Win $2K for being ‘Smart’ about Money

Are you clever with coupons?  Do you have a special skill that could be marketable to others? 

And most importantly, do you need money for college?

If you have money-saving ideas and are willing to put them in action, you could be eligible to win one of five $2,000 Shop Smart Scholarships from Brad’s Deals.

It’s easy.  Simply document your current or projected educational expenses and write a 500-word essay explaining how your college experience is or will be enabled by “remarkable frugality, ingenuity, effort or thrift.”

For example, one of last year’s winners offers haircuts to students in his residence hall. “My dad has been cutting my hair ever since I was a small child so naturally I picked up his technique and applied it to a service,” said Carlos Ovalle, a scholarship recipient from New Milford, N.J. 

Carlos also supplemented his income by stocking up on soda, bottled water, and energy drinks and sold them to other students at a reasonable price.  Pretty smart.

Other winners demonstrated unique and sometimes extreme money saving strategies while  Some purchased surplus items, discounted electronics, and toiletries, which were sold for profit online or to classmates eager to pick up a bargain or save the trouble of shopping off campus.

For this contest it pays to be cheap.  Essays will be judged on the creativity of the money saving strategies, along with the overall “remarkableness” of the student’s experience paying for school.  Be aware, however, that given the “shop smart” theme, there is a bias against both high annual tuition costs and student loans. And the contest is only open to high school seniors and undergrads.

Applications are due no later than June 16, 2013.  Visit the Brad’s Deals website for more information or to read the remarkable stories from last year’s winners.