Spring Break is one event looked forward to by all students at universities and colleges. However, one worry on all our minds is: how can we afford it? These tips will help you save money and help find good deals for your trip.
Stop spending on unnecessary things: While this is an obvious one, it takes a lot of self control to stop spending money on things that we think are essential to everyday living. If every day you get on campus and buy that Grande Vanilla Frappuccino with a shot of espresso thinking it is the only way you’ll stay awake for that god-awful 10 a.m. class, that’s about $6 every day, which totals to about $30 a week! Take this into consideration: make your own coffee at home. Coffee costs between $4 and $8 at your nearest Wal-Mart and you do not have to deal with the hassle of long lines in the comfort of your own home. This tip applies for fast food and other costly expenditures as well.
Leave your debit and credit cards at home: This may appear to be a blasphemous thing to do, but if you think about it, not having those cards everywhere you go will more than definitely keep you from spending money. Even if you’re just going to accompany your roommate to the Little India grocery market, you still might end up spending $14 on exotic frozen dinners that you had no intention of buying in the first place. “But what if I need money for emergencies?” you might ask. Well it never hurts to have a $20 in your pocket for such emergencies. And if you ever think about using that precious bill, just hold it up in your hand while the object of your desire is in the other hand and think to yourself, which would you rather have?
Budget: Always take into account how much money you have before you go off spending it. If you make x amount of dollars per week or you have to take out a semester loan, the first thing to do is divide that amount up by rent, utilities, and other fixed living expenses. If all together your rent, utilities, and car payments total a certain amount, always make sure you have that amount available. If you have more money that that total, then budget it all so you have a certain amount per month to use for groceries, gas, and other expenses. It also helps to budget a total amount leftover to be used for expenditures and budget that amount to a day-to-day budget. If you have around $200 a month for leftover personal use, and there are 30 days in the month, your daily usage is about $6. If you don’t spend it every day, you have more money to spend the next day, or even the next week.
Always have your student ID handy: You’d be surprised how many places offer student discounts. Don’t knock it till you try it. Some attractions often don’t say whether or not they provide discounts, but it never hurts to ask!
Start planning now for your trip: Whether you’re taking a cruise, going to Panama City, flying to the Bahamas, or even making a road trip to New York, the sooner you plan, the cheaper costs will be. Flight tickets and hotel rates are cheaper if you buy them in advance. Using student sites for deals such as STA Travel and Student Universe guarantee the best rates for traveling and other accommodations. Remember, the sooner you plan, the better the rate. Also, if you do look up travel sites and see a good deal, clear the cookies on your server before going back to the site. Cookies deliver data to the site and will start raising the rates.