College can be stressful. I struggle to pay my rent in full and have bills, tuition, groceries and gas to pay for, just like many other students. I go to school full-time so I can’t find the time for a full-time job. In fact, only work about 15 hours a week with not much more than a minimum-wage pay. I still want to look good and wear designer and own nice things…. And I do. Sound like you? Let me share my secrets:
Never pay full-price. For anything. All purchases I’ve made are always on sale, and better yet clearance! There is a difference and if you don’t know, let’s get this clear right away. In my terms:
Sale (adj.): Temporary. It will go on sale again, maybe cheaper and they can get more in stock Clearance (n): Buy it now. They won’t get any more in stock and as the price gets cheaper, so does the quantity
Don’t even bother looking at regular-priced items. Instead, head straight to the clearance racks, usually at the back of the store. Forget consignment stores, you can find name-brands the same price or maybe even cheaper on the clearance rack, brand new.
Shop at discount stores. TJ Maxx, Marshall’s, Homegoods, ROSS and Nordstrom Rack are a few of the most popular. These stores carry the big brands at college-budget prices. You can find an average shirt priced between $6-19 and jeans starting around $15 or less. You can also find your favorite designers such as: Michael Kors, Kate Spade, Calvin Klein, Betsy Johnson, Sperry and Miss Me among others. This is a great opportunity for designer handbags and accessories. Popular cosmetic brands such as Chi, BedHead and Essie can also be found here for less than half the cost.
Opening a store credit card and paying it off with right after the purchase is another way to earn points, rewards, build credit and earn store gift cards. Don’t let the thought of a credit card scare you. Many of them allow payments immediately online or in the store with cash or check, that way you won’t be in more debt during school. Basically, then they are just reward programs. It’s a way to ensure you’ll never pay full price again.
Buy the store brand. For example, Wal-Mart has Great Value, Target has Up&Up, and Ulta has Ulta Beauty. Often times, these brands offer the same product with a different label or as an alternative at a cheaper cost. Store brands are not just food but also household supplies, beauty and personal hygiene as well. Some of these items can be over a dollar in price differentiation. It really adds up quick!
Collect Coupons. No, you won’t be “lame” or “a grandma” for trying to save your earnings. I personally keep all of mine in a small file folder that fits in my purse. If you have ever seen the TV show Extreme Couponing on TLC, you can get a feel for how it should be done. Realistically, no one has the time or effort for doing that.
Coupons can be found everywhere. They get sent in the mail, newspapers, catalogs, store websites and you can even find some on apps for your phone. Wal-Mart, for example, has an app called with “Savings Catcher.” With this, you scan receipts and they will reimburse you with a price difference if another store in your location is selling the product cheaper. Target has an app known as “Cartwheel” that offers exclusive coupons and savings to their store. RetailMeNot is an app for Android and iPhone where you can search any store, and a list of online and in store promotions and coupons will show up. Many stores are allowing their use and the promo codes often work with online purchases. Plus, many retailers such as Kohl’s Victoria’s Secret and Dollar General allow you to stack coupons on top of each other. Some stores even accept them from one of their competitor’s.
Coupons are targeted for students in a college town. The savings are at your fingertips. Saving money is all about the stores you stop at and the coupons you use. If you own a car, you know how much of your wallet is consumed by gas prices. Many gas stations will take competitor coupons or have a discount card, such as Super America. Tuesday’s are double coupon days, so for example, a $.7 off coupon, and with their $.3 off rewards card, that’s $.10 saved, doubled $.20 cents total saved per gallon. Maybe that’s a dollar total but that dollar can go towards a taco for dinner from Taco Bell.
Join E-clubs. Just give out your email and earn rewards and coupons. Retail stores and restaurants reward their loyal customers with coupons and secret promotions. Many people reject the offers since they lead to an inbox of daily emails. As a retail worker myself, I know the secret behind them: the more times you type it in, the higher you get bumped up on the list. The more times you enter your information, the system starts to recognize you as a regular customer, therefore, the more coupons they will send you. If you’re concerned about the overflow of emails, many times you can scroll to the bottom of the page and change the email settings to only receiving the coupons and promotions. Otherwise, make a new email just for coupons.
Restaurants often send out BOGO, ½ off and dollar-off coupons that can be very valuable when you live with an average of $50 in your account. Plus, if you enter your birthday, most of them send you free meals or items for that day! Win-win. Finally…
Sell It. When you’re tired of your items or you just really need rent money, get rid of it. You can sell your clothes on Ebay and apps such as PoshMark but then you have to wait for consumers. Many places like Plato’s Closet and TurnStyle pay you on the spot for used clothing. However, sometimes they don’t buy your items and if they do, they don’t pay much.
Another way to sell clothing is on Facebook! There’s many local “Facebook Garage Sale” pages in your area with people selling and buying every minute! Posting pictures of your items, reasonable prices and a setting a mutual meeting place is a great way to sell your gently used items for what they are actually worth. This is very successful and has helped me earn triple the cost of things that consignment stores rejected! People make offers instantly if you mark your prices just right. Just make sure you bring a friend when you meet up with the buyer for safety.
Living with a college budget can have you living on the edge with only a box of cereal for dinner and a few changes of clothes, but it doesn’t have too. That is, if you know how to shop smart.