I am the queen of mastering the life of a completely broke and penniless college student. How did I make it work for me my first year of college? Well, here are my list of hacks, and some other hacks from people I know in the same situation.
1. Locate your campus's food pantry
Most college campuses have food pantries for students. If you have come down to a few dollars and you are lacking for food, have no shame in seeking help from this wonderful resource. As a side note, if you find yourself financially secure enough in the future, make sure to give back to the pantry to help those who may be in a similar situation as you once were. Pay it forward!
2. Donate plasma
Most college campuses have plasma donation centers around them and pay when you donate. It's a great source, and if you're a match, you can donate more than once a week! The first time takes a few hours because of physicals and such, but after that, it takes very little time to donate. Beware though! If you have a new tattoo, piercing or some sort of health issue (anemia etc) you will not be able to donate plasma.
3. Go on a date
This isn't one of my personally tested methods, but I overheard a young lady talking about how she didn't have food so she got on Tinder and scored a date. They guy took her to a nice restaurant and she even had leftovers for the next day. Fair warning, I am not encouraging you to go out just for free food! Go out and have fun, make friends, and meet new people! If it goes great, you win! If not, you still win for getting free food!
4. Tupperware
If your college living is anything like mine, you might have a meal plan for your dorm and a certain amount of items you can get from your dining hall. When you go to get dinner, take tupperware with you and use your remaining items (we call them swipe at our school) and put them in your tupperware and store them in the fridge for whenever you need a meal. French fries usually don't keep, but sandwiches without condiments, chicken strips, and salads are great starter options for leftovers in your tupperware.
5. Roam the halls and stalk the kitchens
This is strange advice, but if you have common kitchens, make sure to see who is in there cooking. My freshman year, I unintentionally figured out that a group of Asian students were very eager to share their food with anyone that passed the kitchen while they were cooking. They refused when I offered to help pay, but they were very eager to accept help making the meal, while teaching about their traditions and methods. Who could turn down such a winning situation?
6. Sell to consignement stores
If you find yourself in a small dorm with too much stuff, such as clothing, considering finding a consignment store to sell your clothes to. If you have gently used clothing that is close to current fashion, most consignment shops will buy them from you. You get cash, and get to downsize! Yay productivity and cash!
These are just a few ways I survived being a broke college student my first year of college. Hopefully some of these tips help you maximize a lack of funds situation and make it through with your sanity still in tact!
