I'm an out of state student at my college from California. Not only am I your basic "can't even afford a cup of noodles" student, but I also don't have a car. Of course, there are a lot of other forms of transportation, even asking for a ride from a friend. But, I always feel bad asking for rides, my college is in the middle of nowhere so I can't walk to the nearest convenience store, and whenever I take an Uber I get a call from my mom asking why my card was charged. So, I'm in a bit of a predicament.

I order my necessities on Amazon if I can't go to the store such as shampoo, toothpaste, and shoes when mine get holes in the bottoms. But there are some things, such as medications or perishable foods, that I have to figure a way to get to a store in order to buy them. This has resulted in me planning my entire month out. I pick certain weekends with a lot of time in between to ask my roommate to drive me so that she won't think I'm asking too much (I always offer her cash for gas too). Sometimes I walk a mile closer to the store and then call the Uber so it's a couple dollars cheaper. And when I'm all out of money and ideas on how to get to a store, I steal toothpaste from my boyfriend.

Most of the time, I'm able to get my necessities. When I have an accumulation of things that are more "wants" than "needs," such as face masks or snacks, I save them for my grandma. She absolutely loves to shop. And, she happens to live in the same state as my college: New Jersey. So, on occasion, I get picked up for a weekend of being overstuffed with lasagna and a "mini shopping spree." I'm lucky to have someone that takes care of me while I'm away from home and I appreciate her looking out for me.

Though there are a lot of difficulties of not having a car, there are ways around them. However, if my mom happens to read this while winning the lottery, I'll take any model and any color. Thanks.