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5 Fun Ways to Save Money Before Summer

Her Campus Placeholder Avatar Tessa Crisman
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Ithaca chapter.

Summer is right around the corner, and your savings are probably dwindling from buying textbooks, ordering takeout, and catching cabs home on the weekend. Here are some ways to save up before summer comes!
 
1. Have a clothes swap
Spring is here and chances are you’re itching for a new seasonally appropriate wardrobe. But heading to the mall can break your bank, so why not throw a clothes swapping party instead? You can hang out with you friends and get new clothes for free—what could be better?!
 
2. Throw a dinner party
Eating out is fun, and when you’re in college and stuck either with dining hall food or cooking for yourself, restaurants are often the ideal choice. But all those meals can add up, so try having a dinner party with friends instead. You’ll have the same fun vibe, but it’ll be much cheaper, especially if you split the grocery bill. Plus, you can all trade much-needed cooking tips!
 
3. Stop drinking bottled water
Buying a reusable water bottle is a one-time expense that will save you tons in the end, because water from drinking fountains is free! Plus it’s a super easy way to cut down on your plastic use and be eco-friendly.
 
4. Stay in
Okay, this one is a doozy. I know staying in seems like the lame choice, but hitting the bars can be super hard on your bank account. Instead plan theme cocktail nights (margaritas, anyone?) with you friends at home. You can be just as wild and crazy in the living room, right? And again, splitting the bill is a lot cheaper than buying individual drinks at a bar—especially if there’s a cover charge.
 
5. Carpool
If your friend group is anything like mine, fitting as many people as possible into one car is almost as fun as the party you’re headed to. It’s better to only take as many people as there are seatbelts, but hey, if you take a couple more it just means you’re getting every cent’s worth of your gas money. If this plan doesn’t work for you, remember that spring weather means it’s warm enough to walk wherever you’re going.

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Tessa Crisman is a sophomore (class of 2014) at Ithaca College, where she is studying as a sociology major with Spanish, environmental studies, and Latin American studies minors. Tessa is a Spanish and Arabic tutor for Ithaca College's Academic Enrichment Services, as well as a resident assistant for Residential Life. She is also an active member of IC Intercambios, which allows her to visit local farms to teach English to migrant workers, and of the Committee for Inclusive Education, a group promoting ethnic studies programs at Ithaca College and beyond. When she's not writing papers or handing out noise violations, Tessa enjoys knitting socks, going to the farmer's market, and dancing like there's no tomorrow. She plans to pursue a career in sustainable agriculture and food justice advocacy.