Here are this week’s Life Pro Tips.
01. If you need incredibly cheap textbooks for college…
Look for an international edition or instructor edition. International editions are usually exactly the same content-wise, but have a different cover image and are paperback. Instructor editions are usually hardcover with the same cover image, but are usually cheaper and have more answers in the back. Go on e-bay or sites like abebooks and search for the international edition. Some of the newer books might not be available, but a large portion of them are.
Also, if you are assigned a custom edition, 90% of the time it is just the basic ISBN with either certain chapters cut out OR just a different binding (i.e. softcover instead of hard cover). The way that you can check is open up to the copyright page (usually the second page). It will say what source material and ISBNs the book is taken from. This will tell you what real edition you can buy instead. The custom editions never have material custom made for your class. Most of the time it’s just professors that were talked into “making it cheaper for students” by sleazy sales reps.
02. Best time to get great stuff on craigslist for free or cheap
Surf craigslist days after Black Friday or Christmas, as people will be getting rid of their old stuff. This applies to the end of spring semester if you live in a college town. Thrift stores are a gold mine around this time as well.
03. If you get a parking ticket, always check the plate number on the ticket
I used to work with someone who used to put his parking ticket on someone else’s car. He would find another car ticketed for being illegally parked and replaced their ticket with his. He bragged that at least half the time he would end up getting his ticket paid. Make sure to check all the details if you get a parking ticket.
04. Record your voice for the people who love you
The father of my friend passed away at the beginning of March due to cancer. One of the things he now cherishes most is the handful of his father’s voicemails he has on his phone. None have deeply meaningful messages, they are all pretty standard voicemails of missed calls from a parent. Some are confirmations for dinner plans, some are ideas he thought would make millions but already exist, some are the classic “just checking in bud” messages. It brings him to tears listening to them but it also instantly puts a smile on his face.
I think everyone should take some time, whether it’s once for a few minutes, or biweekly sessions, to record some type of message for their loved ones. The important part doesn’t have to solely be in which words you say, but rather in the fact that you are saying them. Today’s technology makes this extremely easy. Death is the one certainty we all must face. When each of us is gone, our voice is comfort to the people we love.
05. If an alkaline battery leaks and ruins the device it was in…
Don’t contact the manufacturer of the device, contact the manufacturer of the batteries. Just about every well-known battery manufacturer has a “device-damage-by-battery-leakage” policy under which you may be eligible to have your device repaired or replaced if it has been damaged by leakage of alkaline batteries which came from that manufacturer.
