(One of these days, I'll make a post about what I've been up to lately, but today is not that day!)
People always talk about
stereotypical broke college students. While this is a sad but true reality for
many students, I don't like for people to think that it's inevitable for students
to go broke while pursuing higher education. Aside from getting on a soapbox
about the unfairness of the cost of college and various economic issues on
which I am somewhat ignorant, I'm going to talk about a few ways that one can
make the best of their situation and conserve money where and how they can. In
my opinion, I sometimes think that broke college students become that way
because they have little to no sense of money management and could actually do
something to alleviate their financial situation. Here's a few suggestions that
have helped me make it through this past year!
1) I do the majority of my
grocery shopping at Aldi's. I had never stepped foot into an Aldi's before I
moved to Stillwater, but now it is a place that I frequent! Why? It is possible
to buy 1-2 weeks' worth of groceries for one person for about $30, and that
does NOT include a bunch of pre-packaged, over-processed frozen foods. It
mostly consists of necessities and LOTS of produce! Fun fact: Their canned
goods rarely cost over $1 per can, most are actually in the $0.50 to $0.75
range, which is actually a reasonable price! Sometimes, it's a wild card as to
what you find there, but they always have the staples of most grocery lists and
a great produce section of in-season fruits and veggies! If you shop there,
just remember to bring your own bags or be willing to buy sacks there (usually
costing either 6 or 10 cents, depending on if you want paper or plastic), and
that you'll have to bag your own groceries. (Plus: No worries about weird bag
placements or squished loaves of bread!) Also, bring a quarter for a
cart...don't worry, you'll get it back when you're done! For healthy (and even
not-so-healthy food), I highly recommend Aldi's as a way to cut costs on food!
(Note: I still insist on buying my milk from Braum's...I'm a milk snob like that!)
2) In a similar vein, I
highly suggest packing a lunch. For one, it's WAAAY healthier than pretty much
everything you'll find on campus. Also, it's not a constant drain on your
budget...six to ten dollars per day adds up pretty quickly! In doing so, it
requires a bit more time and preparation (not to mention foresight as to what
your day might bring), but it really pays off! A sub-suggestion is to invest in
a good lunchbox and lunchbox accessories...I, for one, love my lunchbox with
the built-in icepacks and my reusuable vinyl lunch pouches which also prevent
you from constantly throwing out Ziplocs!
3) While I'm on the topic of
reusable things, for heaven's sake, quit buying bottled water!!!! Invest in a
quality reusable water bottle (I suggest Camelbak or Contigo) and quit wasting
upwards of $1.50 on something you can literally get for free! My mom always
told me that Grandpa Rudy (her dad) prophesied that a day would come when
people would have to pay for a glass of water. To take this a step further, if
you are a coffee aficionado, I suggest making coffee at home and bringing it
with you, because, like other things, frequent coffeehouse trips will
add up quickly! (I'm not condemning them completely, but at least not buying
one cup will save some money!)
4) I've gone back and forth
on this one, but I think I'm mostly stuck on this one for the time being: if
possible and reasonable for your circumstances, (I'm talking school-related only)
I highly suggest eliminating either cable or internet (or both!) at home.
Granted, most places come equipped with these as a standard feature, but if
not, I promise that it won't be the end of the world if you don't have at least
one of them, if not both! My parents still refuse to have cable service at
home, and if it wasn't for the fact that I would have no television/news access
otherwise, I wouldn't have cable, either! Living without home internet is a
peculiar challenge, but if you're creative enough, you can easily make do...and
by make do, I really mean, find places with free wi-fi access to do any
schoolwork that requires internet access. By not having internet access at home
over the past year, I have learned how to relish coming home and being
"unplugged" from that aspect of life, and I find that I can truly
relax at home! Trust me, you can do it if you really want to! :)
5) I love shopping, but I've
learned that I can't always fulfill my shopping desires. If I really want to
buy new clothes or something of that sort, I always start by combing clearance
racks, stores like Ross or TJ Maxx, or, even better, thrift shops!!! All of
these are great ways to find new things at a reasonable price! Fun fact: I have
found much of my best house ware finds at TJ Maxx...y'all should really check
it out!
6) For the fitness gurus out
there, some students think that getting a gym membership is a surefire way to
get into their fitness plans. Here's the thing: most universities have student
wellness centers which you already pay for in your student fees...why pay for
something you've actually already paid for? Or, look into joining intramural
sports! You can either join a random team or join up with all of your friends,
either way, it's a fun way to meet new people and have fun playing the sports
you love in a low-pressure atmosphere!
7) Talking about friends,
instead of going out to eat with them all the time, stay in and cook together!
(That's kind of how the St. John's Wine & Cheese group was started!)
Everyone can chip in or bring a specific course, and you can have the added
experience of cooking together and sharing a homemade meal together! (PLEASE
don't use the "I don't know how to cook excuse"...between Pinterest,
YouTube, recipe websites, and EVERY other cookbook ever made, it is easier than
ever to learn how to cook! Also, most foods lend themselves to easy
preparation...just do it, you'll thank me later!)
8) Okay, not everyone will
agree with me on this one, but after my experience, it bears repeating. If you
haven't already started college or are weighing the options, consider attending
a junior college! It's not a popular choice, and it's definitely not as
glamorous, but it is the same education you'll get at a bigger university, but
it is actually better, because you don't have to experience insane 200-person
classes where you have little to no identity to your professor. You can learn
the same material in a smaller environment with professors who aren't preoccupied
with their research and are generally much more approachable. Socially, there
are fewer opportunities, but it's not a social wasteland either. You really
just have to find your niche! If you are at all on the fence about a potential
major and might be switching around, it will be MUCH easier at a juco than at a
university, if only because there is less red tape! The only way I really think
that someone should go to a large university as a freshman is if A) They
receive sizeable scholarships that would be silly to pass up, or B) They are
independently wealthy and money is no object. With all the money you're saving
at a juco, you can, like me, transfer to a bigger university and receive pretty
decent scholarships as a by-product! I could go on and on, but I'll stop that
soapbox there!
9) This should go
without saying, but seriously, APPLY FOR SCHOLARSHIPS!!! EVERY YEAR!!! It is
essentially free money that pays for your college, so long as you keep your
grades up. For one, it's a wonderful motivator not to totally slack off in
class and keep your grades up, and it is that much less money you have
to shell out! Even if it takes five hours to fill out the application, if you
receive a $1500 scholarship because of that, consider that like being paid $300
per hour!!! Who wouldn't love to be paid like that?!? Lots of local and
departmental organizations offer scholarships for students of all levels...it's
at least worth a shot! You won't regret it!!!
10) My newest money-saving
revelation came when I decided to rent my books last semester. From the outset,
I saved almost $400 just by renting instead of buying, and all of my shipping
was free! Who can beat deals like that? It was slightly depressing to not get
cash back at the end of the semester by selling back books, but I also was
comforted in the fact that I didn't get raked over the coals in trying to sell
books back and literally receiving $2 back because they're buying new editions
the following year. Most rental companies (like Chegg, which I use) give renters
the option to buy books if they really want to do so, but otherwise, it's a
much better idea!
This is not an exhaustive
list, but these are ways that I have saved considerable amounts of money over
the past year! I also find it interesting that, while saving money through
these steps, I often find myself being more conservative to the environment or
society in general! Quite the serendipitous thing, really! (Don't tell me you
can't do anything to be conservative, either, I just gave at least four ways to
do so! :) ) If you have any other suggestions, I'd love to hear them! Have a
great day, and happy thrifting!!!
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