I’ve worked in the banking industry for more than two years. I’ve reviewed the finances of people from all walks of life. Fear not. What happens at the bank stays at the bank.
As a struggling college student and as a bank representative, I know firsthand how frustrating it can be to manage one’s finances. The most common problems I see on a daily basis are overdrafted accounts.
The overwhelming amount of people spending money they know they don’t have is appalling. Overdraft reports can be as massive as 20 to 30 pages
For the record, I never complain about overdraft fees and neither should you. That’s the consequence for spending money you don’t have. You should be grateful for such fees. They serve as a deterrent from overspending.
When you do go over, however, you have to think of your options: Move back home (screw that, not after I’ve been on my own for more than four years now), or somehow figure out a way to cut back on your spending. With school around the corner, you’ll probably be spending more money than usual on books and other school supplies.
The problem with the University Bookstore is that books are overpriced in comparison to Aida’s University Book. It’s also difficult to find a good used book at the campus store.
Don’t even get me started on those dreadful lines. You have one line to check your backpack, another to pay with check or credit card, and yet another to pay with Beach Club or cash. Then, after waiting for God only knows how long, you have to hop back into the first line to check out your luggage.
I found a cheaper, hassle-free way to purchase my books, and it’s really helped me with cutting back unnecessary spending. I bought my books from Books Made Easy, a local company that started as a favor to friends and turned into a business run from the comforts of their own home.
“So many friends wanted us to get their books for them. Eventually we realized this could be a fee-based service for other people and we could make a little cash on the side,” said co-owner Dawn Kleinfelter, a 22-year-old business major.
I just so happened to be one of those friends who eventually became a paying customer when they debuted last year. Not only did they save me about 30 percent, they saved me the hassle of waiting in lines at the bookstore. They basically did all the bitch work for me.
All you have to do is e-mail your class schedule and they figure out what books you need. They then find the cost of the books and, using about 20 different vendors, place orders for the best quality books at the lowest available price.
It seems like anyone could save money by doing it themselves. But would you spend a couple of hours researching to ensure you get the right book, the best book and the cheapest book the way Books Made Easy does?
“We streamline it much quicker than the average Joe. We’re a small business providing a service,” said co-owner Jonathan Nord, a communications major.
“We’re not inventing the wheel here; we’re merely polishing the edges.”
I’ve worked in banking for two years and reviewed many accounts for people from all walks of life. I’ve dealt with consumer and business accounts. Whenever I see a young entrepreneur with a new business account, I’m no longer surprised.
Business accounts aren’t just for the old and wealthy. They also are for young entrepreneurs trying to eke out a living and make ends meet, someway.
Niki Payne is a senior journalism major and an assistant city editor for the Daily Forty-Niner.
