Tips For Saving Money in College

It’s no surprise that college kids are low on money for most of their academic career, but that doesn’t mean that they cannot enjoy the things they want to. If you stop splurging on things like food and expensive products, you’ll be able to make it through college while saving the big bucks. Here’s a list of a few ways you can save money.

1. Carpooling

One of the perks of carpooling is that you’re able to use the HOV lane which will allow you to speed past that traffic and reach your destination. Carpooling cuts down on the number of cars and vehicles on the road. Fewer cars means there is less carbon and other gasses and pollution getting into the air. This protects the environment by keeping the air, water, and land cleaner.

2. Eating in (no take out)

An easy way to save money is by not eating out.  Eating out is among the top causes of personal debt. One of the excuses for this is that you don’t have enough time, but what can be saved with a few extra minutes in the kitchen every day can also be making you healthier in the long run as well. If you feel like you want to know how much you’re spending on eating out, take note of how much you are spending on snacks, drinks, and meals outside of grocery shopping and see what you can knock out monthly. How much you’re really spending may surprise you.

3. Buying off brand products

It’s likely that you’re spending way too much of your money on a label. While there are certain products that you shouldn’t purchase as off brands, a 2014 study “estimates Americans are wasting about $44 billion a year on name brands, when they could be buying the exact same products if they switched to cheaper store brands,” according to CNN Money. That study also found that people in the know, such as pharmacists and professional chefs, most often buy store brands for health care products like aspirin and cooking ingredients like sugar, respectively.

4. Go to places with college discounts.

Probably the easiest way to save money as a college student is to go to places whether it be stores or restaurants that offer student discounts. Most outlets display this information publicly so it should be simple to find, but asking a store clerk at your local store doesn’t hurt either. It may seem simple, but that extra 5 or 10 percent taken off of a meal or shopping trip can really change a person.

Saving money as a college student can be difficult, but with applications like Mint a budget calculator, you can track just how much you are spending in certain areas. Once you know these problem areas you can fix them directly!