I have a list of the
biggest expenses that you will face in college and how to deal with them in the
best manner.
1. Rent
Many of us don’t
have the more wealthy parents that can afford to buy a small house for us while
we are in college, so this isn’t much of an option. The dorms are an option and are very
convenient but they aren’t the cheapest of choices. Also, the places right outside of campus are
usually rather pricey. It’s best to rent
from a place a few miles away that is a little run down but still very
safe. These places can still only be
about 5 miles away but just not right outside of the campus limits.
Also, if you want to
share a room with someone then this makes the rent even cheaper. I lived a semester where we turned a two
bedroom apartment into a three bedroom after making the living room a separate
room. It was separated by curtains
hanging from the ceiling.
A balance of how
conveniently located you want to be, how nice of a place, and how important
your privacy is should all be taken into account.
2. Tuition
Everyone should look
at how much they pay per hour and the breakdown of the fees associated. Some schools, such as state schools in the
state of Texas, offer a flat tuition rate if you take between 12 and 17 hours a
semester. The tuition rate is based off
of 15 hours. So if you are taking 12 or
17 hours then you will still be paying the amount if you were paying for
15. But if you take 11 or 18 hours then
you will pay for the respected amount of hours.
Therefore, it is best to take 17 hours each semester. And the final semester take less than 12 or
to even graduate early.
I have seen so many
of my friends take just 12 hours each semester because they feel like more is
too much and if they take less it looks like they are lazy. I know some people need to be enrolled in at
least 12 hours for scholarships or other cases.
Only then is it a good idea to take only 12 hours.
3. Food and Drinks
First, the meal
plans most colleges offer are not a great deal at all. The meal plans are what makes living on
campus so expensive. The meals usually
average around $6 a meal. If living
on-campus, then there is not much of an option against this but that may be the
reason to live off-campus where the food bill can be $50 a week easily compared
to almost $100.
But when living
off-campus it can be difficult to have self-control. It’s very easy to just eat out most meals
with your friends and buy a ton of drinks when going out. But this adds up severely week after
week. Below is a list of some cheap
meals to make.
- Peanut butter and jelly sandwhiches
- Cereal
- Yogurt
- Spaghetti or lasagna (make enough for all week)
- The all-famous Ramen noodles
4. Books
NEVER buy them from
the school book store!!! So many
students do this because they either waited too long or don’t want to go
through the hassle of finding their books online. The best way to get a good deal on books is
either though eBay, Amazon, Craigslist, Valorebooks, or Abebooks. It may take some time to find your book but
if it is done properly you can spend only $100 or $200 a semester instead of
$500 at the bookstore. That savings of
$400 can be 8 weeks of groceries at $50 a week.
5. Travel
I always wanted to
go somewhere on the weekends just to get away from the work and everything else
for a bit. But if you do this then it is
best to go with someone else to split the gas costs.
If you have any
other great tips to save money please comment below.
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