Finding ways to save money in college is no easy task. I mean, it seems like every day I spend more and more money, but where is it going? What do I have to show for the 10 plus dollars I spend each day? A recycling bin full of empty coffee cups? Between classwork, on-campus organizations, and trying to maintain a social life, not every student has time to get a job. After careful planning, I’ve put together the best tips and tricks on how to save money while keeping up with your busy everyday schedule. Hopefully, you’ll finally be able to save money for that new phone you’ve needed, or your next spring break trip!
You’re in college, you’re going to need coffee. Everyday. A day without coffee is unproductive, unhappy, and extremely sluggish. Somedays you’ll need two. We’ve all been there. One thing you don’t need to do is continue to drop five dollars on each drink. “But it just tastes so much better,” you say. Trust me, I completely get it. That’s why I have come up with a solution that will stop burning holes in your pocket anytime you want a coffee. A great idea I’ve started doing this year is brewing a pot of coffee at the beginning of the week. Put it in a pitcher and leave it in the fridge to cool, and there you have coffee for the week. Believe it or not, grocery stores sell amazing Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts creamers that taste as if your coffee was just brewed in the store.
If you’re in college, chances are you’re going to go out on the weekends. Of course, we all know better than to drink and drive, and that’s why Uber is our best friend come Friday and Saturday night. Weekend nights around any college campus are expensive. Between drinks, Uber rides, and late-night pizza, going out to party is not cheap. Uber offers riders to “split” their rides among all of the passengers. That way, instead of one friend paying $17 for a ride to the party and $20 for the ride home, each friend can pay around eight or nine dollars total for the night. Though that still comes off pricey, it’s a much better solution than paying full price. An even better option would have a sober friend drop you and your group off.
Textbooks are way too expensive, but they’re essential in college. Over the past years, I’ve found renting on Chegg saves you a ton of money. Simply search for your book on the site and rent it! This site will save you up to 90% on your books. The best part is returning them is free at the end of the semester. I’m usually skeptical when it comes to returning things from online orders, but Chegg makes it super easy to do. If you’ve already purchased books, don’t worry. Take a picture of the book and post it with the name and course it’s used for in all your school’s Facebook groups. Chances are, students will come here as a last resort and will be willing to pay more for the book as they can’t find it anywhere else.
Chances are, the moms in your town have a Facebook group where they can post for babysitting help, or even easy house chores. If you have any free time, I highly recommend looking into babysitting. Most parents need help after school, between the hours of three and six. If you have a few hours a week free, this is a huge opportunity for you. A lot of the time, parents will post just for help with rides to and from school or after-school activities. Parents are willing to pay good money for this, as you use typically use your car and gas to bring their kids where they need to go. Plus, if they trust you and don’t want to lose you to another family, they’re usually willing to pay a pretty penny for your services.
If you’re like me, your closet is stuffed from floor to ceiling with clothes you probably have worn once and never touched again, or maybe you’ve never even worn them and just never got around to returning them. Here’s when Poshmark steps in. Poshmark is an app/website that allows you to take photos of your clothes and put them up for sale. All you need to do is include a brief description of the quality, usage, and size of what you’re selling. Find any new or used clothes, shoes, or accessories, snap a pic and you basically own your own online shop. Include brand names in your posts so you can appear in more searches, and you’re all set! Most of the time, you can make a few hundred dollars from clearing out unwanted items in your drawers and closet. Don’t worry about the shipping costs, Poshmark will send you a pre-paid and pre-addressed shipping label to use. Some lucky lady will get to show off your old clothes while you sit back and save money.
Limiting how much you drive is extremely hard if you live off-campus. Once you have the freedom of driving to and from class, to the local coffee shop, or out to run errands, you never want to step foot on the bus again. When trying to save money, your car is the last thing you need. Take the bus to class, even if it means you need to wake up a few minutes earlier. Limiting your driving won’t only save you money on gas, but will save you money on parking meters. At my school, parking is crazy-expensive. Just to park on campus for a meeting can cost you around four to five dollars. You pay enough for college, so don’t cave into overly-expensive parking prices. Get on the bus and sit back and relax on your ride into campus. Not only is this saving you money every day, but saving you stress when scrambling to find a parking spot.
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