You know you’re desperate for cash when you sign up for as many paid psychology experiments as you can fit into your schedule. Insert electrical probes into my brain, I don’t care, I just want 20 bucks. If you are anything like me, you aren’t exactly rolling in the Benjamins, and you’ll jump at any opportunity to either make or save money. Many companies are aware of our demographic’s plight, and out of pity and ingenuity offer deals to struggling students. Not all of them are obvious, so let me help a sister out and throw a few penny-saving opportunities out into the atmosphere for consideration:
- Costco card—just get one card for everyone in your house and say hello to family-size Honey Bunches of Oats and three-foot-tall bags of tortilla chips
- Student Advantage card—this can get you discounts on travel, school supplies, food, and more at www.studentadvantage.com
- Apple store—save up to $200 on a new Macbook if anything happens to yours; this applies to students, faculty and staff
- Arts and Lectures programs—Campbell Hall’s special shows can get pretty pricey, but not if you’re a student! Check out the guest speakers and performances we are lucky enough to have access to.
- Banana Republic, in-store or online(15% everything, including sale and promotional items)
- J Crew, in-store or online (15% off full-priced items with valid student ID and email)
- Dell—discounts on computers and other products at www.DellUniversity.com
- Microsoft—check out http://Microsoft.com/student/en/us/default.aspx#discounts
- Adobe (save up to 80% on software packages like Photoshop and InDesign)
- Amazon—create a student account and reap the rewards at www.amazon.com/gp/student/sign…
Discount websites designed specifically for students:
Associated Students sells cheap tickets to the following theme parks/resorts:
- Magic Mountain
- Disneyland
- Sea World
- San Diego Zoo
- Universal Studios
*Another money-saving tip is to collect frequent buyer cards at coffee shops and restaurants—Pizza My Heart, Coffee Collaborative, and The Equilibrium all offer punch cards that will benefit the loyal customer. Also, IV Drip reduces the price of any drink to a dollar if you bring your own mug or thermos, regardless of the size. If you do this, you’ll save paper in more ways than one!
**A final suggestion is to crawl on your hands and knees on the sidewalk, trolling for coins. This may appear desperate, but that is what you are after all, so do not be ashamed.
Start saving now and developing habits for the real world, because you’ll end up feeling stuck with your debt if you can’t budge it. Regardless of your current habits or pocket size, there’s always room for change. Cling to your cash, fellow students—you must consistently hydrate starting now if one day you want to make it rain.