7 Easy Ways to Make College Expenses Cheaper

Ah, it's fall again. It's that time of the year when recent high school graduates usually have one thing on their minds- college. By now, scholarships and grants have been applied for, along with student loans to fill in the financial gaps. But affording college isn't just the tuition. It's paying for expenses like textbooks, rent, utilities, food, clothing, laundry and transportation too. Affording the "little things" doesn't have to be so hard if you know seven easy ways to make college expenses cheaper.

1. Textbooks
College students spend nearly a thousand dollars a year on textbooks alone, according to a study by the State Public Interest Research Groups (PIRG). That may not sound like a lot of cash, but this is one amount that can add up quickly. An easy way to reduce this expense is to check the Internet for good-used textbooks you can buy instead of buying brand new copies. Web sites like eBay.com, CampusBookSwap.com, Amazon.com and Half.com can help a student find the books he or she needs for their classes.

If you can't find good-used textbooks and you find yourself buying brand new ones, check around for the best prices before you buy. And, put covers on your books and use them gently. Don't mark in them or bend down the pages. The good news is that, after you're finished with them, you can sell the textbooks and recoup some of the original cost.

2. Housing and Rent
Affording a place to live while you attend college can be another financial headache. An easy way to help make this college expense cheaper is to find a low-rent place to live off the campus. Look for a basement or an attic apartment that's near the college so you can walk to and from classes. Consider bartering to pay for all or part of your rent. You can mow the grass, shovel snow in the winter, perform housework or do a variety of other odd jobs for your landlord.

Or, find an apartment and share the rent with at least one roommate.

3. Utilities
Use common sense when it comes to utilities. Turn off lights when they're not in use, take short showers and keep the furnace or the air conditioning thermostat as low or as high as possible. If the windows of your apartment aren't energy efficient, buy some cheap, clear plastic and cover them during the cold weather months to save energy.

And, avoid unnecessary late charges on your gas or electric bills by paying them on time. If you need help in remembering what the due dates of your utilities are, mark your calendar with red ink.

According to the Zogby Study, nearly 90 percent of all college students have cell phones. If Mom and Dad aren't footing the bill for your cell phone, that's one expense you're going to have to work into your budget while you attend college.

An easy way to make this expense cheaper is to shop around for the best deal on cell phone service. Look for plans that offer discount to college students. Or, sign-up for a pay-as-you-talk plan such as TracFone.com or Cingular Wireless.
They offer no annual contracts and no deposits. And it's easy to buy more minutes whenever you need them.

4. Food
Wherever you decide to call home while you're in college, find a place where the kitchen appliances- stove, refrigerator and microwave are provided for your use. Cooking at home is much cheaper than buying fast food. Shop for low cost food items at stores like Sam's Club where you can buy in bulk, stock up your cupboards and save money at the same time. Or, check out the grocery section at Big Lots stores. You can even save money by buying non-perishable items at your local dollar stores.

For lunches and snacks eaten while you're at school, take brown bag meals and snacks instead of paying cafeteria and vending machine prices.

"Man can't live on bread alone", but bakeries sell day-old bread, bagels, buns, pastries and other baked items for cheap. Peanut butter sandwiches are not only packed full of protein, but they're easy on the food budget too.

5. Clothing
Buying your clothing only when it's on sale is a common way to make this college expense cheaper. But, did you know there's a more affordable way to buy your clothes? Check out your local Salvation Army or Goodwill Industries and other secondhand stores. You can log onto the Internet at www.salvationarmyusa.org/ or
www.goodwill.org/ to find locations near you.

You may think of "secondhand" clothing as someone else's ragged cast offs- nothing you'd be interested in. However, the truth is, you can actually find name brand clothes that are in gently used condition for a fraction of the cost that you can expect to pay in the stores! Sometimes, you can find shirts, slacks, dresses, skirts, shorts, sweaters and coats that still have the original tags on them!

Also, check out garage sales and yard sales for bargains on clothing for college.

6. Laundry
Buying your clothes is one expense, then keeping them clean is yet another cost. An easy way to make this college expense cheaper is to look for housing that offers a laundry room for your use. Washing your clothes, bedding, et cetera at
a Laundromat will typically cost you a buck or two a load to wash them, and about as much to dry them. A dollar here or two adds up, and it can really wreck your budget over time.

If you must visit a Laundromat to do your laundry, take only what you must. Hand wash items such as underwear, socks, bras and lightweight clothing. Then, hang them up in the warmest part of your apartment to dry.

Don't ever buy those one-use boxes of laundry detergent, bleach or softener sheets at the Laundromat either. You'll pay through the nose for them. Instead, bargain shop for large jugs or boxes of laundry detergent and bleach. Then, take just the amounts you need when you head off to do your laundry. Place the amounts separately in a sealable plastic container that you can reuses again and again.

7. Transportation
If you already have a car, find the cheapest insurance plan you can. When it breaks down and needs repaired, look for a vocational school that has an auto mechanics class. They'll work on cars for much less money than a regular mechanic would charge you.

When you think of going somewhere locally, think of your feet first before you reach for your car keys. With the average cost of driving a car being about forty cents a mile, the expense of driving your car can add up quickly with each passing mile. Or, look at it this way: for every mile you put on your shoes, you're saving yourself almost fifty cents! An added bonus is that exercise is
good for you, especially if you're trying to shed a few pounds or get yourself in better physical shape.

Or, purchase a good-used bicycle at a Goodwill, Salvation Army, yard or garage sale. Parking for a bike is always easy to find. Just make sure you buy a chain and a lock so you can secure your transportation when you're in class.