Ten Ways to Save

Your experience with money is unique to you. Some people grew up helping parents or grandparents clip coupons; a few others were day-trading stocks during high school. Maybe you earned a small allowance for home chores or found part-time work for extra cash. 

No matter where you’ve been on your money journey, there are simple things you can do to ease your path, during college and beyond. Below are our favorite hacks to help you save your stacks.    

Budget the beverages. Ground coffee or tea you prep at home is a lot less expensive than that fancy “frappe-ato with a double-shot of half-caf espresso” from a café down the road. We’re talking 25¢ vs. $5. A 20x difference like that adds up fast each month – and can save over $1000 a year! And adult beverages you buy at the store or concoct at home are waaay cheaper than what you’ll find at the restaurant or bar.    

Learn to cook. Learning to cook and making meals at home can save you a ton on food each month. Lots of videos and websites out there can teach you easy recipes – just search by your ingredient or dish! 

Reconsider the car. Public transportation, rideshares, bikes, bikeshares, rollerblades, scooters, straight-up walking… Depending on who you are and where you live, there might be easy alternatives to car travel.  Win-win: you could reduce air pollution and stress on your wallet.  We’re not saying you shouldn’t drive – there are plenty of living and work situations where a car is required. We’re only asking you to consider the many costs attached to driving. Car payments. Fuel. Parking charges. Car insurance. It all adds up. If you can live without a car, you’ll have a lot more money in your pocket for food, fun, savings, and paying off debts.      

Buy food and supplies in bulk. Staple foods (e.g. oatmeal, spices, dried fruits, peanut butter, milk, juice), supplies (e.g. toilet paper, paper towels, shampoo), and cleaners can be bought in bulk. Check out your local grocery stores and bulk retailers for the best buys. 

Fill up that freezer. Buy frozen pizzas when they’re discounted at the store and stash them away, or cook in large quantities and freeze your leftovers for another day. 

Look for student discounts. Simple things such as going to the movies, buying a pizza, or riding the bus may cost you less if you show your student ID. You've already paid for your ID, so don't forget to use it. 

Shop for credit cards with care.  Credit card companies flock to college campuses and solicit students endlessly to get new customers. Credit can be a useful tool – but researching all your options online might be safer than signing up with the first one to offer you a free mug. Shop around for the best deal. You’ll save yourself a lot of agitation, not to mention money. 

Find online deals. Sign up to receive daily deals from apps/websites with discount coupons or shopper rewards for goods and services you already need and use. Some sites even sell curated “experiences,” so you can plan a fun weekend without the potential for buyer’s remorse hanging over your head.  

Know your subscriptions.  Make a list of every app, streaming service, MMO, mobile game, etc. you are paying for every month. If two TV streaming services have mostly the same shows, do you really need both? Have you dinged max level, done all the raids, and ground for all the cosmetics you wanted? Does that mobile game you like have a console or Switch version that gives you all the subscription features with the game and/or doesn’t beg you to spend real money on more Moon Tokens every five seconds? Do you have time for all the stuff you’re paying for? Is any of it still making you happy, or are you just paying out of inertia? These are the questions of our time! …Oh, and you’ll probably have to fit some college into your schedule at some point, right? Right? 

Roommate up.  We all have our limits, but if there are friends in your life you can put up with in larger-than-average doses, nothing cuts down on housing expenses like splitting the bills for rent, utilities, food, and supplies two or three ways.     

 

Getting started can be hard.  Our advice: look back over this list and pick just one tactic to try TODAY.  Every journey starts with that first little step!