Ways to Save and Earn Money in College

As we all current and former college students know, your college years can be the period of time when your wallet is the emptiest. Here are a few ways that you can either make or save money. 

Get a Job 

Having a job is the number on way to make money in college. Although it can be quite difficult to balance working and school it can definitely be done. Try looking for work in places that are flexible and understanding with your situation as a college student. Many on campus jobs are available to college students and are willing to work with your schedule. You can also tutor students in classes that you earned A’s in or help exchange students learn English because students are always looking for people to tutor them.  

Coupons 

Coupons are a great way to save money on everyday expenses, but there are ways to increase your savings substantially. Most manufacturers create their own coupons that can be used at any store. The stores themselves also create their own coupons. If you find a manufacturer coupon and a store coupon for the same product you can use both coupon for the item. This could potentially allow you to receive the item for free. Also, Walmart has a policy that states that if you can find a coupon from another store with a lower price that Walmart offers, they will honor the coupon as long as the price is stated on the coupon. 

Earn money back as you spend 

You can earn cash back for spending in a variety of ways. If you apply for the Discover It card, you earn 5% cash back after your first year if you spend at certain places such as Amazon.com. If you want an instant rebate as opposed to waiting a full year, apps like Ibotta are essential to have. With Ibotta you browse through weekly items that you are able to receive cash back for. Then, all you have to do is take a picture of your receipt as proof of purchase. You can either accept your payments as cash or gift card. 

Recycle  

Save your plastic bottles and redeem them for cash a local grocery stores just as long as they sell that product at that store. You may think that redeeming your water bottles for 5 cents is not worth the effort but they do add up. Think about all the water bottles you drink throughout the week and how much cash that it adds up to. You can redeem 100 bottles for $5 it may not seem like much but it’s 5 dollars more than you had before. Another form of recycling is selling your used clothes. Apps like Poshmark and Mercari allow you to sell your unwanted items online, but they do take a small percentage. You should think about using these apps if you want to make a quick buck.