Money-Saving Methods to Ease the College Crunch

Considering college can introduce more anxiety if you’re already worried about your budget to begin with. But regardless of whether you’re considering undergraduate education or pursuing an online education, there is a lot you can do to cut back on spending without cramping your style.

Considering college and even programs offering an MBA online can introduce more anxiety if you’re already worried about your budget to begin with, it’s worth picking up a few tips that can ease your spending.  Take a deep breath (it’ll help relax you) and let’s get started…

Look Sharp without Spending a Bundle

Cutting back on a clothing budget seems counter-intuitive if you’re focused on looking good in class. But it’s not difficult to look great while spending a fraction of the money. Used clothing stores have grown in popularity, and a quick Google search is sure to result in more than one within a short drive from where you live. Buying used clothing doesn’t mean you have to look like a vagabond either. Many of these stores have a sort of boutique air about them and name brand clothing can be purchased cheaper than you’d think. It’s not uncommon to find gently used but normally expensive brands for 10% of the original price.

Spend Less Eating Out

It’s easy to lose track of how much money you’re spending on food if you’re not using a budget. Fast food may not seem expensive, but if you’re buying food every day it can add up fast. Five dollars a day may not seem like much, but that’s one hundred and forty dollars a month just on fast food. That’s money you could put toward the cost of textbooks and tuition. All the things you can buy with your own money instead of using college loan money will help immensely when it’s time to start paying back those loans later.

Healthy and Cheap Eating Alternatives

Saving money by making smart food decisions isn’t difficult. And you can avoid the college cliché of the ramen noodle diet. Making a grocery shopping trip part of a weekly ritual just requires a little initial willpower to establish a new routine. And it doesn’t have to take extra time either. Make a trip to the grocery after you’ve started a load of laundry. You’ll be back before your clothes are ready for the dryer. And when you’re in the grocery store, stick to the outer aisles where the vegetables, fruit, dairy, meats and fresh-baked breads are.

Avoid the inner aisles where all the high calorie processed food is. An exception to the inner aisle rule: pasta sauce, rice and beans. And a great way to eat the delicious food you buy doesn’t have to involve a lot of time either. Putting beans, a cut of lean meat, rice, water and herbs into an electric slow cooker for twelve hours will result in a delicious meal that you can eat with tortillas or just by itself. And the best part? You’ll have enough to last for a week and it required virtually no effort to prepare.

Spend Less on Entertainment

Just like fast food, spending money on entertainment can add up quickly. There are a lot of creative ways to still enjoy entertainment while spending less. Movies have become costly. When you add the price of tickets to popcorn and other theater treats, an average movie can move from a blockbuster to a budget killer in a hurry.

If you love movies but would like to cut out a lot of the expense, consider Netflix. For eight dollars a month, you can watch all the movies you like. If you typically go to the movies every weekend with a significant other, you may be spending forty dollars just for one movie. Netflix could save you a bundle. Remember, just because you’re in college doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice all the activities you love. Just be creative in cutting your spending while still keeping your enjoyment intact.

About the author: Lindsey is a professional writer living in the Indianapolis area. She writes extensively on college life and finances. Lindsey is currently finishing work on her master’s degree.

No related posts.