I am a college student in a large college town. As a college student, I am broke. I am lucky to be able to live at home to save money, but even with my average 37 hours a week while taking full course load, after paying my few bills, I have little to nothing left in the bank. So, these are the six ways I’ve discovered to enjoying college without breaking the bank.
- Go To Movie Screenings
I go to Stephens College, which is a liberal arts school. As such, there are several majors related to film and theater, so there are always an abundance of movies being screened both in the library and the various correlating buildings. More often than not, there will be snacks and drinks. This makes a cheap, fun afternoon that won’t empty your wallet! Plus, if you bring friends no one will care.
- Always Go to Student Meetings
If you’re having student elections, or there are open club meetings, go! It is a fun way to meet people with amazing snack potential. This is also a good way to get to know people outside of your major to start developing friendships. College is all about learning as much as you can and branching out, this is one easy way to take advantage of that.
- Go to Parties
Obviously, be safe, but one of the few free things at college is the house parties. I wouldn’t recommend frat parties, but whatever party you go to, as long as you’re being safe and aware, have fun! It’s a free dance floor, snack bar, drinks, and lots of instant friends!
- Pay Attention to Student Discounts
Lots of places, especially local mom and pop shops, will offer student discounts. The hardest part is to remember to ask for them! My personal favorite is the student discount at Shakespeare’s Pizza here in Columbia, Missouri. This is an easy way to have an affordable meal out every now and then.
- Don’t Eat Out Every Day
I know for on campus students this can be very tempting, but it’s an enormous money pit. According to a study done by savethestudent.org[1], the average college student spends an average of $145 on food alone per month. This doesn’t include the meal plans that so many students are forced to buy. I know the struggle. I commute an average of 45 minutes to an hour every day for my 8 AM class, and I’d love nothing more than to be able to eat a full Panera breakfast every day. But we can’t, and shouldn’t. Which brings me to my final and most important hack:
- Treat Yourself!
I mean this in two ways. The first being, treat yourself right! You only get one body, and eating fast food twelve times a week and drinking excessively is not being smart or safe. Not to mention financially smart! Want to slash your budget? Cut back on the fast food and late-night beers. The Freshman 15 is a real and alive beast, fight it as best you can.
The second way I mean this, is that you should absolutely treat yourself every now and again. Have that massive slice of chocolate cake, or that martini that is your entire 2,000 daily carbs. Everyone needs to cut loose and have fun. Just take cash with you out instead of your cards. You don’t want to wake up with a $100 drink bill in the morning!
I hope you found my list helpful, there are a lot more where that came from and I can only excitedly anticipate telling you more!
Sources
Photo credit: http://college.monster.com/finance/articles/250-financial-literacy-a-necessity-for-college-students-with-money-questions
http://www.savethestudent.org/money/student-money-survey-results.html,
[1] http://www.savethestudent.org/money/student-money-survey-results.html
SURVIVAL OF THE SAVVY 