Let’s be honest—it’s hard to pay the bills as a college student. Even if you’re working two jobs and cut back on almost all extraneous spending, it hardly gives you any extra cash. How can you possibly make your next payment? Follow these 5 tips to reduce your bills this semester and be monetarily sustainable!
1. Unplug your appliances. Even a TV, when turned off, sucks electricity from the outlet; its internal systems still require power. Appliances that suck electricity when they’re turned off are called energy vampires. Don’t throw a string of garlic around your television! Just unplug it when it’s not in use.
(P.S.—when doing your electronic shopping, look for the Energy Star label. Not only do they reduce your carbon footprint, but they can also reduce your electricity bills by up to 20%!)
2. Buy your textbooks online. When the new semester comes, check out online stores like Amazon or Chegg for all your books! Campus bookstores can get ridiculously expensive and drain your bank account. You could save $100 by shopping for books online!
(P.S.—Chegg also plants trees! Check out their website for more info.)
3. Bring your own bottle of water. Eventually, small changes can add up; however, drinking fountains are free! You’ll also limit your environmental impact by reducing the number of plastic bottles in landfills. (P.S.—aluminum or metal bottles are the best; they’re totally more recyclable than plastic!)
4. Go generic. Do you really have to buy the brand new Covergirl mascara? The generic brand costs a lot less but performs the same function. Check the ingredients—they’re almost identical!
(P.S.—some brands of cosmetics contain harmful chemicals! Find out more at EWG’s Skin Deep Cosmetics Database.)
5. Use coupons. Check flyers in your local newspaper for great deals! Don’t let all that paper go to waste—use more paper coupons and less of your paper money!
(P.S.—there are also tons of websites such as Coupons.com that will give you free coupons!)
Sources
Chegg.com
Coupons.com
Energy Savers
EWG’s Skin Deep Cosmetics Database