Students want to have a lot of fun, spend free time with peers and enjoy every day of their lives. But the problem is that most of the young people live on a tight budget and cannot afford everything they want to buy. If you are one of the students, who want to learn how to save some money, feel free to check the following useful tips.
10 Tips to Save Money in College Life
Cook by yourself
When you eat out every day you spend too much money on food. Have you ever calculated how much you overpay for the same meals, which you can easily cook at home? Instead of ordering one portion of Caprese salad at the restaurant, you can buy enough ingredients to prepare 5-8 portions by yourself.
The point is that you don’t need to be a chef to start cooking. There are plenty of simple, yet delicious recipes available online, which you can use for free. Moreover, home-made food is healthier than fast-food you usually buy, so it will help you to keep fit.
If you have no time to cook, you can use a kitchen appliance, which will do most of the work for you. For example, you can buy a slow cooker and it will let you spend in the kitchen only 10-20 minutes a day. You will simply need to prepare the ingredients, put them in the pot, close the lid, and let the magic happen.
Buy in bulk
Your food will cost you even less if you buy in bulk. You should get a membership card for the big wholesale store in order to purchase the non-perishable food and toiletries with big discounts. You can replenish stocks of sugar, pasta, cereals, dried fruits, rice, frozen meat, and seafood without spending a fortune.
The great news is that when you buy in bulk, you can manage your budget wiser. You should purchase enough food at the beginning of the month to see how much money rests on paying other bills. Following this scheme, you will always have what to eat, even when your budget drops to the zero levels.
Make a grocery list
If you tend to make impulsive purchases, you should never visit a grocery store without a list, especially when you are hungry. Otherwise, even if you intend to buy only 3 carrots and 1 yogurt, you will add to your shopping cart extra candies, nachos, and sodas. You should keep in mind that if you want to save money, you should buy only those items, which are really necessary for you.
In addition, you should also think carefully about the clothes you want to buy. If you need only one white T-shirt and a pair of new jeans, you should stay away from the shops, which sell sports apparel, cocktail dresses and underwear.
Stop buying coffee
Are you addicted to coffee? Do you visit a fancy coffee shop at least once a day? If you have just answered yes, then it’s time to change your habit.
If you can’t live without a delicious cappuccino and yummy latte, but want to save money, you should buy a coffee machine. You will be able to brew your favorite beverage at home at any time you want. And don’t worry, a payback period of this investment is pretty short, just a few months. So just check out the website’s ratings and find the coffee machine that suits your needs and budget.
Also, you can use a thermal mug, and take your coffee with you wherever you go. In fact, you will continue to enjoy the same kind of drink you used to, but for less money.
If you want to be in good shape, you don’t need to overpay for an expensive gym. You can get the same result at no cost. For example, you can use the campus gym, which is usually available for all college students.
Also, you can workout at home. There are a lot of free mobile apps, video tutorials, and other handy resources, which you can use to perfect your body. If you want to have more intensive workouts, you can buy some simple equipment such as a resistance band, fitness ball or small dumbbells.
Moreover, you can enjoy such physical activities as jogging in the park or swimming in the lake. These are great ways to diversify your morning routine.
Visit free events
Most of the colleges regularly host interesting events, which students can visit for free. For example, you don’t need to buy a ticket to watch a comedy show or attend a movie night, exhibition, and holiday party at the territory of campus.
Moreover, you can also become a participant in all these events. If you sing, dance, play musical instruments, you can take part in a talent show or beauty pageant. You can compete with other students and create sweet memories, which will stay with you forever.
Party at home
It’s pretty expensive to visit numerous parties because you need to pay for the entrance, food, and drinks. But if you buy the same food and the same drinks and bring it to your apartment or dorm, you will save a lot of money. So, you can invite your friends to your place and have a great time together.
There are so many ways in which you can have a lot of fun without going out. You can play cards, monopoly or guessing games. You can also watch a fascinating movie or sitcom, eat popcorn and simply enjoy your evening at home.
It doesn’t mean that you should forget about the nightclubs and noisy parties forever. You should simply diversify your weekends’ activities: one week you entertain yourself at home, next week you visit a dance party.
Get rid of bad habits
If you smoke and drink alcohol, you should know that your bad habits cost you a lot. You will be surprised to know how much money you can save if you stop buying cigarettes, beer, and tequila.
If you have a lack of motivation to get rid of your addiction, you can use the money as a trigger. Some top academic writing websites suggest the following option: every time you feel a desire to purchase an unhealthy product, you should take a few bucks from your wallet and put it in a jar or piggy bank. At the end of the month, you can calculate the amount of money saved.
Get special discounts
Numerous stores, restaurants, and pharmacies provide students with discounts and special offers. You should conduct a little research to identify, which places located near your campus have such kinds of loyalty programs.
Don’t hesitate to ask peers where they make purchases and where they get the biggest discounts. Their recommendations will help you to save 5-15% of your monthly budget. You will find a better way to spend this money, don’t you?
Don’t forget to take your student ID with you, when you go shopping next time. You should show it to the cashier to get a discount.
Use public transport
If you want to significantly cut your basic spending, you should start using public transport. Subway, buses, trams, and trains should become your best friends. You should buy a transport pass instead of buying numerous single ride tickets to save up to 50%.
When you drive your car every day you spend a lot on gas as well on the maintenance procedures. If you use a car washing service regularly, it also makes a big hole in your budget. So, you should better use private transport when it’s possible.
If you are not a fan of crowded places such as subways station, you still can save money. When the weather is fine, you can ride a bicycle instead of driving a car. And don’t forget about the health benefits, which you will get.
Final Thoughts
There are so many different ways in which you can save money while studying in college. But you need to use only those ones, which you are comfortable with. If you can’t stop visiting your favorite coffee shop, because it’s a part of your style, you should better choose another trick to cut your spending.
College years are always the best in life, so you should enjoy them fully. You should behave neither like a miser, nor like a spendthrift. Try to find a golden middle and feel happy regardless of the size of your monthly budget.
