Smart Great Tips for College Students to Live Frugally and Still Have Fun
Brought to you by: Breez DeGuzman
For college students who live on campus in a dorm, life may be relatively easy. However, many students choose to live off campus and this often increases expenses considerably. Wherever you live, here are some smart great tips to live frugally and still have fun:
* Living off campus means you need a way to get to class. Find a good, reliable used car. It will cost less initially and you may be able to purchase it outright. If that’s the case, you can get by with paying for insurance, maintenance, and fuel. If you choose to live on campus, you may not need transportation at all.
* Use the public library rather than purchasing books you’d like to read. This can easily save you hundreds of dollars a year, particularly if you’re a voracious reader. Many libraries also offer movies on DVD, which means you can save on movie rental charges.
* Share an off-campus apartment with friends. This will cut down on the total amount you’ll each pay when you split the cost evenly. The more people you can have comfortably living in one apartment, the less each of you will pay.
* Eating on campus is going to be cheaper than nearly anything else you can do. This is also going to be true for non-residents and non-students alike. If you’re tired of cafeteria fare, buy food at a grocery store rather than eating out. Sure, it may take you longer to get your food when you have to cook it yourself but there are so many things you can make that cost less than at a restaurant.
* If you do go out to eat, choose water rather than getting a soft drink. You can often save $1.50 or more per meal by drinking water. If you eat out four times a month, that’s $6.00 you’ll have saved, which may be enough for another meal.
* Buy and make your own coffee rather than stopping at a pricey coffee shop. Maybe your coffee won’t be as fancy, but it won’t cost $8.00 for a single cup either.
* Clothing is a necessity no matter where you live when attending college. Go to consignment stores or swap clothes with friends. Finally, be sure to either hang items of clothing you’re going to wear again or place them in a basket to be laundered. Leaving clothes on the floor could damage them which means you’ll have to replace them sooner.
* Hit sales as much as possible. This can be for food, clothing, furnishings, or whatever. If you can get it on sale you can use the money you saved for something else.
* Go to the matinee showing of the movie you want to see rather than going when you’ll pay regular price.
* Use your student ID where they offer student discounts. You may be able to save 10% or more for items you need, so why not take advantage of it?
* Purchase used text books rather than brand new ones. This could save you considerably when you add all the books you’ll need together.
Remember, when thinking of ways for college students to live frugally and still have fun, it’s a trade off. Decide what’s most important to you and then budget your money accordingly. You don’t have to forgo having a night out with friends if you save up for it by cutting back on money spent elsewhere.
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Tags: College Students, Frugally, Students
