Saving money is hard!! Especially in college when you might not have a job, are living off of ramen and are spending more money on textbooks than yourself. There are many small ways that we can save money just by changing a few things in our routine and being what I call a savvy shopper.1. Use a reusable water bottle instead of spending money on water bottles.
A pack of water bottles might only cost $5-10, but you could be saving like 30 bucks to spend at the movies or at the mall. Plus, you are really doing the environment a solid. Think about all of the plastic that’s NOT going into landfills by switching to a reusable water bottle.
2. Look for sales, everywhere.
Always ask for student discounts in any store you go to. The worst they can say is “no”. Many movie theaters have a discount. If you shop online, sometimes you can get 10% off just by signing up for their emails. Also, Spotify has student accounts of half the price which you should definitely take advantage of. Lastly, one of my favorite websites is Retailmenot.com. I always check this website for coupons before checking out.
3. School Materials.
At the beginning of the year, when you need to buy $200 textbooks, do your research. It feels like you’re just throwing money away. See if you can find the free versions online. Many times you can rent a textbook for a fraction of the price. You can even split the price with a friend also in the class. I once got a $150 textbook for just $4.
4. Make a coffee allowance.
Seriously, if you are a coffee addict,do this now. It might be good to buy a giftcard to Starbucks or Dunkin at the beginning of the year with how much money you want to spend on coffee each month or semester. When that giftcard runs out, no more coffee runs. If you stick to this, you can save loads of money.
5. Go to the university Rec Center instead of paying for a local gym.
You already pay for gym at Stony Brook included in your tuition fees, so you might as well utilize it. The Rec Center at Stony Brook is very advanced and has plenty of machines. Take advantage of it.
6. Reuse notebooks.
I used to throw out my old notebooks at the end of the semester. It’s nice to buy nice notebooks, but if you really don’t need it, why not save money and the environment too. Got to love a good two for one.
7. Drink water instead of soda.
It’s healthier and bonus it’s free!
Saving money doesn’t have to be extreme and restricting. But sometimes, life is about realizing that we can’t always get everything we want. Sometimes we have to save our money to build up for better things.