Spend Less and Prosper: How Students Save Money and Enjoy College Life

Being in college is always associated with huge expenses. The cost of studying and living is high, and students, who often don’t have a stable source of income, are forced to live on a tight budget.

At the same time, college years are the time to live your life to the fullest and make memories. You don’t want to miss out on all the fun opportunities simply because of a tight budget. Luckily, there are ways to save money while also enjoying your college life. Read on to find tips that can help you find the balance!

1. Don’t Buy Your Textbooks for the Full Price

The studies from the 2021-2022 academic year found that college students spend on average $628-$1,200 on books and supplies every year. This is a hefty sum that could be used for hanging out with friends and having fun. Luckily, there is a way to save on this item of expenditure.

There are, in fact, plenty of ways to cut down on the cost of your textbooks by at least half. For example, you can choose to buy digital or used books that are significantly cheaper. If you have books left from previous years, you can sell them to return a part of the price. Also, you can use sites like Chegg to rent your books.

1. Use Affordable Academic Aid

Dealing with a plethora of college assignments and tight deadlines can be draining and, sometimes, simply impossible. Luckily, professional academic help services can help, and you shouldn’t refuse to use them if you want to make the most of your college years. After all, such services can give you more free time to enjoy college life and take off the excessive stress of a hefty workload.

To keep using professional help without exceeding your budget, you just need to find a service that offers the right value for money. Paper Writer can provide affordable rates, deliver excellent papers, and include useful tools that support your academic needs. Once you find such a service, don’t hesitate to use it whenever you need extra help with your studies!

1. Opt for the Right Credit Cards

College is often called the beginning of an adult, independent life. Given that, chances are that you’ll start using a credit card somewhere around these years. But if you really want to make the most out of your college time, you need to choose the right credit cards that will let you save while spending.

In fact, there are plenty of great credit cards meant specifically for students. These often have lower interest rates and offer plenty of nice bonuses, such as cashback on your purchases. Some options to consider include Discover it Student Cash Back, Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card, and Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards credit card for Students. Compare these and other options to pick the most rewarding credit card for you and enjoy saving on your spending.

1. Hunt for Student Discounts

Enjoying your years in college means eating out, partying, going to cinemas, and even buying something to pamper yourself. Of course, doing all these things requires money. But there is a way to do them and save at the same time.

To make this real, you need to be aware of it and start using special student discounts. There are many of them out there. There are discounts for tech, food, software, streaming services, and many other things. For example, you can check out some of the following discounts:

• 60% off Adobe Creative Cloud;
• Year-round student discount from Apple;
• 20% off any plans and other perks from US Mobile;
• 10% discounts from most fast food restaurants, including McDonald’s, Taco Bell, Subway, and many others;
• Special discounts for amusement parks, concert halls, museums, zoos, and other venues in your area.

Seek out similar offers in places you want to attend or for stores you want to shop in. To use these discounts, you’ll typically need only your student ID.

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1. Save Money in Your Household

When you are in college, there are things that you’ll find pleasant to spend time on, but not so much. The latter include various household expenses, such as rent, utilities, food, and more. Spending your budget on these things isn’t as enjoyable as buying yourself something or going out. Yet, these bills are mandatory. You just need to learn how to save on them.

Here are a few tips that can help you save on your daily household expenses:

• If you’re planning to rent your housing, consider sharing rent with friends to cut down on costs.
• If renting, compare the rates of different companies to find the best deals for water, gas, Wi-Fi, and other things.
• Use energy-saving tips to keep your bills low.
• Set aside the money for your regular bills at the start of every month to prevent missing payments.

1. Cook More

Of course, eating out with friends is a part of college fun. But it doesn’t have to happen every day. Buying ready-made foods and using delivery services can save you time on cooking. However, it can be incredibly draining for your budget.

The good news is that you can save money for other nice things by using your kitchen more frequently. Make it a rule to cook your own meals on a daily basis. There are plenty of delicious and simple recipes that you can try while in college. And this can save you hundreds of dollars every month.

1. Cut Down on Your Travel Costs

If you’re living on campus, you might not be traveling too much during study days. However, if you are renting an apartment, you have to get to college every day, and, probably, you’re using your car to do this. While driving a car is definitely convenient, it can also be quite expensive. Luckily, there are ways to cut down your travel costs.

In order to spend less on your daily way to college, you can use alternative transport options, such as a bicycle, scooter, kick scooter, and so on. If you’re using public transport, there are also some saving options. For example, you can save by purchasing monthly passes or using special student discounts.

1. Make a Budget

Making the most out of your years in college may seem simply impossible when you’re limited financially. Yet, the truth is that you can afford whatever you want as long as you plan your expenses thoroughly. Hence, the last (and probably most important) saving tip for students is to make a budget and stick to it at all times.

You can either use a budgeting app or plan your expenses yourself. Regardless of what you pick, be sure to devote a certain amount of money to your regular bills, such as mobile, utilities, and so on. Additionally, plan how much money you will spend monthly on housing and food, as well as covering your student debt (if any). Lastly, define how much money you want to save each month. The sum that’s left is how much you can spend on your wants and leisure. Stick to your budget at all times, and you’ll avoid overspending.

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