Tuition eating away at your savings account? Not sure how you’ll make it through 4 years of college? Read on to learn tips on how to save money in college.
Your college days are likely to be some of the best days of your life. You’ll be finding new freedom, learning about the world, and pushing yourself in new and exciting ways.
Student debt is a major concern for many people heading off to college. With tuition fees so high, something’s got to give.
Did you know that 70% of all students leave college with debts? With this in mind, you’ll want to know how to save money in college.
Here are some great tips on saving money in college.
Save Money on Your Textbooks
The reason that you’re in college is to study and learn. To do this, you’ll need textbooks, but textbooks can be very expensive. It might seem like an investment to buy copies of everything on your reading list, however, it’s not.
Once you finish your studies, chances are that you won’t open your textbook again. In addition, with some subject areas rapidly developing and changing, many textbooks will be obsolete within a few years anyway.
With the cost of textbooks being so high for many specialist subjects, you might want to consider renting your textbooks when you need them.
Always Ask For Student Discount
Wherever you go, make sure that you have your student ID with you, and don’t be afraid to ask if a store or restaurant offers student discounts.
Many places will give students money off, although they may not advertise this fact.
Ditch Your Car
If you’re going to really save money when you’re a student, one of the best ways to do this is by not owning your own vehicle.
The cost of maintaining, insuring, and putting fuel in your car is astronomical. A better solution would be to walk or cycle if you need to travel further.
If you’re living on, or close to your campus, you won’t need to drive anyway.
Eat at Home
Avoid eating out as much as you can. It may be tempting to eat on campus for every meal, however, you can keep your costs considerably lower if you eat at home or take your own meals with you to college.
Where possible, use batch cook recipes to fill your freezer with healthy and nutritious meals that will be cheap to make, and easy to reheat when you’re up to your eyes in coursework.
Watch Your Income and Outgoings
If you really want to keep a tight grip on your finances when you’re in college you should create an income and expenditure spreadsheet and track everything.
Make sure that you always have more coming in than you have going out. If the balance is wrong, you need to quickly work out where you can make savings.
How Do You Save Money in College?
Keeping your eyes on your spending when you’re a student is essential. It can be very easy to find yourself in debt if you’re not careful.
What are your top tips on how to save money in college?
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