Let’s face it. College students are not exactly the wealthiest group of people. Quite frankly, we’re often broke, calling our parents for money or crying in bed over student loans. The situation is intensified by the fact that being a student is literally our full time job and actual jobs are either hard to come by or impossible to work into our schedules.
So what’s a poor college student to do to make or save a bit of money? I have ten handy and quick ideas to feed your starving wallet.
The first one is a bit obvious. Many businesses, especially ones in college towns, reward you for being a student by offering student discounts. Take advantage of these every chance you get; you only have them for four or so years anyway. Start asking every place if they offer a student discount before you pay. You might be surprised by who does, and the savings will add up.
When it comes to food and groceries, get creative. I’ve found that I don’t spend that many dining dollars as I thought I would, and those extra dollars really come in handy when I need groceries. Consider grocery shopping at your campus convenience store or nearby grocer that accepts your form of dining dollars, and save your valuable cash. Also your campus dining hall is an underrated resource for groceries. Now, I’m not suggesting you start taking three Tupperware containers of food out every time you go, but grabbing a few pieces of fruit or supplies for trail mix is super handy and costs you nothing! It’s a win-win.
An easy way to make some cash is to offer simple services to friends and other students. I know a girl who gets paid by her guy friends to do their laundry. Not joking. Ask around, and you might be surprised at what people will pay for -- cleaning, giving cheap rides if you have a car, you name it, somebody’s probably willing to pay for it.
If you like to online shop like I do, a fantastic way to make some money is to sign up for Ebates. Ebates is a platform that connects shoppers with online stores and then pays them for their purchases. It works like this: using an Ebates link, you connect to your desired store (they feature loads, including Amazon, Victoria’s Secret, Nordstrom and American Eagle Outfitters), and then make your purchase as planned. Then Ebates will pay you “cash back,” which is a percentage of the money you spent. This is super handy if you know you have several big purchases to make, and the checks that come in the mail are such a great wallet booster.
Another handy trick to make money is to consign or sell old clothes you don’t wear anymore. This is super simple when you go home on breaks and look at all the clothes you left behind and don’t love. Pack those babies up and take them to a local consignment shop, or sell them on your choice of platform; eBay and Poshmark are both great places to do so. Your overstuffed closet and underfed wallet will thank you.
Many colleges have figured out how to attract students to events: free stuff. And it works. Participate in these campus activities, whether it’s taking a quick survey or entering a cool contest, and you could be rewarded in free food, t-shirts, gift cards, accessories, and even bigger prizes like an iPad. It pays to be involved.
Finally, a more traditional way to save some money is to sign up for rewards programs at stores you frequent and to coupon hard. Many cashiers are told to push their rewards programs, and if they aren’t, it’s usually pretty simple to ask and sign up at the register. And while newspapers may be going out of style, saving money never does, and those little coupon inserts are a gold mine. Check out coupon apps for stores like Target and Walmart and you’ll be all set.
Simple as that, folks! College doesn’t have to be a miserable experience spent eating Ramen every night. With a few tips and tricks you can enjoy college life without needing a job.
