Saving money in college can be a pretty difficult thing to do, whether you received financial aid or not. That’s because most of the common activities of college students is going to cost them money, including the food that they eat, the transportation that they take, the textbooks that they need for class, their social life, and everything in between. College is a good place to start learning new strategies that will begin saving you money. Here are some simple and easy ways you can build your savings.
Textbooks
One of the first things you’ll need to do when attending college classes is buy textbooks for all of your classes. One way to save money when buying textbooks is to purchase them from a used bookstore or from an online resource. Used textbooks have the same information in them as new textbooks, so you will not be missing anything. You should get a big credit when you sell your books back to the store. You can then apply those credits to the next set of books you’ll need, similar to trading in an old car for a new one.
Food
A good portion of the money spent in college goes towards eating. If you can manage to limit dining out to only once or twice a week and substitute a home cooked meal the other days, you could save money quicker. When you do go out to eat, you can save money by sharing a large meal with friends and cut down on the time you spend in a restaurant so you do not buy overpriced appetizers, alcoholic beverages, or desserts.
Entertainment
Entertainment can be very costly for students and command a large percentage of their limited income. The need for internet, cable TV, going to the openings of the latest film and just hanging out with friends can keep you from having any money available for saving. Cable TV is one of the things you can cut out of your budget to save a little extra cash. Instead of watching television, look for your favorite shows online. Most of them are available to watch in full-length episodes.
Use Your Benefits
One of the best things about college is taking advantage of your Student ID. Use it everywhere, as you never know what kind of perks you might receive. You can use it to save on movies, food, entertainment, cars from area dealers and even some of the most expensive software suites available. Many companies offer students special discounts because they know how difficult it can be to be a college student living away from home. Many universities let you take online classes and keep your student ID. This is extremely helpful for students who simply can’t maintain a constant schedule because of work or other circumstances. Online classes allow you to work toward the same degree, often at the same school. You might even decide to take a semester’s worth of online classes. This not only saves you some cash on room, board, and commuting, but it frees you from being attached to the campus. You can essentially learn from anywhere, which is an immense help to countless students.
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Good points! I was able to survive in college because I had a budget. It provided the discipline to keep me out of trouble.