2008 Woodie Awards
Money not always burning in college student's pocket
Five helpful hints to save money while at UTM
Thomas Fulcher
Issue date: 1/23/07 Section: Campus News
Being in college isn't always easy when it comes to managing your finances.
In fact, the majority of students live on a low income and sometimes even struggle to get by. School is full of expenses, including tuition, bills, books, and entertainment. Therefore, it gets hard to make a dollar go a long way most of a student's college life.
Help could be on the way for students, if they learn how to manage their money. Here are a few helpful hints that may allow you to live a little bit better.
First, figure out where your money goes. Organize your receipts and keep track of what you spend your money on. It's easy to swipe that debit card and forget about it so write it down. You may be surprised at how quickly those small purchases add up.
If possible, do not use credit cards. As a college student, it is very easy to obtain as many credit cards as you want and even easier to rack up more charges than you can afford to pay off in a month. It's okay to have a credit card, but use restraint and remember it's only for emergencies, not McDonald's.
You spend a lot of money on textbooks every semester, and there are a few easy ways to dramatically cut your costs. If possible find a friend and share a book, or if you know someone who is in a class you're taking next semester, offer them what the bookstore is paying for the returned book. If these don't work use the ISBN number and look for the book on Web sites like amazon.com and half.com These are usually cheaper to buy from even after shipping costs. If all else fails, a previous edition of the book will usually get you through the class.
You have to eat, but you don't have to eat out all the time. It's easy to get in the habit of going out to eat, but you can save so much by making something at home. Go grocery shopping and compare prices. Many times the store brand products will save you a lot of money and usually they're just as good as their pricey counterparts. Also pick up a newspaper and look for coupons. Don't let them dictate your purchases, but if you're already buying it, why not pay less?
We all go out to eat sometimes, but there's no need to break the bank when you do. If you don't like water, learn to. Just by ordering water instead of your favorite soda you save at least a dollar, usually more. There is nothing wrong with eating as much free chips and salsa as you can. Restaurants that offer free appetizers usually don't mind bringing out more when you finish the first round, so go ahead and ask for more. Most importantly, don't order drinks at restaurants. More often than not the mark up on alcohol at a restaurant is a lot. Save your money and if you do drink, buy it elsewhere.
There are a million other ways to save money, and these are just a few of the ways that can actually work for you. Put them to good use and put some extra cash back in your pocket.
For more ways to help you as a college student save money, go to http://www.scholarships-ar-us.org/student-living/save-money.htm.
In fact, the majority of students live on a low income and sometimes even struggle to get by. School is full of expenses, including tuition, bills, books, and entertainment. Therefore, it gets hard to make a dollar go a long way most of a student's college life.
Help could be on the way for students, if they learn how to manage their money. Here are a few helpful hints that may allow you to live a little bit better.
First, figure out where your money goes. Organize your receipts and keep track of what you spend your money on. It's easy to swipe that debit card and forget about it so write it down. You may be surprised at how quickly those small purchases add up.
If possible, do not use credit cards. As a college student, it is very easy to obtain as many credit cards as you want and even easier to rack up more charges than you can afford to pay off in a month. It's okay to have a credit card, but use restraint and remember it's only for emergencies, not McDonald's.
You spend a lot of money on textbooks every semester, and there are a few easy ways to dramatically cut your costs. If possible find a friend and share a book, or if you know someone who is in a class you're taking next semester, offer them what the bookstore is paying for the returned book. If these don't work use the ISBN number and look for the book on Web sites like amazon.com and half.com These are usually cheaper to buy from even after shipping costs. If all else fails, a previous edition of the book will usually get you through the class.
You have to eat, but you don't have to eat out all the time. It's easy to get in the habit of going out to eat, but you can save so much by making something at home. Go grocery shopping and compare prices. Many times the store brand products will save you a lot of money and usually they're just as good as their pricey counterparts. Also pick up a newspaper and look for coupons. Don't let them dictate your purchases, but if you're already buying it, why not pay less?
We all go out to eat sometimes, but there's no need to break the bank when you do. If you don't like water, learn to. Just by ordering water instead of your favorite soda you save at least a dollar, usually more. There is nothing wrong with eating as much free chips and salsa as you can. Restaurants that offer free appetizers usually don't mind bringing out more when you finish the first round, so go ahead and ask for more. Most importantly, don't order drinks at restaurants. More often than not the mark up on alcohol at a restaurant is a lot. Save your money and if you do drink, buy it elsewhere.
There are a million other ways to save money, and these are just a few of the ways that can actually work for you. Put them to good use and put some extra cash back in your pocket.
For more ways to help you as a college student save money, go to http://www.scholarships-ar-us.org/student-living/save-money.htm.
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