Easy ways to save money in college

Emili Lanno – Copy Editor 

As college students I’m pretty sure we can all agree that our dollars are limited after schooling and spending massive amounts on textbooks. Even though it may seem like there is no way out of it and saving money doesn’t seem like an option, there are some tips to help you not spend as much throughout your college career.

First things first: food. Of course we all need to eat, and let’s face it; when we have a long day of classes ahead of us, all we want to do is grab a quick snack from the student center that is already prepared and head back home or to our dorms. However, that can be very pricey.

Try buying your groceries and making your lunch. This can be no problem for students living at home to prepare the lunch before school or for the people in dorms, stock up on groceries whenever you have a trip home. Buying groceries allows you to make multiple meals and you will be set for a couple of weeks after that.

For all of our commuters out there, me being one of them, I can stand up for all of us when I see the majority of our money is going to transportation. Now, it may not seem like an option for some people, but using public transportation as a way to travel to school is quite a smart idea.

With Southern providing students with U-Passes, a pass that lets you access a ride on a CT Transit bus for free, is a huge advantage. Yes you will have to wake up an hour or two earlier to make your classes on time, but if it’s saving you money, it may just be worth it.

Now I know being on a budget can mean that you can’t go out and have any fun, but that isn’t necessarily the case. It is very expensive to do traditional “going out things” with your friends such as, seeing a movie, going shopping at the mall, or going out to dinner, but there are ways to go out and save money at the same time.

Since we are all students, we can find out different stores around the area that offer student discounts. Taking advantage of this is a great way to go out and not completely paying full price.

And if you’re someone like me, being out and about doing school related things makes me tired and all I want to do is relax. Simply sitting down and reading a book, catching up on some Netflix or even taking a walk with someone can pass the time, and make for a good hang out; and you’re not spending a dime.

For many people, spending money can be an issue and me personally as much as I want to save sometimes I can’t resist that pair of shoes at the mall, but handling it isn’t hard if you are organized. It can be tedious, but if saving money is a problem, you can always save receipts or keep track of what you’re buying.

Whenever I would purchase things at the mall or spend money on food at school, I never realized how much I was actually spending until I started keeping track of it all. Once you analyze how much you are spending, it will give you more motivation to keep track and save those extra dollars.

Saving money in college is most definitely possible and with these tips and keeping your mind set on the goal, it will work out for you and by the end of the semester, it will all be worth it.

Photo Credit: 401(k) 2012, Hannah Spreckley, 401(k) 2012