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4 Ways College Students Can Save Money

October 28, 2008 | Filed in: Frugality | 6 comments

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Being myself a student I’m fully aware of all of the potential cost-savings that can come along with pursuing a higher education.  Of course these cost-savings don’t come cheaply: paying for college can cost thousands to tens of thousands of dollars a year.  But you’re already paying for that right?  You might as well take full advantage of what you’re paying for and listed below are 4 ways to do just that.

• Cancel your magazine and newspaper subscriptions.  The library at your university or community college is more than likely well stocked with all of the latest magazines and newspapers.  You may not find any of those “special interest” magazines that you keep under your bed, but you’ll likely find all mainstream magazines as well as business and hobby magazines.
• Cancel your gym membership.  Many colleges offer unlimited use of their workout facilities.  Take advantage of this.  There is no point to paying for an expensive gym membership when you probably already have full access to the gym at your school.
• Cancel your Internet.  I’m willing to bet that your college offers free Wi-Fi everywhere on campus.  I’m also willing to bet that their Internet access is a lot faster than your current one.  If you live on campus or close enough to the campus where it’s just a hop skip and a jump away you might consider cancelling your Internet and taking your laptop to school whenever you need (or want) to use the Internet.
• Take your date to school.  If you’re looking for a great date idea that doesn’t cost much then look no further than your local college campus.  I’m not talking about taking her to your accounting class with you (you’ll not likely have a girlfriend any longer if you do this) but rather taking advantage of the sports courts that your campus has.  More than likely your campus has racquetball courts, tennis courts, a sand volleyball court and a basketball court.  Volleyball and racquetball are my favorites, but maybe your date prefers to play some b-ball.  Either way it’s all right there, for you to use.

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Tags: Frugality, Money Saving Tips, Money Saving Tips for Students

6 Responses to “4 Ways College Students Can Save Money”

1. 

   Oblivious Investor Says:

   
   

   As somebody who is not *too* many years out of school, I must agree. Being able to cut down your expenses will go a long way toward minimizing the debt you have when you graduate.

   Oblivious Investors last blog post..Why Dollar-Cost-Averaging Works: A Look at the Numbers

   October 28th, 2008 at 3:27 pm

2. Racquetball » US Open : Men's 32s Says:

   
   

   [...] 4 Ways College Students Can Save MoneyMore than likely your campus has racquetball courts, tennis courts, a sand volleyball court and a basketball court. Volleyball and racquetball are my favorites, but maybe your date prefers to play some b-ball. Either way it’s all right … [...]

   October 29th, 2008 at 12:44 am
3. 

   Brandon Mendelson Says:

   
   

   All good suggestions except the third one. You’d be very surprised to learn how poor wi-fi accessibility (and speed) is at many major institutions. I’ve cut back on everything but the Internet because of this, and I can’t recommend students do this unless their school provides adequate Internet services.

   October 29th, 2008 at 7:41 am
4. 

   Joseph Says:

   
   

   Thanks for your thoughts Brandon. I am actually surprised to hear that. The internet at my school is blazing fast. Of course I do go to one of the largest schools in the U.S.

   I’m sure that has something to do with it, eh?

   October 29th, 2008 at 8:14 am
5. 

   James Says:

   
   

   When I was in college another great tip is to NOT sign up for those credit cards that they offer. I made the mistake of doing this. I racked up just a little debt and they pin you with huge fees and interest rate charges.

   I do like your suggestion about going to school activities for a date. Mortar board usually offers some good activities for students. We even had some activities that gave us discounts at some bars and restaurants.

   October 29th, 2008 at 9:08 am
6. 

   AmeriGlide Says:

   
   

   This is some good advice. There are a lot of things that you really don’t need and identifying these can really help you save money. Figuring out what is an essential need and what is a comfort can be hard for students though.

   In regards to the wireless internet on campus, I have had pretty good experiences at several different schools. I have never had any major problems, not just for surfing around anyway, and there were always lots of people using it.

   October 29th, 2008 at 1:10 pm

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