College is a fun and exciting journey, but it is not without troubles or fear. The most common complaint of a college student is usually finances. There are a lot of expenses connected with being a student, and not all of them are available.
In between buying textbooks, paying fees, and maintaining a social life, one may think they’re not ready to start saving. That’s where they’re wrong! Read on to find out some ways in which you can start tucking away some money for a rainy day:
1. No Spending On Textbooks
We know you’re here to study, and you need books for that. Right? Well, not really. In college, there are actually some courses where you wouldn’t even need to open the book or reading package for the whole semester. If your school is nice enough, it would have soft copies of the textbooks online for you. You can simply print out the required reading as and when needed.
If you must buy a hard copy, don’t head to the bookstore on campus. More likely than not, you’d be robbed blind with the ‘student’ prices they claim there. Instead, borrow or buy the books from those who have previously taken the course. If all else fails, check out used books on Amazon. There are also several books renting services you can avail.
2. Ditch The Credit Card
If you’re old enough to have credit cards, it doesn’t mean you should use them. Using plastic currency can trick you into buying more than you meant to. The final bill along with the interests accumulated would almost certainly be more than you can afford.
If you must use a credit card for whatever reason, be sure to pay the bills right away. For example, if you someone say “yes” when you Google “Will you do my dissertation for money?” you should make his payment in no time.
Don’t let any interest pile up, you can’t afford to pay any more than what you absolutely have to. Credit card debt is growing at an alarming rate among college students. Don’t let yourself be one of those statistics.
3. Apply For Scholarships
If you keep up with the campus news, chances are that the perfect scholarship may suddenly come within your reach. Keep an eye on application dates and whatever information you can get about these.
Some scholarships would pay a portion of your college fees for you, leaving you with less student debt and more financial freedom. Others may give you an allowance, thus slowing you to set aside some cash for your future.
4. Watch The Spending
This last point may seem obvious, but it’s crazy how spendthrift college can make you. You may feel obligated to eat out with friends every night of the weekend, feeling like you’ve deserved it. However, this is a cost that could clean you out before the month ends.
Many colleges have a set meal plan, which could save students a bundle if they make use of it. Eat out occasionally, but limit it to once or twice a semester. If there’s no meal plan, eat at the cafeteria, which would probably be cheaper than restaurants. Alternatively, you can also stock up on oatmeal and instant noodles for a quick and cheap meal whenever you need it.
5. Focus In Class
Many times, college students slack off some classes and end up having to repeat the course. This, of course, means additional costs in terms of both time and money. Hence, stay on top of your schedule for the sake of your financial future if nothing else. A repeated course or semester could easily set you back a lot more than you’d like.
Moreover, excelling in certain courses could lead towards landing a teaching assistant-ship in the next semester. You may even be up to coaching some students who are bad in a subject if you’ve got the hang of it. These tidy sums could really add up once you start working on your potential.
Wrap-Up…
It’s really amazing how much a student can save when they put their mind to it. There are many opportunities they can take advantage of. We hope this list was helpful in giving you ideas for starting your nest egg!