It’s 7:30 in the morning, and you’ve sleepily gotten out of bed and slipped into Starbucks for a morning pick-me-up before an 8 a.m. class.
“I’ll have a Grande nonfat chai tea latte, please,” you mumble.
You walk up to pay and hand your GWorld to the barista. He slides the card, frowns, and tries sliding it again.
“I’m sorry,” he says. “You don’t have enough money on here to pay for this.”
What??
It’s hard to believe, but with Thanksgiving approaching the semester is nearly over. By now, you’ve probably gotten into a routine: swinging by Starbucks for a latte on the way to class, meeting up with friends at Sweetgreen or a food truck for lunch, or making your way over to Whole Foods for a weekly shopping expedition. But all the trivial times you’ve absentmindedly swiped your GWorld to pay for things have added up—here are a few ways to stretch your Colonial Cash until winter break:
Plan your grocery trips
Whole Foods, while quick and convenient, has earned the nickname ‘Whole Paycheck’ for a reason. On the other hand, Whole Foods sometimes carries our favorite brands other stores simply don’t carry. Get these specialty items at Whole Foods, but for everyday items consider another option:
There are two Safeways that take GWorld—one is on Macarthur Blvd. and a 10 minute walk from the Vern; the other is on Wisconsin Ave. and is accessible via the Circulator and WMATA busses 32 and 36.) Becoming a Safeway Club Card member not only gets you access to their database of coupons, but also gets you personalized deals on the things you buy the most. Making a list of the things you want, comparing it against Safeway’s weekly ads, and using outside manufacturer’s coupons and Safeway’s Club member deals can save you anywhere from 10% to 50%—or more!
Plus, what you save then pays for itself at Whole Foods…
DIY meals
The sweet smells of food trucks on H St. can sometimes be hard to resist, and popping into Sweetgreen for a quick, custom salad can be convenient—just not always for your wallet. Buying ingredients and preparing at home versions of foods you eat regularly is not only healthier—it saves you major $$ too! Let’s take a salad for example: buying enough lettuce, veggies, and protein to make salads for a week can cost around $15: compare that to an $8 salad five days a week at Sweetgreen!
Limit luxuries
You don’t have to cut out your favorite things because you’re trying to save some money—just be smarter about them! Make a latte from Starbucks a ‘sometimes’ treat and opt for cheaper coffee that you can add milk to later. Or, Instead of ordering a late night pizza from Dominos, split a buy-one-get-one-free pizza deal with friends on Tuesday at Whole Foods and then freeze leftover portions. Compromise and negotiation are the name of the game!
Also, for next semester, consider renting textbooks or buying gently used versions instead of renting from the bookstore. With a little planning, you can save hundreds of dollars!
Overall, be smart about your spending habits as the semester winds down (your coffee obsession depends on it…)