Here are five ways to not drain your bank account this semester:
1. Don't buy from school establishments
School bookstores and convenience stores tend to jack up the prices a ton on everything they sell, so if you can, buy elsewhere. This means looking to Chegg or Amazon for textbooks, the local grocery store for late night snacks and toiletries, basically anywhere off campus to fulfill those needs. Besides during those times you may need something in an instant and the bookstore just happens to be next to your dorm, you'll save a ton of money this semester looking elsewhere.
2. Don't buy textbooks if you don't have to
Some professors will write on the syllabus that textbooks are required for a class, but in reality, you'll never crack it open even once. Ask around to see if anyone you know has taken the class and if the textbook is ever used. That way, you can save even more money by not buying the textbook.
3. Shop smart
There are millions of ways to be smart while you're shopping. That might mean utilizing any student discounts, buying things only when they go on sale or not always buying name-brand things, signing up for rewards programs This can go for buying groceries, school supplies, clothes, and much more.
4. Get an on-campus job
This may not be a way to necessarily save money, but it is a way to earn money so that it feels like you're barely spending! Whether it's working at the fitness center or babysitting for local families, working a low-stakes job a couple times a week is a great way to earn some extra cash.
5. Only buy things you need
Don't buy spinach in an effort to be healthy when in reality, you hate spinach. You won't eat it and it'll go bad. Don't buy avocados in bulk unless you eat them every single day, because again, they will go bad and you will have wasted your money. You don't need the spinach, and you don't need the avocados in bulk. Buy the things you need and only the things you need. Your wallet will thank you, and your apartment won't smell like rotting fruits because you forgot to eat them.
