How to Save Money During College

If you're living the college life then there's one thing on your mind, money. You have to make every penny count, and no matter what it seems like you just don't have enough. Between food, school, supplies, apartment or dorm furniture, clothes, and all the other needs, you just can't seem to figure out how to make it all work with your budget. This is something every student goes though, but surprisingly if you just be a little careful and plan ahead of your spending; you can live a very comfortable life without much trouble.

Food

The number one rule for buying food is to avoid fast-food and restraints. Besides the health factor of doing so, you will normally spend 5-10 times more than you would if you simply learned to cook, purchased ingredients, and prepared meals ahead of time.

For instance, you can spend 5 dollars on a cheeseburger at McDonalds or Burger King, but you can make 3-5 burgers for 10 dollars worth of ingredients. It's really a no-brainer when you think about it.

Make it a habit to check sales papers for deals and coupons at your local supermarkets. Keep an eye out for bulk deals of non perishables and try to grab fruits, vegetables, and your basic cooking food groups (milk, butter, cheese, bread, etc) when they go on sale.

Also don't be shy to check out the "cheap stores" in your area. Most towns have discount/dollar stores that stock up on food that is nearing its expiration date but is still completely fine. Use these stores to purchase your week-to-week foods such as snakes and smaller items, or anything you plan to eat within a few weeks really.

If you live in a very small studio apartment or a dorm room and don't have a kitchen, invest in a toaster oven to do some basic baking and an electric single burner stovetop to pan cook your food. These take up little space, can be bought fairly cheap and can make a huge difference when trying to save money in college.

If you don't know how to cook or just aren't very good at it then this is a great opportunity to hone your skills for your adult life. Visit sites that teach you how to make good, easy foods such as Pro at Cooking or if you are comfortable with just a basic recipe to follow, you can do a quick Google search.

One idea all college kids seem to love is to invite friends and roommates to a hangout with dinner and have everyone chip in 5 dollars for the ingredients. This can kill some time, become a routine "Social Hangout", feed you and your friends, and help everyone save money during college.

Also, always make sure to keep a stock of a couple of your favorite fruits for quick snacks. Being caught in the middle of the day on campus and having a growling stomach is a quick way to lose 10 or 15 bucks at the cafeteria, but if you have something to hold you over that is healthy it will keep you full longer, and save you all that spending for something better. Most importantly though, make sure to keep that stock of Ramen full for when you need a quick stomach filler at home!

Furniture, bedding, and appliances

If you have roommates, try to get in contact with them before you move in and work together to figure out what you do and don't need. Often times you can split what are needed and end up with just about everything you need without purchasing much of anything, which will help you save a lot of money during college.

For the things you DO need, places like Linens 'n Things and Bed Bath & Beyond offer lots of the items a college student will need when living on their own, but are normally a little high priced for the average student. Plan ahead and search your local advertisements for good sales, and keep an eye out for online coupon codes to use if you're purchasing online (but beware of shipping!)

You can also decide to go the cheaper route and buy used items from places such as Craigslist to get items even cheaper, just make sure to look it over and test it out in person before you purchase it. This is a great way to get name brand items at cheap prices as long as you have a way of transporting it to your place as it's not as easy to get it delivered as if you bought it at a regular store.

Also make sure to look at your living space and make sure to purchase items accordingly. There is nothing worse than purchasing a brand new couch just to discover it doesn't actually fit in your room because it's too big, and completely clashes with the design of everything else you already own.

Finally, when purchasing new household items, try to talk with your roommates and split the costs. Either split what is needed evenly amongst yourselves or split the cost of each item and agree to either sell it and split the profit when your done, or for one person to "buy out" the other and take the item with them.

Stationary

Always keep an open eye for the basic school materials to be on sale. You can find hot deals on things like pincers, pens, rules, and book covers at stores like Office Depot.com and the likes. These stores tend to have crazy deals during August and September as that's when schools open, so make sure to stock up around those times. You will probably visit a few different stores for max savings, but you can easily stock up on a years supply of everything you will need for pennies on the dollar.

Books

You are going to be using a LOT of books during college, and it just wouldn't make since to outright purchase every single one, especially when some you will only need for a few days or weeks. Get a list of all the books your courses will need and hunt for them in the local Libraries both on campus and in your surrounding area. If you can't find them, check the used bookstores that are normally located near campus.

If you still can't find them and MUST purchase them, try looking for them at places like eBay or post ads for them in your location on Criagslist. You can find great prices for books online if you start your hunt early. Also remember that once done with a book that you have purchased, you should consider trying to sell it yourself as you will no longer need it to help re-stock some of your college funds.

Also keep in mind that your friends might need the same books at different times. Get with them and find out if you have any book needs in common, and go in together to purchase ones that are unavailable at libraries, and simply sell it and split the money once you are both finished with it.

One final option is to hunt online for eBook versions of whatever you need. These can often be purchased at fractions of the physical copies, or even found free at places like wowio.com, manybooks.net and Gutenberg.org.

Wardrobe

This is the hard part for everyone. You always want to look your best but that can come at a high price and you want to try and save money during college as much as possible. Keep an eye out for great deals throughout the year, pay special attention to the clearance aisles of your preferred clothing stores and try to keep it modest yet doable.

Try to focus clothing that is going to be comfortable for your areas average climate. If it's normally cold invest in long sleeve thicker shirts, if it's hot then invest in lighter short sleeves. Make sure to have at least one full outfit that is "Business dress" for important first-impressions like asking a professor if you can get in his class or job interviews and a second outfit that is "Business Casual" for when you need to look good but not completely suited.

Also remember that shoes are important. Purchase two or three pairs of shoes that will survive the hikes through campus, won't fall apart, and won't hurt your feet after 20 minutes of walking. Remember that comfort and durability is the key when purchasing clothes for college.

Backpacks

You can save a lot of money by investing in a good backpacks or carry bag, as you will be using it for years to come. Look around for bags that have sturdy yet comfortable straps, strong zippers (no plastic) and a strong sturdy bottom that wont fall out six months down the line when holding your books. You can save money in college pretty well by investing in a good backpack.

Also check online at places such as Amazon and eBags.com to try and find some nice deals, and always check for online coupon codes before making a purchase.

Electronics

When it's time to purchase a new electronic item such as a laptop, computer, or cell phone you really need to look around. These items can be costly if you jump right into it, but if you shop smart you can still manage to save money during college:

Buying new from Retailers - Hunt for sales and rebate offers. Keep in mind that electronics go on sale during certain times of the year like Christmas and Thanksgiving so if you can, try to hold off until those times approach. But if you can't, look around for rebate offers just keep in mind that you will go through a few hoops before you get your money back. Rebate offers normally want a lot of information such as barcodes and receipts, always make sure to make a copy and never give them the original in case something goes wrong and you have to try again. Make sure your budget can afford to wait for the rebate check to come in the mail.

Buying used or refurbished - You can save money in college drastically by purchasing used or refurbished electronics. Search places like eBay and Criagslist for some nice deals. Keep in mind to check the seller feedback and rating before purchasing on eBay, and always deal in person and check the item well before completing a transaction with someone through Craigslist.

If your comfortable with buying used products, It will save hundreds of dollars to purchase used electronics, but you always have to make sure that your really getting what you want so be careful not to get the short end of the stick.

With a little effort you can easily change your college experience by saving money everywhere you can. This can completely change your life during these years and make everything much easier and more enjoyable. Just shop smart and plan ahead and anyone can make it through.