Ted Reimers of CampusGrotto.com was generous enough to allow me to do an interview of him.  CampusGrotto.com is a website tailored to college students or precollege students looking to get the insider information.  Some of Ted’s most popular articles are "Cheap Colleges", "How to Save Money in College" and "10 Tips on How to get a College Scholarship".  He also has a blog that he regularly updates.

I decided to do an interview with Ted because he has some very interesting and useful information for any college kid.  Plus I was in college not too long ago and it brought back some fond college memories.  I asked Ted to offer some tips and information for Mr. Cheap Stuff readers on how to save time and money.

Ted Reimers Interview

1.  Hey Ted could you please tell me more about yourself?

My name is Ted Reimers.  I am 27 years old and currently reside in Spokane, WA.  I like to travel, and enjoy playing sports.

2.  What blog(s) do you author?  What are they about?

I operate CampusGrotto.com which is a College Blog providing Tips and Advice primarily for college students, or future college students.

3.  How and when did you start Campus Grotto your blog(s)?

The blog was started in December of 2006.  I was tired of all the college related websites that were just about finding the next party or hookup and other sites that make a college student unproductive (see facebook, MySpace and CollegeHumor).  I wanted to provide something of value, something to help students survive college easier.  So, I started this site providing College Advice.

4.  How do you come up with your ideas for new content?

My content ideas come from personal experiences I faced in College, current related college news and other content that I feel all college students should know (which requires research on my end).

5.  What’s your favorite money saving tip(s) or idea(s) that you could share with us?

Take your time when making purchases.  Take the time to look around and find the best deal available.

6.  What is the worst purchase or investment you have every made?

I got involved in the stock market at a young age and bought stocks in a few tech companies.  While it was a good learning experience, I shouldn’t have been investing in something I did not have experience with. 

7.  Ouch, I had played with some Dot Com stocks too and got burnt.  What is your favorite time saving tip or product that you could share with us?

Automate as many things as you can.  Whether it be depositing your paycheck, paying bills, adding your favorite sites to your RSS reader, DVR your favorite shows, etc.  The more things you can automate, the more time it gives you for more important tasks.

8.  What is the best thing you own under $20 bucks?

A USB Thumb Drive. I can carry everything I’m working on at the moment (computer wise) in my pocket and use it on any computer.  It is very convenient.

9.  Nice, what is your weakness when it comes to being smart with your money?

Summer Time.  With all the barbeques, sports games and other events going on in the summer, it’s hard to hold back.

If you looking for another interesting read to add your list check out CampusGrotto.com.  Thanks Ted for the great interview.