It can be hard to save money in college. Those fun-sounding spring break trip opportunities can be too good to pass up. Taco Bell just always sounds like it would hit the spot. Before you know it, those transactions can add up and leave your bank account empty. Luckily, there are quite a few ways you can save money while you're a college student.
1. Get a job. Even if you only pick up a few hours a week, that's money in your pocket.
2. When you're about to buy that fast food or Starbucks, put away the money you would've spent on it into a piggy bank instead of actually getting it. Open the bank after time to see the progress.
3. Become a mystery shopper. It can be like getting your groceries or your fancy restaurant meal for free.
4. Save gas in your car by walking or riding a bike. Not only is it good for your bank account, but your health, too.
5. Compare textbook prices before you buy them. Don't automatically buy from the first place you go because chances are, it's cheaper somewhere else.
6. Buy clothes at thrift stores instead of brand new. They can actually have some really nice stuff, and isn't "vintage" in now anyway?
7. Instead of owning your books, rent them more cheaply on sites like Amazon, CollegeRenter, Chegg, and eCampus.
8. Bring your student ID wherever you go. You never know when a student discount might come up when using public transportation, going to movie theaters, etc.
9. Apply for scholarships on sites like FastWeb and Niche (many of them are super easy).
10. Pay off your bills quickly and before they are due to avoid racking up more debt later.
11. Only use credit cards in case of emergencies (and no, pizza delivery is not an emergency).
12. Take courses during the summer and take more credits during the schoolyear to potentially graduate earlier and save a semester or two's worth of tuition.
13. Listen to music on Spotify, Pandora, and YouTube instead of buying it.
14. Sell the stuff you don't need or use anymore on eBay or Craigslist.
15. If you live off campus, get roommates. The more roommates you have, the cheaper all your rent and utilities will be.
16. Limit your cell phone plan. Do you really need that much data?
17. Open a savings account with an online bank such as Aspiration (interest rates are often much higher than a typical bank).
18. Make a budget to track how much you spend each month and limit how much you can spend on certain categories like "dining out" and "clothing".
19. Take online surveys on VIP Voice to get points that can be later turned into money.
20. Similar to VIP Voice, Swagbucks pays you to watch videos as well as take surveys.
