When I first got to Vanderbilt, I wasn’t focused on money because the basics were already covered. I was psyched about the meal plan, Vandy Van shuttles, and fantastic classes at the rec like Spinning and Hardcore. There always seemed to be some awesome event on campus with fitness, food, and fun for free! Everyone raved about clubs handing out t-shirts and other goodies just for stopping by and swiping.
However, I soon realized how much I wanted to do outside of the Vanderbubble, things that weren’t free. At first, it seemed like a little – $10 here or there for a concert or charity event. But these things started to add up, and soon, it seemed like all I did was spend. Plus, living somewhere like Nashville, I wanted to take advantage of the city life. I’m from Boston, and there’s nothing I enjoy more than exploring new – and totally different – neighborhoods. A collection of ticket stubs soon began to replace dollar bills in my wallet.
Yet, as any savvy city girl knows, you should never have to pay full price to enjoy yourself. Lately I’ve been on a mission to have fun, eat good food, and explore this crazy cultural city… without making that awkward phone call home begging for cash! There’s an endless list of money-saving websites out there, but the following are some of the most useful:
Groupon and Livingsocial
Seriously, these sites are life-savers. Not only do they offer amazing deals ($5 off $10 at Sweet CeCe’s, anyone?), but they also show you cool ideas for weekend activities you might not have come up with yourself. They build off of your interests and location to create a personalized database of coupons so that nothing – from a great manicure to a yummy restaurant – has to be a splurge.
Foursquare
Here, being a regular counts. If you get the same salad every Wednesday at Bread and Co, this is the site for you. When you “check in” places multiple times, you gain levels and eventually discounts. This helps you get consistent deals at your favorite places, not just those that have special offers during a certain time period.
RetailMeNot
This site is for the mega-shoppers. There’s no reason to hit Green Hills without printing out a couple of coupons or looking up the best sales. It even works for online checkout codes for when you’re procrastinating and realize you just “have to have” that new wallet… you know, to store all of the money you’re saving.
So get out there and enjoy Nashville – and have fun without going broke!