How to Manage Money in College

College can be very expensive: between tuition, dining plans, on-campus housing and textbooks, saving money can be a herculean task. If you don’t have enough funds to live by after paying tuition, it can make life pretty hard and sometimes you have to be frugal with money. However, this doesn’t mean you have to cheapen your college experience. There are lots of ways to live frugally and still have fun.

• Budget Planning: There are lots of websites and apps out there that can help you budget and cut down impulsive spending. My favorite is Mint. It’s free and available for iOS and Android. It imports data from your bank account and shows you how you spent your money using graphs and pie charts. There are also weekly summary reports that show you where your money went during the week. Certain banks also have similar budget planners within their websites, such as Regions Bank’s MyGreen Insights.

• Take Advantage of Student Discounts: Ask for college discounts at local restaurants, boutiques, and retailers. Auburn University has a lot of restaurants and retailers that offer discounts. Amazon Student offers free two-day shipping to college students for six months. You can also get deals all around Auburn with a Student Alumni Association membership, such as free nachos with the purchase of a drink at Momma Goldberg’s. Yum!
• Learn How to Cook: We all love going out or ordering food in. Pizza is life! However, pizza gets expensive after the delivery fees and taxes. Learning how to cook can help reduce these fees. More importantly, you will have absolute control over your meals.

• Shop at Thrift Stores: Whether you’re shopping for something fancy or something casual, almost everything at the thrift store is a dollar (or less!). There are lots of thrift stores around and it’s fun to shop there. Plus, you can find super cheap but study furniture that will fit perfectly in your college dorm or apartment. Consider Lifesavers Mission Thrift near the Auburn Mall or Harvest Thrift Super Center in Opelika.

• Find the Best Deals for Your Textbooks: Textbooks at the bookstore can be crazy expensive! I learned that hard way at Auburn University’s bookstore. Before you make your purchase, check and see if other websites have a lower price. Websites like Chegg.com and Amazon.com are trusted websites for buying and renting books.
• Skip Out on Unnecessary Beauty Purchases: For all the pretty ladies out there, I know how much you love your expensive manicure… but, if you truly want to save money, then it’s time you learn how to paint your own nails.
• Piggy Bank: This may sound silly, but I keep my spare change and tips from work in a jar or a piggy bank. I usually dedicate it to spring break, summer projects or other stuff that I consider worth saving up for.

What are the other ways you can save money in college? Let us know by leaving us a comment!

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