Tuition increases are out of control which is all the more reason for you to start saving money on day-to-day purchases! Here are five simple ways to do so.
In this post:
1. Textbooks Purchases
Never… I repeat never buy textbooks from your University School Store. Don’t bother renting textbooks either it’s usually just a waste of your time. Most of the time the textbook rental company decides that the quality of the textbook has diminished and may insist on charging you extra fees.
Instead, you should search online for textbooks or buy them from another student on campus. This allows you to save on shipping and handling fees. If your college doesn’t offer this option, shop online on amazon because they always seem to have the best rates.
2. Textbook Resale
Sell your textbooks back on Amazon. You will be surprised at the money you can actually make with this method. Recently Amazon has given amazon gift credits and paid for all the shipping and handling fees associated with selling used textbooks to the Amazon warehouses.
Here, you don’t have the hassle of waiting for someone to purchase your book, rather you can simply print out the packing slip and ship the textbooks to Amazon and receive a credit to buy your next semester’s books with. This is the best way to resell used books, however, if you wish to sell them the old fashion don’t sell them to a friend if you want to get a good deal.
3. Don’t Buy a Meal Plan
Unless your financial aid package includes board, you’re an athlete, or you’re just opting for the unlimited plan. Most people think that meal plans save you money, just like buying bulk saves you money. This is a common myth. In fact, most colleges charge the exact same amount as buying the same amount of meals as the plan covers.
In fact, meal plans often are disadvantages because many students are left with meals at the end of the semester that usually don’t roll over and so you find that you lost money. Plus it’s always a benefit when you get sick of eating the same thing day in and day out to find local fast food every once in a while without feeling guilty that you are wasting your money because you need to finish up your meal plan. Just beware that some special accounts such as those that go by the name expense or flex don’t charge you tax whereas regular cash obviously isn’t exempt from this charge.
4. Check For Fee Waivers
When applying for study abroad options (or actually any type of application that may require a fee) always check to see if the program, college, or intuition has a fee waiver. Often there is money allotted that is never used up because if people don’t see an option for a fee waiver they don’t bother asking for it. Even if you don’t show exceptional financial struggle, sometimes just showing dedication and interest in a position or activity can make or break how much leeway you’re given.
5. Shopping…shopping
And shopping! Whenever shopping, whether for food, clothes, or supplies check if the store has a student discount. Many times stores don’t advertise they have discounts, however, many local mom and pop shops give college students a break because they depend on college students for employment or just want to maintain good relations between the town and the university. Chain companies participate in this as well. To name a few: Charlotte Russe, J.Crew, and Urban Outfitters.
