Broke college kids. It’s a new kind of broke. Sure you have food, light, water, etc. But you can’t go out partying every night and going out to Fetty Wap concerts every time he’s in town which means you're relatively broke. And as a college kid, you owe it to yourself (and your parents) to save a bit of dough. You can use that to go to graduate school (just kidding) or skydiving or traveling the world. That’s what I want to do! Here are some simple and effective tips I use that have helped me save bundles.
1. Keep a piggy bank. Really! Mine is a little wooden treasure chest with a world map all over so I don’t lose motivation. I dump any loose change I may have and a few dollar bills every once in a while. The trick is to never take any money out; otherwise, you'd end up with an empty treasure chest.
2. Make coffee yourself or just go to the FFC for some. I mean, you’re saving a load of money. I don’t drink coffee but I have many friends who do. I’m more of a tea person but even so, I make it myself in my dorm with an electronic tea kettle. Super yummy!
3. Don’t plan hangouts around food (unless it’s in the FFC). Seriously you aren’t 30 and have no reason to go to dinner with your friends every night. Be college kids, order some pizza, and binge-watch Netflix together.
4. Limit yourself to spending money only on the weekends. I found that when I do this I don’t just go to the store “out of boredom” and pick out random stuff like Kleenex ad paper clips. I also have more time to focus on school (which is the reason for being at Hopkins right?!).
6. Rent or buy used textbooks. And also don’t purchase them before school starts like my eager self did. I ended up buying books, having to switch classes, buying again, and switching again. So I ended up with books I didn’t need and with less than $400. Don’t be me.
7. Stop going on shopping sprees. In high school I would go shopping all the time, like every weekend. Oh lord! There’s no reason for it; you don’t have the money and you don’t have the space for it. Instead read your textbook or start that essay due in 2 weeks.
8.Keep records! In my planner I have a sheet titled “Financial Tracker” where I log down purchases I make so at the end of the week I can assess where I need to cut back or where to shift budget. Also my bank has this phone app where I can see how much I’m spending at what store via my debit card and when and also what category (clothing, food, entertainment, etc) I shop from. Cool!
9. Don’t carry more than $40 cash anywhere. You won’t be tempted and honestly you won’t need to! And limit big purchases (new mini-fridge because the old one broke down) to your debit card (or credit card if you're eligible and want to buy a house some day) so you won’t use it on your Chipotle lunch.
10. Take fruit and snacks from the dining hall. Just put it on your plate so you can stick it in your bag and munch on later. You’re already paying for it anyways. Tip: Bring a backpack and stuff those yogurt/bananas/whatever-else-you-can-find in there.
11. Attend the free events at your school- many concerts, art shows, comedy shows, food festivals and everything in between. Some at Hopkins include Beach Bash, A Capella showings, and cultural showcases. Invite friends and have a blast!
