Saving money is hard. Saving money in college is a joke. If it's not a new required textbook, then it's a broken computer or maybe just tuition. Whatever the reason, there always seems to something that we need that doesn't fit into our Friday-Night-Vegas-Bomb budget. There is no magic answer that will give you all the money you need, but there are a few ways to treat yo-self without sacrificing your funds.
1. Become a campus rep.
I know several people who are campus reps for a variety of companies. These jobs are usually unpaid, but some do offer to pay on a commission. At Ohio University, campus rep positions can range from Chipotle and Insomnia Cookies to brands like Krass & Co. and Adobe. By becoming a campus rep, you are not only able to work with brands you love, but these positions come with perks such as discounts, special access and even free products! So try it out, boost your resume, and walk away with some goodies as well.
2. Coupons.
Coupons aren't just for your grandma. Doing a little work before you go grocery shopping can save you a ton money in the long run. Take a few minutes to write out everything you want to get at a grocery store and then hit the web (or newspaper if you want to go old school) to find manufacturer coupons for the brands and products on your list. Not only will you save money with coupons, but your list will keep you focused on what you should be buying when you are distracted by the 10 for $10 candy bar sale.
3. Sample products for companies.
Several brands and companies offer free samples in exchange for reviews. Stores like Target and Walmart offer limited number of free samples for customers that can range from shaving creams to frozen pizzas. Almost every free sample comes with a pre-survey that is needed to match if you are the target audience they want to sample a product so it may take a few tries to get matched, but in the end, free is free right? My favorite way to get free samples is through a site called Influenster. Influenster is a site that allows you to review products and influence their popularity through your social media reach. Influenster will send users surveys to see if they will match a sample, and if you do, they send you it! I've received tons of items from Influenster including shampoos, candy, self tanner, lip balms, tampons, Kleenex, and more. Receiving free samples will almost take some time, but if you do it consistently, the payoff is well worth it.
4. Cheat the system.
This is probably my all time favorite life hack in the history of the world. It will cost you a few bucks, but it's worth it. Almost every company/brand/website that costs money offers a free trial at some point, but that usually requires entering a credit card. If you enter said credit card information, the company is hoping you'll forget about it and they can begin charging you at the end of the free trial. I always forget about it. Bye bye, money. However, if you roll up to your friendly neighborhood CVS, Kroger or Walmart and buy a pre-paid Visa gift card, you can use that card information to fill out all your free trail information. If it is a free product, it may still cost shipping so I recommend biting the bullet and loading $20 on a Visa gift card. Once you have a card you can use it for any free trial (looking at you Apple Music). Once the free trail is up, the company will often run the card on file to continue with a regular subscription and if there isn't enough money on the Visa gift card, they will email you to update account information which you can do, or you can cancel your subscription. If there is enough money on the Visa gift card for the next month, then it will keep you subscribed for another month or until the Visa card doesn't have enough to cover the monthly/weekly cost. With this strategy, I've gotten online grammar checkers, nail polish, makeup, snack subscriptions, etc. by just paying shipping for these free items!
These tips and tricks may not be revolutionary, but they all are simple ways to save on things you actually care about while your forced to buy another anthropology textbook this semester.
