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If You’re A College Student, Here Are The Top Five Rules to Saving Money

Being a college student is a life of going from one adventure to another, learning while having fun, and… being completely broke?  It’s almost a meme at this point that college students barely have the funds to live a comfortable life. Plenty of us have to spend money on books and laptops which means there’s almost none left for food and other necessities. There are ways around this scenario, of course. A lot of college students are able to save money in creative ways which allow for a more comfortable lifestyle without having to compensate for their studying material. If you’re a struggling college student or an aspiring one, then read on to see how you can substantially improve your college years’ standard of living.

NEVER Dine Out More Than Once A Week

As much as you’d love to dine out after a long week of studying, don’t give in to that temptation. As a student, you simply cannot afford recurring visits to restaurants, and you know it. Of course, you’re allowed to treat yourself once in a while but try to refrain from eating out every day. The most cost-effective method to tackle this issue is to prepare your own food. Not only is doing this a healthier option for you, but you’ll also cut costs to almost half of what you would have paid otherwise. Plus, you’ll be learning a handy life skill! You never know when you might have to make those emergency dinners later in life, so why not get used to it right now?

NEVER Pay the Full Price of Books

Unfortunately, books is one of most expensive requirements in college and can certainly dent a college student’s wallet. You can remedy that in a bunch of ways. First off, see if you can crash your local library (or your college library, if it’s adequate) and seek the books you need there instead. You’ll be surprised to see your much-needed books waiting for you in the shelves for free or a fraction of their cost. If you can’t find the books you’re looking for in a library, then try your best to buy them secondhand. You won’t be needing those books after your semester is over, so why bother paying hundreds of dollars for them?

NEVER Pay the Full Price For Entertainment

No more movies in the cinemas. No more expensive parties, that is, if you want to survive your college years with dignity. The cost, of course, is that you’re going to have to find alternate means of recreation. The first thing you should do is get a Netflix account, which is somewhat your cheapest access to a variety of movies and TV series. Other than that, you should befriend colleagues who’re into activities that are both fun and cheap. Go hiking or visit a nearby forest or beach. Remember, fun doesn’t necessarily mean you have to shell out a lot of moolah!

ALWAYS Take Advantage of Your Student Card

This one is a no-brainer. You have really cheap access to a wide range of things and services that other people don’t. You really need to take as much advantage of this as you possibly can. A lot of software is substantially cheaper if you’re a student, so ensure that you’re not paying the full price. Whenever you’re paying for something — whether it’s food, movies, or studying material – it’s almost always cheaper if you present your student card. Depending on your location, you might even save money on travel using your student card.

ALWAYS Take Advantage of Coupons

For a person with a job, coupons are bits of paper that may or may not be useful. For a college student, coupons are pure gold. From discounts to the ‘buy one, get one free’ offers, these are opportunities you can’t afford to miss. Literally. Get as many of them as you can, especially if they’re food-related. You can truly exploit these coupons if you team up with your friends and save a substantial amount of money a week if you do it right. This money you’re saving is going to stack up after a period of time, and you’ll be glad for it.

These should have been obvious things to do, but far too many students end up not doing them and waste money anyway. Have mercy on yourself and adhere by these rules so you can have a comfortable college life.

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