Tag Archives: summer

July 4, 2012

Hosting a Last Minute Inexpensive 4th of July BBQ

Filed under: College Life, Social Life/Relationships, Tips - Social Community Manager
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4th of July is upon us and it ushers in the season of outdoor late-night parties, BBQs with friends, and a desire to be in the sunshine. Fireworks are always a plus, if they are used following the proper directions and laws, but nothing beats throwing a good outdoor party and BBQ with some college friends. It’s a great way to wind down from school or a good escape from the daily grind of summer school – if you are as lucky as this writer is.

Although rain is just as likely as sun in my college town, my friends and I are planning a little 4thof July BBQ celebration just in case. To save some money on decorations, and put it toward the more important food and beverage necessities, we like to shop at Walmart, The Dollar Store, or Target.

cheeseburgers

Photo © Hav n Knit Lover

Because of the recession, it’s cool to save a few bucks here or there for a party to spend some time with good company. If you have a dollar store nearby, it’s a great place to pick up table settings, patriotic plates, napkins, serving platters, etc. You can also possibly pick up brand name sauces there as well as chips and salsa for a great price! The Dollar Stores usually have BBQ accessories, mood lighting and glassware.

tiki torches

Photo © Andy Beal Photography

Fruit bowls are a good healthy addition to summer BBQ parties and add a little color to the table. I always look on FoodNetwork.com for good hamburger or grilling recipes and throw in marshmallows to the fruit salad for some sweetness!

To entertain guests it’s a good idea to have lots of outdoor games available to accompany the conversation and drinks. Horseshoes, footballs, and Frisbee are cheap and easy ways to get the whole BBQ group in the sunshine.

Music and tiki torches can really pull the theme together. Happy Grilling!

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July 2, 2012

Dream Big Photo Contest Week 1

Filed under: Contests and Promotions - Social Community Manager
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#july4th

fireworks

© Barry Yanowitz

How are you making the most of your July 4th and all the celebrations that come with it this year?

Snap a photo of your July 4th festivities, Instagram it with the hashtags #BookRenter, #DreamBig and #july4th and you could be one of four winners of a $25 Visa gift card every week.

Examples of photos to Instagram: patriotic flags, parades, BBQ food and picnic food, swimming, fireworks, sparklers, poolside fun, red, white and blue

Every week, we’ll announce our four winners here, so be sure to check in next Monday. To read more about how to enter our contest, see our previous blog post below, and don’t forget to read our Terms and Conditions for more information.

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June 23, 2012

6 Tips to Cool Down in the Summer Heat

Filed under: Social Life/Relationships, Tips - Social Community Manager
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If the summer is getting just way too hot to bear, don’t bare it all yet – here are some of my tips on how to plan right to tackle that heat, and enjoy yourself at the same time.

1. Pack drinks before you go out: Staying hydrated is key. Bring some bottled water or other drinks with before you leave the house. By bringing drinks from home, you won’t need to buy any over-priced drinks at your destination and show off a cute colorful water bottle at the same time.

2.    Avoid the hottest part of the day: It’s typically the hottest outside between 1pm-4pm. By avoiding being outside around these times, you won’t have to suffer through the most intense heat. If you need to be outside during this time, make sure to cover up with a hat, sunglasses, sunblock and lightweight, light-colored clothing.

3.    Keep your hair short or pulled back: Men and women with longer hair can feel hotter in the summer heat. If your hair is long, go out on a limb and try a rebellious new hairstyle like a pixie cut or a bob, or pull it back and off your neck in a ponytail or bun. If a haircut is out of the question, packages of hair ties are less than $5.

4.    Visit a water park: Although on the expensive side to visit, it will be entertaining for an entire day. Most waterparks charge less than $50 per person, and between all the great water rides, lazy river, and pools, waterparks are a great escape from your average daily routine while keeping cool.

swimming pool

Photo © Tahir Hashmi

5.    Swimming at a friend’s pool: If you have a friend that has a pool, go swimming at their house! Pack a picnic for some snacks and drinks for the day and enjoying floating around or playing water volleyball with a group of friends.

6.    Sleep with a fan, thinner blanket and less clothes: Now it’s time to go to bed, but just because the sun goes down, doesn’t mean the temperature necessarily does. Try a standing or ceiling fan, which are usually under $40. Invest in a thinner blanket for the summer, as well as some thinner pajamas – boxers and tank tops will do wonders.

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June 19, 2012

Stretching Your Student Wallet for Summer

Filed under: College Life, Digital Interns - BookRenter Team
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Last month marked the official start of summer 2012! That means a whole lot of fun in the sun and chillaxing with your friends. You might wonder what things you can do that are fun and exciting, yet cheap.

Food, friends & fun

Well for starters, everybody loves to eat, so why not get a group of friends and host a potluck or a picnic at a popular spot in town? Here are a few pointers on how to stay under a reasonable budget.

  • Buy what’s on sale! Food goes on sale all the time and is usually the first thing you’ll see when you walk in the store.

    picnic

    Photo © KFoodaddict

  • Value brands are pretty great. If you see something that looks great but is a little pricey, look for a generic brand. Odds are they taste exactly the same!
  • Need your condiments? Save your ketchup, mustard, mayo, & hot sauce packets from every time you go out to eat. It’ll probably save a lot of time when large crowds of people are trying to use the same bottle of ketchup.
  • Most importantly, divvy up who brings what. The more people that participate, the more options, and the easier it’ll be to have a great time!

Movie time

movie theater

Photo © Abhijit Patil

Now that you have a lot of free time, you probably want to catch up on all the movies you missed out on during the semester while you were studying (of course you were studying, right?).  Luckily for you, those awesome movies you missed out on at the time are probably in Redbox or at the dollar theatre! Since you worked hard for a good four months, get a group of friends and make it a weekly thing to hit up your local dollar theatre, or stay in and rent a movie from your nearest redbox! Here are a few ways to find out where to check out cool movies:

  • Got a smart phone? Download the Fandango and/or Redbox app to search local theatres near you and to see what movies are available to rent.
  • Always on your laptop? Have a movie night with a group of friends and hook up your laptop to a TV and stay up all night watching TV from Hulu.com or Netflix.

Just because you’re on a budget doesn’t mean you can’t have tons of fun. When there’s a will, there is a way! Inside or outside, doesn’t matter! It’s summer. It’s time to have fun… the inexpensive way!

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June 15, 2012

Budget in Some Free Summer Fun

Filed under: Money/Budget, Social Life/Relationships - BookRenter Team
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By BookRenter Digital Intern, Sylwia Baran: Sylwia just completed her sophomore year at Queens College in New York, where she’s studying Women’s Studies and Anthropology. Aside from school, Sylwia loves to bake, and in the far future wants to open her very own bakery. But before all that, Sylwia wants to travel and have as many wonderful experiences as she possibly can.

Hey guys! I just finished my sophomore year at Queens College in New York and like most college students, I want to have a GREAT summer to reward myself for all of the studying I had to do all year. But also like many college students, I’m basically broke. What with tuition and books (although I save a lot on books through BookRenter), I haven’t really had the chance to save up that much throughout the year but I still want to enjoy this Summer vacation to the fullest. That is why I decided to come up with a bunch of cool things to do that don’t require a lot of money.

Something I had never heard of before but was really psyched to discover is that there are A LOT of really fun FREE EVENTS going on during the Summer all around the city. As I am from NY, I looked up events in NY and found this amazing website that essentially lists all of the free events that will be taking place. However, there are free events all over the US so all you have to do is type your city and “free events” into google and you’re set!

water fountain

Although my second idea may sound corny, it’s actually really fun! Schedule a beach or park day with your friends! Everyone brings something and you grab a volleyball or a frisbee, head to the beach or the park, and you spend the day having fun with your friends. The only cost is the food, which isn’t even that bad if everyone brings an item. Honestly, these “beach/park dates” will probably be the most fun yo

u have all summer!

A really helpful thing I discovered is that a lot of “big” brands will host events throughout the US that are pretty cool. These events are usually not listed on these “free events” websites, but if you “Like” these brands on Facebook or follow them on Twitter, you’ll be the first one to hear about it. One of the most recent events that I found out about this way is Schick’s razor event for which they had The Band Perry perform. This was completely free and only available to those who followed them on Facebook. It pays off to follow big brands, I assure you!!

My last bit of advice is actually something I myself will be doing in a couple of weeks- rent a summer house for a weekend! With a group of friends, the cost to rent a house for a week or a weekend really isn’t that much. I’m renting a house with nine other people, and with food included, we’re each only paying $100 for the entire weekend. There are many other houses out there that will cost even less, and it’s a nice break away from your daily life. I reccomend going somewhere in the mountains; I’ll be going upstate New York.

There are definitely many things that you can do this summer that won’t cost you too much, some won’t cost you anything at all! It’s definitely possible to have the best summer vacation on the budget of a college student!

 

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