Starting college or already in college? Worried about having money? Follow these tips and you will be able to save money without giving up your social life.
18.2 million people enrolled in college last year and most of them manage to have a good time and not come out with a high credit card debt or a lot of money problems. Trying to be smart with your money in college is a tough thing to do. Your friends want to go out to eat and you know you shouldn’t go but you cave in and go anyway. You really don’t need a new pair of jeans but you give in to temptation and purchase them. I have some great ideas on how you can save your money in college but still have a social life.
In this post:
1. Don’t Get a Credit Card
Imagine being 35 years old and still paying off a pizza that you had delivered when you were living in the dorms at college. It may sound crazy, but problems with credit card debt can lead to this scenario.
Getting a credit card is where a lot of college students go wrong. Having a credit card is only going to make things harder on you if you can’t make a payment one month or forget about making a payment. If you really want something, save up your money and this way, you will have it paid off all at once and won’t have to worry about starting your credit badly.
2. Look for Student Discounts
Most students don’t think about looking for coupons and discounts, they just go and buy something. Restaurants, movie theatres, and stores in college towns tend to have lots of discounts for students when you show your I.D. Most colleges also offer free events for students. Be on the lookout for discounted or free entertainment for students. This way, you are having fun but for a much lower price.
3. Buy Used Textbooks
You will save a ton of money by buying used textbooks. Books are ridiculously expensive but if you buy them online, you will be paying a lot less than your friends. Don’t forget to sell them back at the end of the term, that way you will have extra money for your trip home for Christmas or summer break.
4. Get a Water Filter
2.5 million plastic bottles are thrown away in the U.S. Getting plastic bottles of water is so expensive, not to mention bad for the environment. You could just drink filtered water but if you don’t like the taste of it, this is the way to go. You will save a lot of money using a reusable water bottle and just filling it up with water from your filtered water pitcher. Not only are you being healthy, but you are also saving around $6,000 over a five-year span.
Being frugal is one of the hardest things to do (next to homework) as a college student. Anyone who follows these tips should be able to survive college without a credit card bill higher than the national debt and still maintain a social life.
