20 Ways To Save Money During College
Your summer job is winding down, and you’re starting to stress over how you’re going to make ends meet once the fall semester starts. You can’t work full-time and take a full-time course load, and the financial relieve office refuses to offer you high enough loans to cover your living expenses. However, before you resign yourself to a semester of Ramen noodles and canned beer, check out these tips on how to save money during college. You might accumulate that treating yourself to the occasional steak dinner isn’t as far-fetched as it seems.
1.Live close to school. This will abet you save money during college because you won’t be forced to buy your own computer, printer, and software. If you live close to school, you can simply walk to the computer lab when you need to type that ten-page English paper.
2.Save money on software. Check with your bookstore to bag out if your college offers discounted computer programs to students. Personally, my school sells programs like Windows Vista and Microsoft Office for $5-10 each. Saving hundreds of dollars of software is one of the easiest ways to save money during college.
3.Buy and sell your textbooks online. One semester I saved $500 by buying my textbooks online rather than from the bookstore. And, as easy as it might be to simply dump your old textbooks off at the bookstore when you don’t need them anymore, don’t do it. The bookstore might give you a third of what you paid, if they offer you anything at all. Instead, sell them online where you decide what price is reasonable. Places like Half.com, Amazon.com, and TextbookX.com are great sites to help you effect money during college on textbooks.
4.Print at school. Chances are that you’re going to have a hefty printing allotment that is included as part of your tuition. And those pages don’t rollover. If you don’t use them up, they’ll be gone forever. Instead, save money during college by printing your papers and research sources at the computer lab instead of at home.
5. Pay your bills online. A box of checks runs stop to $15, and a book of stamps is close to $10. Instead of throwing away that extra money, pay your bills online. Most companies have online bill pay, and, if some of your creditors don’t, chances are that your bank has online checking. With online checking, you can save money during college by sending electronic checks to even the most technologically-inept companies.
6. Avoid credit cards. Credit card companies treasure to tempt income-deprived college students with high lines of credit. Maybe you’re thinking that you’ll get one so that you can dine out occasionally without having to worry about where you’ll get the money. Don’t do it. Once the interest and fees start compounding, you’ll pay noteworthy more for that dinner and drink than you would have if you had just paid cash upfront.
7. Avoid credit cards with fees. If you just have to have a credit card, then you need to make obvious you shop smart. There’s no need to pay a $100 activation fee and a $150 annual fee to begin a $300 credit account. In fact, fees like that should be your first effect that a credit card company isn’t reputable. You can save money during college by shopping around for credit cards rather than sending in the application for the first card offer you receive in the mail.
8. Pay your bills on time. You’re probably looking at a $30 late fee if you don’t make your credit card payment on time and a $10 slow fee if you forget to send in your cell phone payment before the due date. In order to make sure that you send your payments in before it’s too late, keep a calendar in front of your desk that lists the due dates for all of your bills. This will befriend you place money during college rather than paying for your irresponsibility.
9. Shop at the grocery. They have the best dollar menu in town and selections that aren’t coated in batter and dripping in grease. Face it, cooking your own food isn’t the most exciting way to spend an evening, but it’s one of the most efficient ways to save money during college.
10. Prepare meals on the weekends. There’s going to be at least one day a week when you’re just too exhausted to go home and cook supper. Instead of stopping at McDonalds on your intention home, prepare your weeknight meals on the weekends. Surely you’ll have enough energy to wait the two minutes it takes to warm a plate in the microwave.
11. Bring your lunch, and drinks, to school. The $4 you spend each day at the cafeteria is going to add up quick, as is the $3 a day you spend on sodas from the vending machine. Instead, fill a cooler with ice packs, bottled sodas that cost half as distinguished at the grocery, and a couple of sandwiches and keep it in your car. You’ll save money during college by avoiding buying anything on campus.
12. Clip coupons. Your friends will laugh at you until they realize that your coupons saved you enough money to afford the six-pack of beer that you have no scheme of sharing.
13. Make use of your student ID. Find out if your school has partnerships with the local theaters and galleries. If they do, you might be able to see a play or an art display at half the normal cost. These things may not be as exciting as the newest big movie, but, if you want to save money during college, you’re going to have to procure innovative means of entertainment.
14. Rent movies from the library. It’s becoming more and more commonplace for libraries to rent out movies as well as books. If you want to save money during college on movies, check out the selection at the library before you head down to Blockbuster.
15. Shop consignment stores. So you broke every coffee cup you occupy pulling an all-nighter. Instead of paying $5 a cup to replace your collection at Wal-Mart, why not see if you can’t catch new mugs at the local consignment shops. You might even be able to replace the whole collection for $5. If you want to save money during college, you’re going to have to buy used occasionally.
16. Invite your friends over on the weekends. There’s no better arrangement to waste money than to spend $3 on a beer at the club when you can buy six for $6 at the gas place. Instead of barhopping one weekend night, invite your friends over to your house to watch a movie you rented at the library. You can probably afford to buy drinks for everyone and still set aside money during college by not patronizing the bars.
17. Find a job on campus. There are two benefits to working on campus. First, campus jobs are going to be much more lenient on your work schedule during midterms and finals. Second, if you’re already on campus taking classes, it’s ideal to stay there for your work shift rather than driving across town to wait tables. You’ll establish money during college on gas by not spending part of your paycheck every day just getting to and from work.
18. Don’t drop classes. Most universities charge you 25% of the class tuition if you drop after the first week of classes, 50% after the second week, 75% after the third, and 100% after the fourth week of classes. If you’re worried that you might not be able to handle your course load, then schedule yourself for fewer classes and add classes only when you know that you can handle the work. The easiest arrangement to place money during college is to not pay out tuition for classes that won’t count for anything.
19. Register for classes early. One semester I waited too long to schedule my classes and ended up having to hold a class at 11am on Monday. It would have been fine except that it was over at 12 and my next class didn’t start until 5pm. I told myself that I’d just stay on campus and study for five hours every Monday, but I never did. I drove home every time. The best way to save money during college on gas is to register for classes early enough to avoid large break between classes where it’s just too tempting to drive home.
20. Get to know your instructors. You say you don’t know how to find the best internships on campus? I bet your instructors know. They’ve been there for years and have seen students complain and rave about the best and worst internships on campus. I bet they also know where all of the good scholarships are. And, they may even know someone in your field who’s willing to give you a job over the summer. Get to know your instructors — execute sure they know who you are when you stop by during office hours. This may be the best way to save money during college, and it may also help you make money after graduation.
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