If you’re anything like me, studying makes up half of your life, and coupons and deals make up the other half. As college students, money is a difficult topic to discuss. Not everyone is on the same economic level, and few of us can afford the sticker price for a lot of the goods we want. So I’ve broken down the top five best student deals (and two honorable mentions) you can find to hopefully make your life as a college student a little bit easier.
1. Spotify
I don’t know about you, but music is my life and having music readily available 24/7 is fantastic—until you have to pay for it. There’s no doubt that music subscription services have skyrocketed in popularity over the past few years, but for a college student that $10/month price tag is rather hefty. Luckily, Spotify has a student discount. With a valid college email address, students can get 50% offSpotify’s music subscription services. That’s right, $5 a month for premium access to any artist you can think of (yes, that now includes Taylor Swift) and the ability to download music over Wi-Fi for offline listening later. It can be a lifesaver between classes and at the gym. In fact, I’m listening right now. And for those of you who prefer Apple Music, they also offer a 50% discount for students!
2. Amazon Prime
Oh, the joy of another semester. There’s classes to switch, friends to catch up with, clubs to join, but most importantly there’s textbooks to order. Textbooks are already expensive enough, so when scrounging for deals online, nothing is worse than finding the perfect price on your geography textbook only to checkout and realize that shipping is another $8.99. Lucky for you, Amazon has textbook rentals for the same and in some cases better prices than sites like Chegg. Most of take advantage of Amazon Prime shipping, which means you pay nothing and your textbooks get to you rather quickly, usually within two business days. Amazon Prime is normally $99, but for students that price tag drops to just $49 for an entire year. In addition to free two-day shipping Amazon Prime members get Prime Video services, Prime Music, and exclusive deals on certain products. $49 may seem like a lot at first, but once you ship four or five textbooks for free you’re sure to love this service.
3. Microsoft Office
If there’s one thing nobody likes to pay for it’s a word processor and they can get pretty expensive, especially Microsoft Office. While some universities include a Microsoft Word subscription for students, a lot of universities and most community colleges don’t. Even so, with a valid .edu email address, students get the entire Microsoft Office software for free. Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and all the other programs Microsoft offers in its Suite are completely free to students. That can really be a lifesaver when preparing presentations or writing those last-minute papers.
4. Adobe Creative Cloud
All of the graphics, film, photography, marketing, and other students in creative fields know that when it comes to software, Adobe is one of the top dogs in the industry. From video editing to motion graphics, there isn’t a program the Adobe Creative Cloud doesn’t have. Maybe that’s why it costs $50/month for full access to the Creative Suite. Yes, you read that correctly: that’s $600 for a year of software access. Fear not, creative minds, as Adobe has a killer student discount that I encourage everyone to take advantage of. For students, the entire Adobe Creative Cloud is only $19.99 ($21.64 after tax)! That means professional level software at your fingertips each month for the cost of two or three trips to Chick-Fil-A. For photographers Adobe offers a Photoshop-Lightroom bundle for $9.99 a month. It’s a steal considering the job opportunities that might open up when you have experience with the same professional software your future employers might use.
5. STA Travel
Okay, here’s the big one if you’re looking for large-scale savings for something really worthwhile. At STATravel.com, students can book trips to places across the globe for extremely low rates. You can book just a single flight or one of many full packages with hotel, travel, food, etc. included. All you have to do is type your trip information in to the site, and it scours over 3,000 companies for the best deals. Just to give you an example of how killer this bundle is, their five-day Iceland Northern Lights & Golden Circle trip only costs $1,999 for students—airfare, housing, and accommodations included! The site even boasts extra discounts on the Deals page of their website which advertises discounts on apparel and transportation. It’s not the cheapest thing in the world, but $2,000 is a lot more feasible than the $5,000 it might cost otherwise.
Honorable Mentions:
- Apple
If you’re addicted to the sleek and expensive looking Apple products but find yourself near comatose when you check out the prices, Apple does offer a student discount. It’s only about 5% storewide, or $200 off any Macbook. Keep in mind that 5% off of a product that costs $500-$1000 can be pretty beneficial. With the money you save you can add Apple Care to your product to ensure it lasts your whole college career.
2. Movie Theaters
This is a great deal if your college town has a movie theater and you’ve already seen the older movies campuses often show. Cinemark offers up to 25% off movie tickets for students, and when prices reach between $10-$15, these savings can really dig into your pockets. Saving a few extra bucks can make a huge difference in the long run.
So there you have it, some deals and discounts for you to take advantage of. Hopefully enjoying these exclusive student deals makes your life a little bit easier.