From one college student to another, let me fill you in on a few tips and tricks I’ve discovered to save money in college. We have to help each other out in this world of stress, debt, and fatigue, so here are my top five ways to save money as a college student.
1. Student Discounts
I cannot stress this enough: student discounts will change your life. It’s crazy just how many places out there actually offer discounts for college students. Some of the bigger names include Amazon Prime Student (50% off at $6.49/month + deals), Apple Music (50% off at $4.99/month), Spotify + Hulu + SHOWTIME bundle ($4.99/ month), and Adobe Creative Cloud (over 60% off at $19.99/month).
Beyond these well-known discounts, there is a world of offers available to college students. Whether it’s food, entertainment, car insurance or shopping, there are countless discounts available with your student ID or even good grades/marks. Before making any purchase, I typically do a quick search online with the phrase “student discount” and the company name following it.
2. Textbook Deals
Everyone says to rent your books in college, but there are a few other tricks out there too if you want to save more money. E-books are online textbooks that are often offered at a much cheaper price. They have their own challenges however, and you’ll need to check your syllabus in case your professor only allows physical copies.
Get a bigger return on investment by selling your textbooks. If you take good care of your books and avoid marking them up, then you could sell them for close to their original price. There are plenty of websites online that offer to buy back your books, but you could also try posting on local Facebook pages or craigslist to list your books for sale.
3. Early Bird Housing
One of the biggest expenses in college is the rent for college housing. Just as there are late fees for rent, there are also oftentimes “early-bird discounts.” Get ahead of the game and sign your apartment contract early to get special offers. Sometimes apartments will also give bonus discounts for every person you refer that signs a contract with the complex.
If you do happen to be late to signing a contract, then look online first to see if someone is selling theirs for cheap. Some people are just as desperate to get out of their contract as you are to sign one due to an unexpected change of plans.
4. Campus Amenities
Generally, schools will do everything they can to provide their students with discounted resources. Whether this is a healthcare plan, cell phone service, or gym membership/access, these are all things that you should be taking advantage of since you’ll probably never get them this cheap again.
Find out what else your school has to offer at significantly cheaper prices. You might discover your school has an outdoor recreational center that loans gear for cheap, or even a low-priced mini bowling alley.
5. Find a Job on Campus
Of course, it’s not news that getting a job in college will help you save money, but there are extra perks to getting a job on campus. Just about every college will offer jobs for students in all kinds of positions from human resources, to tutoring, to custodial work. Not only will this save you time and money on gas, but with certain campus jobs, you might even be able to work on some homework during the slow hours.
College is filled with ridiculous prices that will make your head spin. Take advantage of as many opportunities as you can to save money. Yes, we may be overcharged for some things in college, but there are a surprising number of people and companies out there striving to make our lives a little easier. Take advantage of the discounts offered while you can, and don’t be afraid to ask different places if they offer a student discount; it’ll all add up and be worth it in the end.
No Comments