craigslist is a great way too to make some cash.

  • Trade with friends. Do they have an extra storage container you could use and you have an extra laundry bag? Set up a time to swap with them.

  • Did you receive a lot of cash for graduation? If so, resist the temptation to use it on school stuff. Look at what you have at home first before blowing that money. You might want to put it in a savings account for unexpected school expenses.

  • Secondhand shops are a good place to find dorm supplies, such as storage containers, desk fans, lamps, and more.

  • Garage sales may also have what you need and at even lower prices than secondhand stores.

Keep in touch with the family! Be sure your cell phone is up to date, has unlimited talk and text-

It's time to leave for school. The car is packed with your belongings. You saved quite a bit on money and have some in the bank. Now how do you save once you get to school?

Food

  • Before leaving for school, have a bake off with your family and friends. Prepare batches of cookies, bread or other treats and swap.

  • Are you on a meal plan? Be sure to take advantage of it and schedule in when you will eat breakfast, lunch and dinner. If your class schedule means you'll need to miss a meal, have easy to prepare meals in your dorm, such as cereal, oatmeal, macaroni and cheese, and cans of ravioli.


  • Between meals, carry a bottle to fill at water fountains or filled with your favorite beverage. Or if you are a coffee drinker, pack a thermos.

  • Trips to the vending machine can add up. Fill a pocket of your backpack with healthy snacks, such as fruit, Jell-O cups, or pretzels.

  • Buy your snack foods in bulk. Larger quantities are usually cheaper and it's easy to divide up the food into smaller portions.


  • Shop at the grocery store for food. Check out the Sunday paper for grocery store ads and match coupons to save more!

Books and Tech

  • Buy books after you've gone to the class. There are times when you don't really need the book.
  • Sign up for Amazon Student- FREE shipping and more!

  • If you do need the book, can you and a friend buy the book and split the cost? Can you check the book out of the library? Or get a free ebook version?

  • If book sharing or using the library copy doesn't work out, check the bulletin boards to see if someone is selling their copy.

  • Online bookstores charge a lot less than campus bookstores. Go online before heading to the campus bookstore.

Get those books for FREE! Click below-


  • As a last resort, buy the book from your campus bookstore. You'll find of all of your options they charge the most. Even if you get stuck paying full price, take good care of the book and sell it at the end of the year.

Entertainment and More

  • Use your student ID card to get into free concerts, special lectures, comedy shows, athletic events and more.
  • Movie theatre chains that offer student discounts include AMC Theatres (discounts on Thursdays), Cinemark (discounts vary by location) and Marcus Theatres ($5 Thursdays) — but independent theatres often have student discounts, too. 

  • Many colleges offer well-equipped gyms and recreation centers. Take advantage of the opportunity to get a free workout.


  • Join clubs, many offer special trips and events to members only.

  • Parks, museums and window-shopping are all free. Students get discounted access to museums, including major ones such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. 

  • Keep your long distance bill down and e-mail family and friends.

  • Even if you have a printer, consider using the school's computer lab for print jobs. You'll save on ink cartridges and paper.

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  • For a cheap, fun night at home, invite some friends over, make your own pizza (or order pizza with coupons!) and play some board games.

  • Many businesses will offer student discounts. You just need to ask.

  • Find out when happy hour is to get your fill of good food at a cheap price-it will also give you a break from campus and dorm food.


  • When going home for break, consider riding with another student who is heading in the same direction. It's a much cheaper and fun alternative than paying for a bus, plane or train ticket.

Remember that all it takes is some creative thinking to save money while at college. Good luck while you embark on your college career.

Tech Discounts for Students

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When it comes to finding online tech deals for items like laptops, desktops, and tablets, there are three sources you should definitely have bookmarked.

Dell University: When shopping online for a PC, Dell University has some excellent discounts exclusively for students. To take advantage, all you need to do is register for the free Dell Advantage program and provide the name of your school.

Apple Education Pricing: If an Apple computer is in your future, you'd be wise to check out their Educational Pricing page and save up to 25% off a new MacBook or iMac.

Best Buy College Student Deals: Once you've created a Best Buy account, you can sign-up for exclusive college student deals for computers, small appliances, and accessories like external hard drives and software. Current examples include $100 off a MacBook or iMac, $30 off a Keurig Brewer, and 20% off Samsung and LG microwave ovens.

College Care Kit Ideas

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Are you putting together a care package? I have a lot of great ideas to share with you today.

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First, in the kit shown above, this is the health/beauty kit. It includes Crest, Secret, Pantene and more, all packaged in a carry tote, which all students need! You'll want to customize your health/beauty kit to your student's favorite products.

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And here is the second kit I made, which features dorm and school supplies, packaged in a laundry basket, another college student must-have! It includes reusable tumblers, sheet set, school supplies like pencils, pens, paper, and much more.

 

SWEETS KIT:

Your homemade cookies or the bakery, a care package isn't complete without a sweet treat. Pack items tightly in a plastic container (fill in extra space with clean paper towels) and then wrap with bubble wrap. Boxed.com is also great for sending must-have snacks and more.

 

TOY KIT:

Pack up fun Silly Putty, a Slinky, water guns, or cards, and they'll be showing the whole dorm their loot.

 

AMAZON PRIME:

Is a must-have for busy college students! Click below to get a FREE membership!


GIFT CARD KIT:

Send gift cards to stores and restaurants in a care package or email. Choose big-box retailers like Target or Walmart, coffee or sandwich chains like Starbucks, Subway, and Panera, and local establishments like the college bookstore.

 

SNACK KIT:

Consider snacks, like granola bars, microwave popcorn, and hot chocolate mixes, as well as more substantial mini-meals—such as instant oatmeal and soup—for rushed mornings and missed dining hall dinners. Mints and gum are always welcome in a care package too. Boxed.com is also great for sending must-have snacks and more.

HOLIDAY KIT:

Festive accessories are surprisingly welcome and uplifting for a kid away from home for the first time; this care package idea is also nice to send in anticipation of your kid coming home for the holidays. Keep items small, like a desktop Christmas tree, a mini-menorah, and Easter baskets or Halloween pumpkins filled with candy. Seasonally themed lights, like orange for Halloween or green for St. Patrick's Day, are also fun.

 

GET WELL/ FIRST AID KIT:

Make a mini first-aid care package by filling a tin with: 

Items include: 

  1. Band-aids
  2. Antibiotic ointment
  3. Advil
  4. Gas X {dorm food makes this one essential}
  5. Benadryl
  6. Milk of magnesia
  7. Thermometer
  8. Instant ice pack
  9. Pepto
  10. Throat losenges
  11. Cold medicine
  12. Q-Tips
  13. Nail clippers
  14. Hydrogen Peroxide
  15. An ace bandage
  16. Cotton balls
  17. Small pair scissors
  18. Small pair of tweezers

 

CLEANING KIT: 

Dorms need to be clean. Pack some multi-surface spray, paper towels, dusting cloths, and electronics cleaner, and throw in a bottle of air freshener for good measure. 

Plus, here are more ideas!

  • Hometown newspaper

  • Gift Cards- Free $10 gift card, your choice!

  • Magazines

  • Holiday decorations

  • Quarters for laundromats, bus fare, and vending machines

  • Instant oatmeal, granola bars, dried fruit

  • Vitamins

  • Razors

  • Body lotion

  • Toothpaste

  • Dental floss

  • Anti-bacterial wipes

  • Hand sanitizer

  • Facial tissues

  • Mac n Cheese

  • Scotch tape and scissors

  • Over-the-counter cold medicine and pain reliever

  • Recipes for favorite dishes

  • Band-aids

  • Ointment

  • Extra cell phone charger

  • Soap

  • Ramen noodles

  • Gum

  • Vinyl wall decals for decoration

  • Pillowcases

  • A memento from each family member

  • Digital picture frame with photos from home

  • Movie gift certificates

  • Air fresheners

  • Pre-paid credit card

  •  Pens

  •  Highlighters

  •  Post-it notes

  •  Pre-paid calling cards

  •  Headphones

  •  Refrigerator magnets

  • Cork board and thumbtacks

  •  Slippers

  •  Socks

  •  Underwear

  •  Screen cleaner for laptop and cell phone

 

Officemax/ Office Depot Deals: Week of July 11

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Get all these supplies for $10 total!


Buy 3 Office Depot Brand Scissors 25¢ (Reg. $2)
Buy 1 Paper Mate Pink Pearl Erasers $1 (Reg. $3.29)
Buy 3 Slider Pencil Box 25¢ (Reg. $1)
Buy 3 Scholastic Glue Sticks 25¢ (Reg. $1.99)
BIC Wite-Out Quick Dry & Extra Coverage Correction Fluid $2 (Reg. $3.99)
Buy 3 Office Depot Brand Tank Highlighters 25¢ (Reg. $4.29)
Buy 3 Office Depot Brand Stellar notebooks 50¢ (Reg. $4.99)
Buy 3 Scholastic Crayons 25¢ (Reg. $1.29)
Buy 3 Sharpie Single Permanent Markers 25¢ (Reg. $1.79-$2.19)
Buy 1 Office Depot 3-Hole Punch $1 (Reg. $4.99)
TOTAL —> ONLY $10

Staples Back to School Stock-Up Sale

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Get 23 school supplies for UNDER $10 at Staples! 

STAPLES DEAL SCENARIO:
Buy 3 Staples 12″ Wood Ruler 35¢
Buy 1 Staples Filler Paper 75¢
Buy 1 Staples Composition Book, 100 sheets 50¢
Buy 5 2-Pocket Paper Folders 15¢
Buy 4 Staples 1-subject Notebooks 25¢
Buy 2 Crayola Ultra Clean Washable Markers 10-pack 97¢
Buy 1 Crayola Colored Pencils 12-pack 97¢
Buy 3 Crayola Crayons 24-pack 50¢
Buy 3 Staples Glue with Glue Stick 4-oz 50¢
Total = $9.96! 

Source: Hip2Save

Win $1000 in Amazon Gift Cards

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Enter to win one of four $1,000 Amazon.com Gift Cards when you create an Amazon.com School List and add a minimum of 5 items to it. You do not need to be a teacher to participate. School Lists and Avery are teaming up to give away four $1000 Amazon.com Gift Cards in the month of June. Use your gift card to purchase teacher and school supplies, books, or millions of other eligible items on Amazon.com
  • Go to Amazon School Lists
  • Under the “Teachers” header select “Start a new list”.
  • Create a School List and add a minimum of 5 items to it.
  • After adding your desired items, publish this list by clicking the button labeled “Publish”.
  • Publish your School List between June 1, 2015 and June 27, 2015.

Back to School Rolo Candy Pencil

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1. Cute Candy Pencil

Materials
Rolled caramel candies
Cardstock — chrome yellow and dark pink
Scissors
Paper cutter (optional)
1-inch circle punch
Craft tape runner
Fine-tip permanent markers — black and blue
Aluminum foil
Tape
Glue stick (extra-strong)
Chocolate candy drop (one per pencil)
Adhesive dots

Instructions

  1. If using individual candies, tape seven of them together to form a roll. Remove the paper flag from the chocolate drop. Using an adhesive dot, attach the chocolate drop to one end of the roll of rolled caramel candies
  2. Using a paper cutter, cut a 3 1/2-by-4 1/2-inch piece of yellow cardstock. Cut a 3 1/2-by-1/2-inch strip of pink cardstock. Cut a 3 1/2-by-1/2-inch piece of aluminum foil
  3. Match the 3 1/2-inch sides of the yellow and pink cardstock pieces together. Attach them to each other using the craft tape runner. Fold the strip of aluminum foil into thirds. Using the craft tape runner, attach the foil strip to the yellow paper, just below the pink strip
  4. Using either marker, write the back-to-school greeting you desire in the middle of the yellow paper
  5. Run a line of extra-strong glue along the back of one long side of the yellow cardstock (the attached pink and silver strips will be on the opposite side). Roll the yellow cardstock around the prepared roll of caramel candies, keeping the pink and silver strips on the outside. Hold the paper together until the glue adheres and it is safe to let go
  6. Create the “eraser” by cutting a 1-inch square from pink cardstock. Using an adhesive dot, attach the pink square to the caramel candy at the pink end of the pencil. Trim the edges to create a circle
  7. Repeat steps to make as many pencils as desired

Tip: Using the black marker, darken the tip of the chocolate drop to give it the appearance of lead or graphite.