The initial weeks of a new semester are filled with chaos, new rules, and mounting expenses which most college students cannot afford.
With tuition and fees, supplies for classes, plus regular household bills, many college students find themselves stretched to the limit and unable to make ends meet.
But being a student is not necessarily synonymous with being broke.
Here are 10 simple ways a college student can stay afloat, despite minimal income.
10 Don’t waste anything
Whether it is clothes, food or household supplies, try not to waste much.
Sell your gently used clothing to second-hand clothing stores. Plato’s Closet pays for used clothing that they can resell to others. There is no limit to the frequency or quantity of clothing you can sell, so take advantage.
If there is food in the fridge but there is not a typical recipe to put all of it together, go to supercook.com and type in your ingredients. The website will list recipes with the ingredients you enter.
9 Don’t shop at name brand stores
Stop shopping at name brand stores. Check stores such as Plato’s Closet for gently used clothing items for men and women; they carry a lot of brand name items, and no one can tell whether the clothes were bought from Plato’s Closet or the actual name brand store.
8 Cut and use coupons
Invest in a Sunday newspaper and browse through the ads. Before looking, make a list of groceries or supplies that you may need.
Try to stock up only on sale or discounted items that you will need such as meats, drinks, and side dishes that can be used with more than one meal.
7 Keep track of your spending.
Keep track of your spending by keeping receipts of everything you buy. This can be a true eye-opener.
It lays out in plain view where your money goes every month. On the last day of the month, total up all spending.
WARNING: The grand total may be painful to see. After finding out the total spending, create a budget.
Divide the budget into different amounts of money for groceries, eating out, entertainment, gas, etc.
The most effective way to budget is dividing up your money in specially designated envelopes; this way the money that is being spent can be clearly seen, rather than using an ATM card or credit card where physical money is never seen.
6 Stop buying bottled water.
Bottled water is convenient, popular and easy to grab, however, the cost of bottled water is not always as convenient. According to an article on lifestyle.msn.com, “Giving up those plastic containers saves about $1,250 a year. . . (how much a four-person family spends if they buy 16 $1.50 20-ounce bottles of water a week.) It only takes seconds to fill up a glass or a reusable plastic water bottle.
5 Cancel your cable.
Having a TV is a nice luxury, but most television shows are available online these days.
“Make sure your desktop or laptop has a DVD/CD player so you can also watch your favorite movies. Your laptop has graphics equal to most HDTVs, so enjoy,” says collegescholarships.org.
4 Ladies, stop getting your nails done. Men, get your hair cut at home.
Having your nails done, or getting a nice haircut can boost a person’s self confidence andmake them feel more prepared to go out into the work force and do the best they can.
However, getting a full-set of nails can cost anywhere from $19 to $50, depending on where you get your nails done and any designs that are added.
If nails are a necessity, try to use glue on nails, which come in packs that can be found at Walgreens, CVS, Wal-Mart, Target, etc. They typically cost $4.99-$8.99 per package.
However, they are not recommended for long term use, so if there is an event, put them on for that night—most people cannot tell the difference.
As collegescholarships.org recommends, forego the salon nails and instead make it a girl’s night event and do each other’s nails.
A simple men’s haircut can range anywhere from $8 to $20 depending on the location of the shop.
Instead of going to high-end salons, go to the local barbershop; chances are they charge less to cut your hair and will still do just as well.
The second way to save money on men’s haircuts is to buy a pair of clippers and have a friend or relative cut your hair at home.
3 Find cheap entertainment.
“Pick up a local newspaper and check upcoming events for freebies: concerts, arts and crafts fairs, theater, festivals, art galleries, and museums,” collegescholarships.org recommends.
Dare to be different try to attend a new “freebie” every week or month. Going to the movies is always fun, but the expenses that come with it always leave pockets empty.
In Clovis, the UA Clovis Towne Centre 8 is is $3 everyday.
Make sure to buy snacks elsewhere because the concession stand is not discounted. A medium popcorn and two large sodas can cost $19.50.
2 Eat smarter, not less.
Learn to love oatmeal and peanut butter. Both items are high in protein, cheap in price and keep you full longer.
Be creative and try to see how different toppings or foods taste when added into oatmeal and how many different foods taste dipped in peanut butter.
To interest children in oatmeal, invest in a multiple sprinkle pack and allow them to top their oatmeal. It will be colorful and add a little sugar.
Also, “there’s no better budget stretcher than cooking with whole grains. Pearl barley, brown rice, and bulgur are low in fat, high in protein, and tummy-filling. Combine with meat or veggies to make it a little go a long, healthy way,” said lifestyle.msn.com.
1 Never pay full price for anything.
Do not ever pay full price for anything. If it is not on sale, do not buy it. If it does not have a coupon, do not buy it. If it does not come in large quantities with lower prices, do not buy it.
With a little research, you can find a cheaper way to buy any product.
If there are no coupons in the newspaper for things that you need, be sure you look online for manufacturers’ coupons and more discounts.
Ask your favorite grocery stores if they have discount cards that can save you money on every purchase; also, ask what days they plan on brining out a new shipment of meat products.
Most likely, if they are overstocked on any item, they will reduce the price of “older” meat items, creating the perfect time for you to grab a great buy.
If you observe the above rules, you will be surprised at how much money you will have at the end of each month.