College students are known for being broke. The start of college can be eye opening in plenty of ways. For instance, when you realize your parents brought you up to love those expensive veggie burgers and now you haven’t been able to afford them since moving out. You also realize taking a 45-minute shower isn’t in your budget either.  If you have ever found yourself in any circumstance similar to these, congratulations and welcome to the club- you are officially a poor college student.
As college students, we love to drink just as much as the bartenders and sailors. Having virtually no money can’t hold us from getting a decent buzz though. Students make drinking on a budget a way of life. It’s a dangerous downward slope from Absolute, to Smirnoff, then to Burnett’s and finally, and unfortunately, Skol. There is nothing to be ashamed of for drinking from a plastic handle, it’s a part of the college lifestyle, right?
We all know those realty companies that charge you $35 in “service charges” to sign for an apartment you’re going to pay entirely too much for. So where is that money going? I mean $35 could buy two handles of Skol, come on! Another money sucker are those ATM’s that cost you $3 to withdrawal your own money. I suppose this is a part of life but why does it have to start now, we don’t even have real jobs!
When Extreme Couponing and Extreme Cheapskates suddenly become your favorite shows, you know you no longer care what people think of you. Collecting free packets of ketchup, mustard, red pepper flakes and honey mustard is a learned skill. Regular people are crazy to pay full price for anything when you can get it free with a little more effort. If you really dedicate yourself, you’ll find that saving money can feel addicting just like her…
Speaking of free, how about those samples from Sam’s Club? Becoming a member will cost money but if you hang around long enough, you could eat enough samples to make a meal out of them! Also buying in bulk is cheaper than buying items individually. So go ahead and purchase 10 bottles of shampoo at once- it isn’t crazy if your saving money!
The beginning of the semester means it’s time to spend hundreds of dollars on books you probably won’t even open. An anonymous source shared how she gets around this astronomical cost without compromising her grades. She purchases the books, photocopies the pages (or you could actually read them if you’re that ambitious) and then she returns the books. This raises questions of ethics for some, but it could be a lot worse… just wait.
Finally, maintaining your health could pay off- literally!  Cashing in your plasma could add an extra $50 to your bank account. This isn’t the most ideal job but it will pay the bills. If you find yourself Googling “how much can you sell your hair for” you are also a broke college student. Especially if your hair has never been dyed or chemically treated, you could make a profit of hundreds of dollars or more.
When it comes down to it, we’re all poor and we’re in this together. Being a poor college student can be rough but its all a part of the college experience. All those times stuffing your face at the dining center or running to catch the free bus downtown are priceless, remember that!