Being a college student is expensive these days, and we aren’t just talking about escalating tuition expenses. Whether you live on or off campus, alone or with a group of other students or at home with your parents, the smaller expenses of campus life add up quickly. If you are a college student living on a shoestring budget or are getting ready to head off to college, consider a few proven tips that will help you get your money’s worth for every dollar you spend.
Living Arrangements
It may be fun to live with your best friend or room at a party house, but consider all your living arrangements seriously before making a final decision. If you are in an environment with older adults or with other students who do not party a lot, go out to eat every night, or otherwise indulge in expensive outings you are less likely to spend money on these things on a regular basis as well.
Who you are around will have a major influence on your own spending habits!
Eat Conservatively
Food can become a major expense for a college student because you are off at classes all day and often have very active evening and nighttime plans. If you eat out a lot or even pay to eat through campus food courts the expenses will take a huge chunk out of your expendable cash.
Consider buying groceries and packing food in your backpack. This may not be the coolest thing to do, but it can save you tons of money so you are able to go out and enjoy yourself more with friends later on. It will also go a long way to preventing that dreaded “freshman15″ weight gain!
Discount Books
There will be multiple bookstores on campus serving most larger universities and one will often have slightly cheaper prices than the others. There will also be one bookstore that is preferred by more students than the others, which means they will have more used books on the shelves than other stores. Seek these stores out as soon as you hit campus because they are your best bets at saving money on books.
College bookstores are not like most regular bookstores in that they will stock used books and repurchase your used books when you are finished with them. Get into the best bookstores as early as possible to find the used books that look practically brand new.
If you can’t find a high quality used book on campus go online before you purchase it at full price. You may even be able to trade books with someone who is taking similar classes.
Free/Low Cost Activities
Most campuses will have a variety of free or low cost entertainment events and activities going on if you read those flyers posted all over the place, ask around to friends and classmates, or even lookup your local campus area online. It may not be as fun to attend a concert or play being offered for cheap as it would to attend a concert for your favorite famous bands, but these events can often be quite enjoyable if you give them a chance with a group of friends.
One last tip would be to control the amount of money spent on alcohol so drinking doesn’t become a bill to be reckoned with continually!
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