Now that school is back in session some of us may feel that we’ve reached a new level of broke; well I’m right there with you! Even with working, there are so many expenses that come with each new school year. First you have your parking permit, then rent, tuition, meal plan costs, books; it just goes on from there. By the time you’re ready to go, you’re broke! It may seem like saving is hard, and you might not see immediate results in your bank account, but just remember to stick to these tips and you’ll have money soon enough!
- When it comes to buying clothes, shop at second hand clothing stores. Shopping at second hand stores like Plato’s Closet or 360 saves so much money! They have tons of cute stylish clothes that are usually barely used. You can also sell back name brand clothes to earn a little money yourself.
If shopping second hand isn’t your thing, then gather your friends together to swap clothes and accessories. Even if you all wear different sizes you can still swap accessories. Its fun and a great way to get rid of anything cluttering up your closet, plus you get new fun things to wear in return.
If you love the designer looks but don’t have the cash to buy it, check out all of our DIYs on our blog! There are tons of different projects for you to try.
- When it comes to food, instead of always going out to restaurants with friends, plan a night where you all make dinner. Have each person make a specific thing, like have someone make a salad, dessert, main course, bread. It’s a great way to spend time together and it’s much cheaper than going out.
Another great way to save money is to stop buying snacks and drinks when you’re out. The snacks and drinks you might buy when you’re at the movie theatre or out studying are over-priced. If you buy coffee or a snack everyday and it costs about $3.00, that’s $21.00 a week! There are 52 weeks in a year, and if you are constantly spending $3.00 a day, that adds up to $1,092.00 a year! Yikes! That just goes to show how it all adds up. To save money, try buying your snacks and drinks at a grocery store, it’s cheaper and you get a much bigger selection. If you can’t live without your iced Americano, than try only getting it a couple of times a week. It might be a big adjustment, but it pays off so much!
- Budgets might sound scary, but it is an effective method to managing your money. If you’re not ready or you don’t think you have enough time to start a budget, try the envelope system. The envelope system is highly recommended by Dave Ramsey. It’s pretty easy to follow, basically you figure out how much you want to spend a month. Then you create categories for your envelopes like, food, rent, student loans, entertainment and clothing. Now you write one category on each envelope. Divide up how much you make a month into the categories you’ve chosen. You might also want to add a school supplies one, even though you only may buy school supplies twice a year, you still want to save for it by putting some money away each month. When you go out to eat that month, only use the money in your food envelope. Same thing works when you go to see a movie, you only use money in the entertainment envelope. When you run out, you’re done spending from that envelope. This system is great because it makes you really think about what you’re spending your money on.
To learn more about the envelope system check out Dave Ramsey’s website: http://www.daveramsey.com/article/dave-ramseys-envelope-system/lifeandmoney_budgeting/
- Did you know our student ID’s are good for more than checking out library books? Having a student ID can get you discounts and free things! Around here having a student ID can get you cheaper movie tickets at Celebration Cinema and Kalamazoo 10. At Qdoba you get a free drink with you student ID. Local stores offer 10% your purchase, such as Charlotte Russe, Urban Outfitters, The Limited, and Ann Taylor, to name a few. To find more check out this website: http://www.collegepackinglist.com/college-discounts-cheatsheet.html
- When it comes to expensive beauty products, don’t assume a color will work for you. When you’re buying pricy foundation, ask for a sample. That way if you don’t like the makeup or the color isn’t right, you can find out before you spend a lot of money.
If you’re always spending money on getting your nails done, try skipping the nail salon and doing them yourself. Painting your nails isn’t hard, and even if you buy a new bottle every time you paint your nails you’re still saving money.
6. If you’re in need of money for school, there are lots of scholarships college students can apply for. Education Portal has a list of 25 scholarships and grants that are available for undergraduate students. The National SMART Grant, the Blogging Scholarship, and the Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation are all scholarships that are specifically for college students. To check out more go to Education Portal’s website: http://education-portal.com/articles/25_Grants_and_Scholarships_for_College_Students.html
There are so many easy ways to save a few bucks. By making small changes like bringing snacks from home or trying the envelope system you can save lots of money this school year.
Source:
daveramsey.com
collegepackinglist.com
education-portal.com