Easy Ways to Save Money as a College Student

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College is a stressful time. You’re trying to balance your social life, classes, and saving money all at once. It’s so expensive, and that can be overwhelming.

I’ve learned these money saving tips over the last 7 years I’ve been in college. College is so expensive, but I’ve learned some ways to save money that has saved me at least $10,000.

Here are some easy ways to save money as a college student. Remember to pin it for later so you can come back to it!

Money Management for College Students

The first thing you should do if you want to save money during college is learn some money management skills.

At it’s simplest, you need to spend less than you earned.

You need to be in a money deficit in terms of spending.

Being a frugal student and living below your means is the key to saving money. It’s okay to splurge a little every now and again, but don’t spend your money unless you absolutely need to. You don’t have to go shopping for new clothes or get the most expensive meal on the menu.

If you’re using a credit card, try not to spend more than you already have in your bank account. Then you don’t have to worry about getting the money to pay it back.

Budgeting for College Students

Budgeting is the single most important aspect of money management. If you haven’t yet, you need to start a budget.

What exactly is budgeting?

Budgeting is creating a plan for how you’re going to spend your money. This makes to easy to manage your money and spend less than you earn.

Creating a budget can let you calculate how much you’re going to spend, even possibly a year out if you stick to it. To create a budget, you need to plan out how much you’re going to be spending. A budget for college students could include tuition, textbooks, housing, any bills you have to pay, events, gas, etc.

Money Saving Tips for College Students

1. Skip the meal plan. I don’t know about other schools, but at my school, meal plans are ridiculously expensive. I ended up eating way more expensive, unhealthy food than I wanted to. I’ve saved so many money in my dorm using some of these recipes.
2. Speaking of food, try to avoid eating out often. I know, it’s tough. I’ve been there. Overall, you’ll save a lot more money if you cook your own meals instead.
3. Compare housing. See what options you have. I know you probably want one of the nicer dorms, but if you’re saving money opt for a cheaper one. Also don’t forget to compare living on campus vs off campus. At some schools, living on campus can be more expensive. Check out some close apartments and see what you find.
4. Buy used books. Find some websites where you can find the best prices for books here.
5. Sell your old books. You probably never read them in the first place, so what’s the likelihood that you’ll read them now? Try selling your books online or to people you might know who will need them.
6. Create a budget. Keep track of all of little things you are buying that you probably won’t need. All of my trips to the vending machine added way up.
7. If you know you won’t need your books when the class ends, rent them instead of buying them.
8. Get a cheaper laptop. I know quality is probably important to you, and it is to me too. Most people navigate toward Macs. They’re great computers. However, if you’re trying to save money, don’t be afraid to go for a cheaper option.
9. Make your own coffee. Almost everyone I know comes into class with their Starbucks coffee. That’s great and all, but you’ll save a lot more money making your coffee from home.
10. Walk instead of drive. This isn’t for everyone. Your only option may be to drive, and that’s okay. However, walking will not only help your physically, but it’ll help out the money in your pocket as well.
11. Find a side hustle. I make about $250 per month on the side, and you can read about how here.

Find a Side Hustle for College Students

I already mentioned starting a side hustle to save money, but I want to speak on it a little more. This is what is helping me pay off debt the most.

I found a few different side hustles that are helping me pay for groceries, gas, and debt.

Some of my favorite ways to make money from home are:

• Transcription/captioning
• Taking surveys from websites like InboxDollars and Swagbucks (sign up with my link and get an extra 300 SwagBucks)
• Ad Evaluator through Appen.

I can personally say that these easy ways to save money as a college student really helped me.

I’ve saved over $10,000 using these money saving tips.

It made college a better experience overall because I wasn’t as stressed about money. I hope these can help you too!