Going to college is great; you’re away from your parents and on your own! But boy can everything add up quickly to become costly. If you start preparing now you’ll be able to avoid a financial pit fall. So be smart with your money and watch the savings pile up!
One really quick way to save money is when buying your computer. Many popular manufacturers offer decent discounts that are available only for students. Both Dell and Apple have discounts that you are able to get through your school, if they participate. To find out if your school participates you can check online or also through your school’s book store. Apple’s discount varies based on what model you choose from. For example, if you’re buying their basic Apple MacBook, you get a $50 discount! Dell offers a 7% discount for students, as well as faculty, which is useable on more than just computers. Dell’s discount is valid with most other offers; you can 7% off most of their advertised deals: this means deep savings in your pocket!
Another thing is to steer away from ordering out and eating off campus. You’re already paid for a meal plan and by not eating the food you’ve already paid for you’re wasting money! If you love a certain place that offers something you can’t get on campus go ahead and eat there, just don’t make it a daily habit!
If you go to a large campus most likely they have buses, which a part of your tuition helps to fund, that will take you to local stores and/or stores within walking distance of your campus. So hop on that bus instead of spending all that money to get the car you need, then to fill it up with gas, and fix it when it breaks.
Books for classes are a big budget buster in college. And sadly, most college bookstores offer little discount to students and over price their “used” books. Buying books early from a place other than your campus bookstore-try Amazon.com and Half.com or from a friend who’s already taken the class-can add up to hundreds of dollars in savings. Buying used books is usually much cheaper, and if you look carefully you can get ones that seem to be brand new. And once your class is done, and you won’t be using or needing the books in the future, don’t take them back to your campus bookstore! Most bookstores will give you less than a fraction of what you originally paid for so sell them online! You do have package and ship them, but you can charge shipping. It requires a bit of effort, but the benefits are well worth it!
Getting a part time job on campus is a relatively easy way to earn some extra money. There are a variety of places on a campus that hire students to help out. They know that you’re a student so they’ll keep your hours to a minimum and work with you schedule.
If your college/university is located in a larger city you definitely should check out Freecycle and Craigslist. Freecycle is a website where you can post items that you no longer want or need and would like to offer to someone else free of charge. You can also see what other people are offering; it’s a great place to get used items for free! Craigslist is similar to Freecyle, it’s a network where you can find a variety of items and services at discounted prices. You can post items you’d like to sell for any price, opposed to Freecycle they don’t have to be free. It’s a wonderful place to find some larger items at great prices. You’ll be able to find TVs, that Nintendo Wii you’ve always wanted, and some furniture to make your apartment, or dorm, to make it a little homier.
Take advantage of being a student it’s a time of your life you’ll only get once. Just don’t be foolish and waste your money, or fall into debt; you’ll spend a long time recovering.
