More useful than Econ 101.
We asked members of the BuzzFeed Community to tell us what tips they had to save money during college. Here are the graduate-level results.
1. Rather than shelling out money on Netflix or Hulu Plus, borrow DVDs of movies and TV shows from the library.
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"We used to have really sh*tty internet, so we couldn't really stream or download movies & no one wants to constantly be buying DVDs, so I used to [borrow] DVDs from my uni's library. They had this massive collection, like thousands, and they were all free :)" — Submitted by moniques4b138ac76.
"I used the library to borrow movies and TV shows for free instead of paying the monthly fee for Netflix." — Submitted by Julie Ricci, Facebook.
2. Borrow required textbooks from the school or public library.
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"I always checked to see if professors put their textbooks on reserve in the school library or if they were available in the public library... I only had to buy about 1/5 of the books but was still able to do all the required reading." — Submitted by sarahh43c616308.
"Get your required books through the library. If your library doesn't have the book, use the consortium system to order it from another library! Some classes only use books for a few weeks!" — Submitted by Addison Mercer, Facebook.
3. Find an e-book or scan library reserve copies of your readings and print pages if needed.
"My school library kept most textbooks available for short, in-library checkout periods. I would scan them all onto a USB. I could also usually find slightly older versions of the textbook which could be borrowed for 3 months and were essentially the same as the current version. Saved me $400+ each semester. — Submitted by specialk813.
"Before you buy a textbook or even go to the library, do a quick search to see if there's a pdf of it online already! Also check if your library has an e-copy of the book. Even if your teacher doesn't let you use a computer in class you can print out the pages you need each session!" — Submitted by samlinm.
4. If you can't borrow or scan, try renting rather than buying your textbooks.
"The thing I like most about BookRenter.com is that they have multiple options to rent, depending on how long you need the book. For example, you can rent a textbook for an entire semester, a few months, or for a week or two for finals. If the textbook you need is too expensive, you can also find an older edition for way cheaper! One semester, I got all my textbooks for as little as $15!" — Submitted by katiel4d499761a.
5. Or find older and cheaper editions of your required reading (be sure to check with your prof beforehand!)
"I found if the professor assigned the 10th edition and I went online and bought the 7th or 8th it was a fraction of the cost and the only discernible difference was generally the page numbers were a little off and maybe some of the photos were different." — Submitted by Jade McDowell, Facebook.
6. Do the research before buying or renting textbooks.
"Always always always Google your course/school to find out if past students actually used the textbook BEFORE you buy. I often found reviews saying the teacher never taught from or referenced the "required" text." — Submitted by sunny2423.
"Email your professors prior to the start of the semester to verify required books. This keeps money in your pocket, because you're not putting anything out for books you won't actually need. BONUS: every professor I emailed about books appreciated the initiative." —Submitted by sara brooks.
"Wait until syllabus week is over to buy textbooks if possible. Some textbooks will be listed online for the class but the professor will wait until the first day to announce that they aren't required." — Submitted by callamichellem.
7. Get your caffeine buzz without breaking the bank.
"You get free refills [at Starbucks] on basic coffees and teas. What I would do is get the smallest size (short or tall), and then just make the $2 cup of coffee worth it by staying at the store to study while getting free refills. Cheap, but efficient!" — Submitted by alexispavlatos.
"Buy teabags at the grocery store and bring them to coffee shops because hot water is FREE." — Submitted by mclaudinetria.
8. Hack your ramen.
"I add an egg or two two a ramen packet to make egg drop soup. It takes something that is standard poor college student food and adds some protein while remaining cheap." — Submitted by Timothy Wells, Facebook.
"Anyone still eating Maruchan REALLY needs to go to the oriental market and pick up some MAMA brand ramen. I can now never eat American ramen noodle without realizing how bad it is. I'm sure the other brands at the oriental market are good, but I really love the MAMA brand." — Submitted by Catherine Lintner, Facebook.
Or check out these 27 Better Ways To Eat Ramen.
9. Snack smart.
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"Keep snacks on you for days that you're on campus all day to avoid buying overpriced food in the student center/union." — Submitted by callamichellem.
"Know your meal plan. See what going to a dining hall can get you (oftentimes, you can grab some fruit for a snack and take it back to your room with you)!" — Submitted by isram.
10. Work with friends to make dinner cheaper.
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"If you live off campus [or in dorms with kitchens], have each roommate cook dinner each night. That way you only spend money once a week and you have food for when you get home!" — Submitted by Jillian Gardner, Facebook.
"In my group of friends we have weekly dinners, sometimes 2-3 nights a week. One person cooks, and we pitch in ingredients we have. That means 2 or 3 meals a week don't have to be bought in the Caf or off campus." — Submitted by Brianna Goodman.
11. Shop for food and cook smart.
"I would cook for myself and hardly ever eat out once I moved to "apartment" style dorms. I hardly ever bought any prepared foods and ate almost entirely freshly prepared food because a pound of pasta and a jar of sauce (or making your own) is cheaper than the pre-packaged "quick meal" type stuff like Rice a Roni. It's also a lot healthier. I'd buy bulk and freeze stuff to keep costs down (particularly meat)." — Rachel Maxam, Facebook.
"Don't go shopping for food when hungry. Always bring a pre-planned list. Stick to the list!" — Subbmitted by Megan Beese.
"Buy rice, pasta, juice and vegetables in Pakistani/Indian/Asian stores. They are usually a lot cheaper than your supermarket." — Submitted by monstah.
12. Coupon, coupon, coupon.
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"Take advantage of coupons and buy in bulk for hygiene products." — Submitted by callamichellem.
"When you absolutely have to buy something, ALWAYS go generic. Those $1-2 differences really add up." — Submitted by fayeh400237a61.
"Coupon! And pay attention to sales in your nearby supermarkets. If there's a sale on toothpaste or pasta or shampoo or whatever buy more than you usually would. Won't cost you as much as if you bought it at full price when you'd run out in a month anyway." — Submitted by monstah.
13. Budget and use a prepaid card to make sure you don't go over it.
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"Put the amount you would have spent [on a meal plan] on a prepaid card/credit card, and use it like you would have used the meal plan. This way you can pick between $7 chicken strips on campus of $7 Chipotle without feeling trapped by your plan or guilty for spending the money." — Submitted by victoriat4ea7ed5bf.
14. Work somewhere you can get free food.
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"I got a job at the bakery on campus. Free bread and pastries might have made me gain 10 pounds but I'm proud to say I've never eaten ramen noodles in my life." — Janeter7.
"Work at a restaurant!!... I worked morning shifts until 2pm four times a week. That's breakfast AND lunch that's either free or at a discount. Just make sure to get the healthiest options." — Submitted by laiirr.
15. Attend all the school events for the free food. (Hey, maybe you'll join an awesome club, too.)
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"Finding every school event and going just for the free pizza & free shirt." — Submitted by ahhl.
"I tried going to as many events as possible on campus because most of them had free food late at night so I didn't have to go out and spend money on food if I was hungry later in the evening after the cafeteria closes." — Submitted by carissajrivera.
"Take advantage of free events on campus. There is always something going on that involves free food." — Submitted by callamichellem.
16. Pay attention to events on campus.
"Our campus would play recent movies for free, have local bands and comedians etc. There was something every weekend, and it was a good way to get entertainment without spending a ton of money." — Submitted by mehreena2.
"Save money on happy hour/date night by checking out student art show openings on campus. They are usually free, and will oftentimes have free wine (boxed) and snacks." — Submitted by Rianna Greenfield, Facebook.
17. Use the end of the year move out to your advantage.
"The summer after freshman year I got a job on campus so I was around when everyone was moving out. A lot of people plan poorly so they end up leaving a lot of things behind. That summer I saved 3 mini fridges from the dumpster and then sold them to incoming freshman the next year." — Submitted by Tara Mitchell, Facebook.
"Shopping on the university classified page at the end of the year to get cheap furniture from the people leaving town." — Submitted by Shelby Susnik, Facebook.
"Befriend people who work maintenance in the dorms (including students). A whole lot of stuff gets left behind at the end of the year (including prohibited items like coffeepots, hot plates, toasters), and that stuff all gets warehoused and thrown out. Ask nicely, and you can get just about all the small appliances you need for a kitchen for free." — Submitted by Leslie Bond, Facebook.
18. Get creative with your dorm decor.
"Last year my roommate and I used paint samples from Walmart to decorate the living room wall in our campus apartment. We collected as many as we could and used Duck Tape to stick them on the wall, making them fan from the center in a rainbow affect. This year we went with a more grown up look and used toilet paper rolls to create a flower design, then spray painted them black. Both wall decorations cost around $5.00 to make!" — Submitted by sarag4ce6b79a3.
19. Hit up dollar stores for notebooks and room decor.
"Make sure that Five Below is your friend, they have everything you need in regards to decorating and notebooks and whatnot." — Submitted by nayyart.
20. For even more free perks, think about becoming an RA.
"I became a Resident Assistant (RA)! I absolutely love my job and the extra money was really nice. It's a great way to make a living during college but also was a wonderful experience." — Submitted by allisonb482e1280d.
"I was an RA for two years, which provided me with free room and board (who can argue with a bigger dorm room and 21 meals a week?!?!) It was an invlauable experience that seriously helped prepare me for my career as a high school teacher." — Submitted by Christina K.
21. Apply for scholarships. Seriously.
DIsney
"By simply writing half a page about my need for the money (school expenses, tuition, etc) and submitting it to my department , I was awarded a $500 bursary, no strings attached! There's money out there that sits unclaimed because no one looks hard enough. Not everything is academically related anymore either, there are many that don't rely on high grades and that anyone can apply for." — Submitted by sneezylisa.
"Apply for the damn scholarship. Seriously, do it. Even if you don't think you're eligible, even if you don't think you're smart enough—do it anyway. You'd be surprised how much money (like, to the tune of several hundred thousand dollars) goes to waste every year because people didn't apply for it." — Submitted by missmadiejean.
"Look for scholarships on Fastweb or local philanthropic organizations in your community. There are scholarships in places you never know existed." — Submitted by leggs19592.
22. Consider on-campus opportunities to make some cash.
"I signed up as a subject for any kind of testing/experiment available. It paid anywhere from $10 to $30, and it usually involved a paper questionnaire, and also some simple instructed things I had to do. The best one was coming into an (person) empty room, pick the first five items I see. haha, that was 15 bucks! Thank you, Science!" — Submitted by Eye Light, Facebook.
"I would do surveys and other things that paid me in Amazon credit and let that rack up, and buy the oldest... textbooks I could find with the credit." — Submitted by mlk2.
23. Or get an on-campus job.
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"Get a job at your university or college. Not only do they normally pay above minimum wage (especially for research-related jobs), but if you're a good employee, you often have the opportunity to get a full-time position in the summer." — Submitted by sneezylisa.
"Become a tutor at a local high school or in your community. You're learning, so put it to good use... People will pay good money to learn a skill." — Submitted by Kira Shaw Vivian Meehan, Facebook.
24. Make sure you use the resources that are available especially for students.
"Use the career services to your advantage — it's free, provides resume help, usually has practice interviews, and helps our find a job — which is how you make that money that you need to save." — Submitted by Adrianna Nading, Facebook.
"Always carry student ID. Always ask if there is a student discount. There usually is." — Submitted by Megan Beese.
25. Opt out of unnecessary student services and utilize ones that save you money.
"You can opt out of the health and dental plan here in October and get back over $200. If you or your parents already have insurance, you're paying for this for nothing! If you don't have any health or dental coverage, the coverage you get as a student is quite good so be sure to keep it and use it while you're in school - its only good for 8 months so take advantage!!" — Submitted by sneezylisa.
"Although a lot of campus services may gouge your wallet, there may be others that offer far better pricing than similar off-campus services, like printing and copying your papers and reports." — Submitted by leggs19592.
26. If you can, try paying off the interest on your student loans when you're still in college.
Disney
"Start paying off your student loans NOW. Interest is a real thing. Even 1 dollar per paycheck will lower interest payments in the long run." — Submitted by Kira Shae Vivian Meehan, Facebook.
"Grandma was right! Pay off your interest on your loans WHILE you're in college. Less than $100/month will save you thousands." — Submitted by Mickey Thompson, Facebook.
27. Remember that every little bit counts.
"Choose a form of currency (pennies, all change, dollar bills, etc.) and save that in a jar. Do not spend unless and emergency pops up." — Submitted by Kira Shae Vivian Meehan, Facebook.
"When you arrive on campus, check to see what bank has the most local ATMs to avoid lots of fees." — Maitland Quitmeyer.
Note: Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.
