Top Five Ways to Save Money in College

So…you moved out of the house, into your own student apartment and now…you have to do all the things your mom did for you—cook, clean, do the laundry, make the bed, pay the bills, etc., etc., etc. Kind of makes you wish you had a maid, doesn’t it?

(Or maybe you just coerce your mom to come visit every other week…) By the time you graduate college (and believe it or not, the day actually will come, however far off it may seem!), you’ll not only have the smarts and the diploma to help you win your dream job, but you’ll also have valuable life skills, including the ability to budget. So what can you do to save money without becoming a nomad?

Watch your minutes

With the way things are today, you’ll have a cell phone and not a landline (don’t know what that is? That’s okay…you’ll live). The stupidest thing you can do with a cell phone is go over the minutes. Most cell plans charge over 40 cents per minute for every minute you go over. Watch your minutes and talk to your friends online or in person. You can also try Skype’s online phone service or a pay-as-you-go phone plan.

Buy used books

Deal with someone else’s notes all semester? Never! Besides, you’ll get more money back for new books than used books, right? Wrong. The truth is that used books cost up to 50% less than new books and most used books won’t be as big of a disaster as you think. Buying used text books can save you hundreds of dollars over the long run, especially if you lose, destroy or decide to keep a few of your books.

Learn to love clearance

When you lived at home and everything was on mom and dad’s dime, you probably didn’t think twice about that $50 shirt. But take a reality check and don’t bounce it, okay? Fifty dollars can buy two weeks of groceries or six movie tickets (for now at least). Now here’s two big secrets: a) you can actually live without it and b) you can head over to the clearance rack and find something comparable for half (or less) the price. And yes, one more secret: no one will ever know the difference.

Eat and drink…in

If you wait until you get to the club to buy your drinks, you’ve never experienced the true college experience of pre-partying. Not only do you get to start drinking earlier, it’s cheaper—chances are, if you pay $8.50 for that Appletini at the local bar, you can make one twice the size at home for less than a buck. And the same is true of fast food—except for the fast part, you can make better-tasting, cheaper, better-for-you food at home than you will ever find in the dive down the street.

Don’t flunk your classes

So everyone tells you not to flunk out of your classes because you’ll ruin your future. Instead of focusing on your future, focus on the past—you already paid for that class. And if you flunk or drop out, your future will include paying for it again.
While this list isn’t a comprehensive look at the ways a college student can save (or waste) money, it’s a great start to keeping you on the road to graduation without having to first wait in the pay day advance line. Who knows, you might also be able to afford a copy of your diploma with the dimes and pennies you pick up along the way.