How College Students Can Save Money

Between tuition, bills, gas, and school supplies, the expenses of college can really add up. While there are some things, like rent, which cannot be skimped on, there are many ways you can save money by not spending as much of it in the first place.

Throughout the college years, you will most likely live in several different places with several different roommates. When you live in a dorm, your bunk bed and desk are included, but what about when junior year rolls around and you want to live in that nice house? You and your roommates are going to need to furnish that house and chances are none of you have an extra $500 laying around to buy a couch. In situations like this, the classifieds can be your best friend. Look in the local newspaper or Web sites like Craigslist and see if you can find a second-hand washer and dryer. You also might want to check around with family and friends and ask if they have any old furniture they want to get rid of. If you by chance end up with something ugly, remember that when it comes to furniture, repainting, resurfacing, and restaining, can go a long way.

Do you realize now why your father was always yelling at you to turn the lights off now that you’ve got your own electricity bill to pay? While sometimes the cost of bills is included in rent, most of the time it is up to renters to pay for themselves. For many people, college is the first time they start to pay bills and the cost of electricity, gas, and water can really hurt their bank account. On top of it, most college students have roommates and while it is nice to split the bills, it also can make it more expensive. If you are trying to save money for Summer school, but your roommate just loves to blast the air conditioner, agreeing on a thermostat temperature can be difficult. Sit down with your roommates, take a look at the monthly bills, and figure out where most of the money is being spent. Then talk about it and see if everyone can agree on a plan to cut back on electricity by turning off lights before they leave for class, or save on the water bill by only running the dishwasher if it is full.