top of page
Search
Writer's pictureS Grewal

5 Tips to Save Money as a College Student

College is starting soon and I thought I would share some of my personal thoughts with my readers about how one can save money as a college student. It is too easy to get broke in college because the expenses are too high and most of us don't have much time to work full-time while studying.




Don't buy textbooks:


Textbooks are not that important in colleges especially if your instructor provide most of the study material (lectures, notes etc.) online. In my freshman year, I spent $750 to buy textbooks just to learn that most of the study material was provided by my instructors and I could reserve those textbooks in my college library and read those online. All you need to do is wait until your first day in college that is usually when you get your study outlines which mostly specify the requirements for textbooks.





Coffee:


Coffee doesn't feel like a big expense if we see it on day to day basis. But let's think this way, if you spend $5 a day on coffee and you have let's say 80 days in a semester in which you'll go to college, it will add up as $400 per semester which is if you have 8 semester costs you $3200. What you can do rather is buy a coffee maker which you can get as cheap as $20 and make you coffee at your residence before you leave for college. Trust me, it will save you a lot money for long term.




Transportation:


Parking passes in big college and universities are really expensive. If it is possible for you, try to use public transportation. There are lots of programs for students to get a semester pass for public transportation for less expensive rates. It will save you the extra costs of parking as well as gas expenses. Also, if you are not in big city or the public transportation is not that busy, it will also give you time to check on the study notes for upcoming tests or just relax before your college day starts.




Share Living Space:


If you are living off-campus and renting an apartment/condo, it is always great to share that space with someone. It will divide your rent as well as give you company. I always love the idea of living with someone who has same classes as you or is in same major. It always help you to share your expenses as well as provide you a study buddy to share your ideas with.




Apply for Scholarships:


If your college or university provides scholarships, always go for those. There are also another scholarships available by government or other institutions in your country. Do some research and apply for as many scholarships as you can. Sometimes, some scholarships can covers your whole fees and you don't have to apply for a loan or spend your money on fees. Even when you are confused, apply for it because it doesn't hurt to apply.


There are so many ways to save money as a student or at least not to spend too much. Find your own ways, if you can, cook at home, make your own spending budget and look where you are spending most of your money or if you can cut some expenses because when you'll be done with your college these savings are going to help you with your future. Share some of your ideas in comments about how you save your money.

77 views0 comments

Recent Posts

See All

Comments


Post: Blog2_Post
bottom of page