College tuition is a pretty penny to start off with. And we all know that in college, there are hidden expenses that drown your wallet. Throughout my first semester, I have learned some simple ways to help save you some money.
First of all, books are expensive. Mine totaled around $400 for the first semester. However, my biggest tip is to buy books that are used or to simply rent them. It doesn’t make sense to buy a brand new textbook that you are only going to need to use once for a specific class. You also don’t want to bank on selling your books back because it doesn’t always work out. In addition, the used books are almost always in good condition because their condition has to be approved by the bookstore. Renting or buying used books can drive the price of your textbooks down immensely.
Another tip that I recommend is to join clubs that suit your interests. For example, there’s a club on the BC campus called Chaarg. Chaarg is a fitness group for girls that requires a small down payment to provide members with lots of perks and benefits. I think it’s around $45 for a semester, but they sponsor events at different fitness centers like SoulCycle or Equinox that come with your membership in the club. One SoulCycle class in itself is $34 so the club membership is already a great deal! This fitness group is a fun way to try different workouts and make friends. The cost is not nearly as high as it would be if you tried all of the workouts on your own. I definitely recommend joining!
Another way I have learned to save money is to take public transportation (the “T”) instead of Ubering. Uber is extremely convenient but can add up so there is a T which is a Tram located in Boston that I take and it is $2.25 and can get you to many locations throughout the city. Also, if you do Uber with your friends, I recommend splitting the fare because doing this significantly brings the cost down since it is divided between more people. In summary, I recommend public transportation if possible, but if you do choose to Uber, split the fare between your friends!
Lastly, I am a coffee addict and love a good iced latte in the morning. My coffee addiction, though, is a major deficit on my wallet because coffee prices at school are jacked up. Therefore, I suggest getting your iced coffee from the regular dining hall instead of the Starbucks or coffee shop on your campus. At my dining hall, you can make iced coffee or regular coffee and spice it up with some flavoring. By doing this, you can get your coffee by paying with your meal plan money, opposed to using a credit card or alternative dining plan at a different coffee shop on campus. Going along with this point, I recommend eating in the dining hall as much as possible in order to save money. This is the hardest tip for me to follow because I get so tired of the food options. However, I try to switch up what I get each day so I don’t get bored and want to go off campus for food. Eating out can add up, especially at places in the city of Boston.
I hope some my tips help you save a couple of bucks in college because, trust me, I’m a girl who faces the same struggle each day!
Sources:
https://pixabay.com/en/safe-money-dollars-currency-3125637/
https://pixabay.com/en/books-education-school-literature-441866/
https://pixabay.com/en/tram-milan-public-transport-wood-2384693/