It’s not a surprise that students are on a tight budget. Not everybody can afford to combine working and studying! You would have to spend too much time, and effort on your job, and your grades will suffer as a result. So, there is only one option left. Students have to understand the basic principles of saving money, and the sooner they learn them, the better!
There are some things that you just can’t ignore in college, so you will have to spend a lot of cash on them. First of all, you can’t forget about your possible student loans. Starting to save money even before your graduation might be a great skill that will help you pay off your debt sooner! Also, there is a matter of expensive books, supplies, food, and clothes.
As you can see, there is a delicate balance between blowing your budget on parties and unnecessary stuff and setting every dollar aside up to the point when you have no fun at all. One thing can be said for sure: you can’t go cheap when you pay for an essay online! Unlike an extra cup of expensive coffee, this is one of the few things that can help you get good grades and graduate!
So, are you ready to learn how to manage your limited budget? Here are five things to save money on as a student!
Take-out food
source:csufresno.edu
This is one of the biggest things that can take up to half of your monthly budget. Students don’t often have time to cook for themselves because they are so busy with their homework. Also, not a lot of dorm rooms have enough kitchen space so that everybody can prepare a healthy meal! Still, there are some tips here that can help you save some cash on food:
- try to eat out only on special occasions. Cafes and restaurants can be quite pricey!
- fast-food can be cheap and healthy at the same time! Look for salads, low-calorie wraps, and vegetables.
- buy healthy snacks, like nuts and berries. You won’t become hungry again for a while, so you don’t have to snack as many times as before.
Coffee to go
source:collegexpress.com
Of course, students are always sleepy. They have been partying or doing homework all night, and they usually can’t skip important morning classes. There are few things in life that a college undergraduate can enjoy more than a cup of hot coffee on their way to class. At the same time, you should also know that local coffee shops have insane price markups!
Let’s do some math here. If you spend around $3 every day supporting local small coffee businesses, you will be short of $600-$700 by the end of the school year! A cheap coffee maker for your dorm room will definitely cost much less and save you a lot of money in the long run. You can sip on hot beverages while walking to class with your travel mug.
New books for class
College materials and new books can be insanely expensive. You can’t really keep up with your studies without your textbooks, so there are a couple of solutions for you. First of all, you can look through essay pro reviews and hire an expert writer who will take care of your homework for you. Second of all, you can rent or buy used study materials from graduates!
Some colleges have their own Facebook pages, where learners can exchange stuff and help others to stay within their budgets. Amazon and other huge marketplaces are also an option if you’re trying to spend less money on books. You can find amazing deals for used or digital textbooks there! Kindle also allows you to rent a text and use it for a short period of time.
Expensive software
source:gcfglobal.com
Lots of learners can’t really do their homework without different programs and apps. You most probably will need Word, PowerPoint, Photoshop, and other software at some point before graduation. All these programs can run up to a big sum every month! The good news is that there are free versions of the most popular programs, for example, Google Docs, Prezi, and others.
Online shopping without student discounts
source:usatoday.com
A huge benefit of being a pupil (among other things) is that you get to use your student discount as much as you want. One can be applied during online shopping and at physical stores as well. Your discount is not limited to school supplies! Here are some of the shops where you can get a great bargain:
- Apple and Lenovo for your electronic and technological needs;
- Levi’s, Banana Republic, J. Crew can offer some price reductions on their clothes;
- seasonal and back-to-school sales on Amazon, Etsy, and Walmart always welcome student shoppers!
To Sum Up
So there you have it, five things to save money on as a student! Staying within your set budget is a skill that will be useful in your adult life as well. A few extra saved dollars can’t hurt you at the end of the school year! It might take some time to get used to your new lifestyle, but it will be worth it when you have all that extra cash!
