By ANTHONY ONEAL<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Listen, you guys. I want you to be able to save as much money as possible in college so you can cash flow your education and still graduate with something in the bank! (Y\u2019all know that song \u201cYoung Dumb & Broke\u201d? It\u2019s a great jam but not a great way to live while you\u2019re in school. Well, the \u201cyoung\u201d part is OK. But not the \u201cdumb and broke\u201d part. You feel me?)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The more money you save during college, the more prepared you\u2019ll feel and the less you\u2019ll freak out about getting into the real world once you finally get your diploma. Plus, you won\u2019t have any of those lame student loan payments to worry about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And guess what? You don\u2019t even have to eat ramen every single night in order to save money and ditch the debt. There are plenty of ways to stack that cash. Let\u2019s talk about how you can cut costs on some of your biggest college expenses!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gotta take care of those four walls first, right? You need somewhere to live\u2013\u2013no argument there. But when you\u2019re a college student, housing can mean anything from a small apartment that you share with roommates to a luxury dorm with a hot tub and a view of the city skyline. Let\u2019s keep this budget-friendly, people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
OK, y\u2019all. I get it. You\u2019re probably ready to get out of the house and bask in your new freedom, and living at home might be the last<\/em> thing you want to do. And obviously, this won\u2019t be an option for everyone. But just think about not having to pay thousands of dollars per year on rent, utility bills or food (homemade food is way better anyway\u2013\u2013can I get an amen?). All that extra money in your bank account will be totally worth it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Renting an apartment isn\u2019t always going to be cheaper than living on campus, and campus housing isn\u2019t always going to be cheaper than renting. You just have to look at all the options available at your school of choice and in the nearby college town to see what\u2019s most affordable. Don\u2019t forget to factor in utilities and transportation costs!<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you do rent an apartment, having a roommate (or two or three) will cut your expenses way down. Make sure your landlord has approved each individual roommate and that they all sign the lease so you won\u2019t be left hanging financially if one of them has to move out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You might want a huge kitchen or your own bathroom, but really be honest with yourself about whether you need extra room while you\u2019re trying to save money. You might be able get by in a smaller space for right now, and then once you have a fully funded emergency fund and are financially stable, upgrade to something bigger!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Unplug your electronics when you\u2019re not using them (it actually saves energy), use cold water when you can, turn off the air conditioning or heat when the weather\u2019s good, check for dripping faucets or lights left on before you leave the house, and hand-wash some dishes (it won\u2019t kill you).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Food\u2013\u2013another one of those things you kind of can\u2019t live without. But you can<\/em> live without daily avocado toast. You just have to be wise about your food choices!<\/p>\n\n\n\n You guys can save a ton if you go in on groceries\u2013\u2013especially if you buy in bulk. You could even grocery shop and cook together to get some solid roommate bonding time (hopefully, you like your roommates).<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s OK to go out with your friends every once in a while, but when you\u2019re constantly getting waffles at 2 a.m. on impulse, it really starts to add up. And your body starts to hate you. Budget the amount of money you can spend on eating out every month (that includes bougie lattes), and once you spend that money, you just need to have some self-control until next month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Meal plan costs can vary depending on your school\u2013\u2013cheaper ones can be about $1,000 per semester, but some can be three times that (or more)! Some colleges might make you get a meal plan for your freshman year, so if you have to have one, make sure you actually use it. But if you don\u2019t <\/em>have to have one, meal prepping and making food from scratch are your new best friends. (Grocery shopping pro tip: If you buy generic brands, you\u2019ll get pretty much the exact same thing as name brand for way less.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n You guys, there is no shame in using coupons\u2013\u2013and yes, they can actually help you save money, even if it\u2019s just a few cents at a time. You\u2019re in college. You need every quarter you can get. How else are you supposed to buy vending machine snacks in between classes?<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is one of the biggest and most intimidating categories for college students. But don\u2019t stress, y\u2019all\u2013\u2013I got you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s crazy how you can save just by getting your textbooks from Amazon or a used bookstore instead of the campus bookstore. You probably won\u2019t find all<\/em> your required reading at those cheaper places, but even if you do have to use the campus bookstore, they\u2019ll usually give you the option to rent instead of buy. Definitely go with renting. Trust me, you won\u2019t need to go back and read your physics textbook once the semester is over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can save a lot on tuition by getting all of your General Education requirements out of the way at a community college before heading to your school of choice, because the price difference is insane. I mean, seriously\u2013\u2013a year of tuition at a private is school is, on average, more than nine times <\/em>the cost of a year of tuition at a community college!1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n The average tuition at a public, in-state school is $10,230 per year, and the average tuition at a public, out-of-state school is $26,290 per year.2<\/sup> That\u2019s a yearly difference of more than $16,000! If it\u2019s an out-of-state, private<\/em> college, the tuition skyrockets even more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s kind of a no-brainer: If you find scholarships, you won\u2019t have to worry about tuition costs (and some scholarships even cover your books, food and housing!). To make your life easier, try using an online scholarship search tool like the Debt-Free Degree Scholarship Search.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Not everyone remembers to factor this into their college budget, especially if they know they\u2019re going to be living on campus and walking a lot. But the truth is, you\u2019ll need to get to places off campus at some point, so it\u2019s smart to think about this stuff ahead of time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Nobody likes spending money on gas. With bikes, you don\u2019t have to. Enough said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Did I mention that nobody likes spending money on gas? I\u2019m not saying you should make friends in college just so you can split the cost of fuel, but it\u2019s one of the perks of friendship (for real).<\/p>\n\n\n\n This could be anything from the bus system to subways to rideshare services. According to the American Public Transportation Association, a household can save almost $10,000 by using public transportation and having one less car.3<\/sup> Depending on how often you use public transportation, you might want to buy passes instead of individual tickets\u2013\u2013it costs more up front, but it will help you save in the long run.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A good way to save on entertainment is to never do anything fun. Ever. But let\u2019s face it: You\u2019ll need to kick back between classes and tests, so you could at least do it without breaking the bank.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s be real\u2014cable TV is pretty much a waste of time and money. There are plenty of cheaper options that let you pick what you want to watch on demand so you\u2019re not flipping through the channels for hours and paying for junk you don\u2019t watch. Hulu, Netflix, Google TV, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV and Sling TV are all good, but a word to the wise: You really just need one<\/em> streaming service at a time. If you\u2019re feeling super brave, you could try not watching TV at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019m all for getting ripped, but if you really need to save, that should be top priority. Plus, your school will probably have a student gym that\u2019s included in the price of tuition. And there are plenty of ways to get exercise without going to the gym\u2014like running, intramural sports, throwing a frisbee around, or walking back and forth in front of your crush\u2019s dorm hoping they\u2019ll notice you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yeah, remember those? If you\u2019re bored because you canceled your cable and gym membership and you can\u2019t buy anything, there\u2019s always the option of reading all the books and watching all the movies in the library\u2014for free.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Just kidding. But the amount of money you spend on a date can get out of hand pretty fast, especially if you\u2019re trying really hard to impress them. Some fun, budget-friendly date ideas are volunteering together, exploring a nearby city, going on a hike, finding a free concert, or looking at the stars and other romantic stuff like that (but let\u2019s keep it PG, OK?).<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019m serious: Building good relationships in college has way more to do with the amount of time you invest than the amount of money you spend. Even if it\u2019s just getting a group together for a game night, going thrift shopping, or having a regular ol\u2019 heart-to-heart conversation, the time you spend with your friends is something you\u2019ll remember way past graduation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because I love you guys, and because I really<\/em> want you to graduate with some serious stacks in your bank account, I\u2019m gonna give you a couple extra tips\u2014and you don\u2019t even have to pay me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you need cash, Craigslist is your new best friend. Or eBay, Facebook Marketplace, or posting pics of your stuff on Instagram\u2014whatever gets the stuff you don\u2019t need out of your house and the money into your pocket.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Don\u2019t underestimate the effect that a few babysitting or dog-walking jobs per week can have on your savings. For a steadier income, a part-time job (no more than 15\u201320 hours per week) is a great idea too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We\u2019re talking Groupon. We\u2019re talking Yelp. We\u2019re talking all the restaurants, museums and movie theaters in your area that give discounts to college students. Wherever you go, don\u2019t be afraid to flash that student ID and ask if there are any deals available!<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you really want to save money and build a solid foundation for your future, don\u2019t have debt of any<\/em> kind. No student loans, no credit cards, no nothing. It will only weigh you down and keep you from hitting your financial goals!<\/p>\n\n\n\n There you go, you guys\u2013\u2013those are just a few of my tips for saving money in college. But if you need even more advice on how to go to school without student loans, check out my new book, Debt-Free Degree<\/em>. It will give you a practical step-by-step action plan for cash flowing your entire college education (and saving thousands of dollars in the process). Trust me, it is<\/em> possible!<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u00a9 Lampo Licensing, LLC. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By ANTHONY ONEAL Listen, you guys. I want you to be able to save as much money as possible in college so you can cash… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1220,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[56,7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1246","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-money","category-popular"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/goodstuffconnections.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1246","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/goodstuffconnections.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/goodstuffconnections.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/goodstuffconnections.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/goodstuffconnections.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1246"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/goodstuffconnections.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1246\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1247,"href":"https:\/\/goodstuffconnections.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1246\/revisions\/1247"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/goodstuffconnections.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1220"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/goodstuffconnections.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1246"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/goodstuffconnections.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1246"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/goodstuffconnections.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1246"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Compare the costs of living on vs. off campus.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Find a roommate.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Ask yourself how much space you really<\/em> need. <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Get creative with your bills.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
How to Save Money on Food<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Split food costs with roommates.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Be strategic about eating out. <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Be smart about your meal plan.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Use coupons.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
How to Save Money on Tuition and Supplies<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Buy used books.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Take classes at community college first.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Go to an in-state school.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Apply for scholarships.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
How to Save Money on Transportation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Ride a bike.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Carpool.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Use public transportation.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
How to Save Money on Entertainment<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Cancel the cable.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
If you have a gym membership, cancel it.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Go to the library.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Break up with your significant other.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Build strong friendships.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Bonus Money-Saving Tips<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Sell your stuff.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Have a part-time job or side hustle.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Find all the student discounts and coupons you can.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Stay the heck away from debt!<\/h3>\n\n\n\n