We’ve all heard of the stereotypical “broke college student.” Subsequently, we all say that we won’t be that person because we won’t spend a lot of money, or because we’ve saved up money from our summer job, or we forget that credit cards do in fact have limits. I know that before going to college, I was one of those people who thought they wouldn’t spend a lot because I had all of my supplies, dorm stuff, and a meal plan that would cover food.
Boy, was I wrong.
Here’s the thing about college and all of these things we think we’re prepared for — unexpected things are always gonna happen. Sometimes you get tired of dining hall food because there are only so many different ways you can prepare chicken. Sometimes you want to go out for someone’s birthday, or you’re hungry after a hockey game and want to go to Sunset Cantina for nachos. Other times you’ll have a lab or a meeting until later at night and won’t be back until after the dining halls close. If you’re like me and don’t have a ton of time between classes and work shifts, that means you don’t have time to go to the dining hall and sit down for food, so you need to have snacks or buy something to go. Even with a meal plan, you end up spending money on food. There are also the instances of needing more supplies or buying apparel (those university sweatshirts and hockey jerseys are not cheap, my friends) or just wanting to go shopping with your friends to avoid studying for finals. Even more generally, living in a big city like Boston is more expensive than your smaller town back home. The bottom line is, you’re going to spend money on a variety of things, and it’s just something you have to accept. But have no fear, because I have found a TON of discounts, some in Boston and some just in general, that you can get by simply having your college ID with you. And I promise some of these are really going to surprise you.
I’m going to list these by category of food, entertainment, fitness, transportation, tech, and most importantly, shopping.
Food:
Fire & Ice: $10.99 all you can eat on Mondays with valid college ID (Boston, Cambridge & Providence locations only)
Burger King: 10% discount with college ID (participating locations may vary)
McDonalds: 10% discount with college ID (participating locations may vary)
Subway: 10% discount with college ID (participating locations may vary)
Ben and Jerry’s: 10% off
JP Licks: 10% off
Tasty Burger (Harvard Square): a $10 Starvin’ Student deal which will get you a hamburger, fries and a beer.
Chipotle: college students can get a free soft drink with the purchase of a burrito
Qdoba: a $5 burrito meal
BU specific bonus! (I don’t know if other colleges offer this discount, I just know BU does.) Throughout the entire first semester, you can save 50% on all of your Domino’s online pizza orders using coupon code “RHETT“.
Fun fact, you can pay with dining and convenience points!
Entertainment:
AMC Loews Boston Common 19 & AMC Chestnut Hill 5: $3 off movie tickets every Thursdays
Fenway 13: $2.50 off any movie after 4pm
Brattle Theatre: $2 Student discount with valid college ID
Museum of Fine Art: Free with college ID at participating universities (BU participates but there’s a hyperlink to the full list)
New England Aquarium: Discount admission for $24.95
Skywalk Observatory: $3.00 off any adult admission
Boston Duck Tours (Prudential location): $6.00 off adult admission
Beantown Trolley: $5 off one-day admission; $7 off two-day adult admission
Old Town Trolley: $2.00 off adult admission
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum: Free admission at a participating university or $5 with current college ID. It’s also free on your birthday or if your name is Isabella – you might have to prove it, though!
Wrentham Village Outlets: Free VIP coupon book with valid college ID (or AAA card).
Annual membership to the Institute of Contemporary Art for just $10, which includes access to a members-only studio (which is a great study spot). You’ll also get free admission if you’re attending one of the participating institutions (BU).
John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum: offers students $2 off the admission price.
Boston Common Frog Pond: skating for half the usual price every Tuesday evening from mid-November to mid-March.
Boston University students can get $8 tickets to the Boston Philharmonic by entering the code AMB-BOSU2 when ordering online. The general student discount is attainable by typing in STUDENT-DIS.
Fitness/sports:
Boston Rock Gym (Woburn): $15 monthly discount,
Brooklyn Boulders Somerville: has special student rates
CrossFit Fenway: 10% off.
Red Sox: $9 (+ service fees) standing room tickets for college students
Also keep your eyes peeled for special Boston Bruins Student Nights, featuring…more discounted tickets!
Transport:
Amtrak: 15% discount with Student Advantage card
ZipCar: Save $10 on your college membership
If you’re studying at Boston University, don’t miss the books of coupons distributed across the campus at the beginning of the year. In them, you’ll find food vouchers, buy one get one free offers and money off your textbooks.
A few things to keep in mind with these discounts is that they’re subject to change — I know the Charlotte Russe where I live doesn’t have the student discount anymore, but other ones may still have that perk. Another great way to get discounts is by having a AAA card if you use them, that’s how I save a ton at Eddie Bauer when I go for back to school. I haven’t tested all of these, although you can catch me at Kate Spade in the very near future checking for discounts, so if they don’t always work my sincerest apologies. I’ve gathered these lists from various places on the internet and from personal experience, and I hope they all work for you guys. College can be tough; you don’t always have time for a job between classes and everything else you’re dealing with and summer job money runs out because stretching three months’ worth of money over 9 months in school is a bit difficult. 10 or 15 percent may not seem like much, but when you save that in a few places it really adds up so just make sure to keep an eye out for student discounts. Lastly, make sure you bring your ID with you. Sure, some places will trust you’re a student, but a lot of places will require you to show a valid student ID or they won’t give you the discount.
I hope this helps all of you in terms of trying to budget and save a little money, and check back in for part 2 of all the ways you can save money using your student ID!