Tips on Saving Money

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I recently got accepted into a BSN program at a small Catholic college. I was able to receive a scholarship to help offset some of the tuition, but I will be living on campus for one of the two years I will be enrolled (for safety reasons... the school is in the biggest city in my state & has its shady areas) which costs a little more than getting my own place. I plan on getting a campus job at the library or signing people in at the dorm's front desk for a little extra cash.

I would really like some tips from other students on how you guys save money while in school. This goes for everything: school supplies, food, lifestyle choices, etc.

Thanks everyone, these are ALL helpful. Keep 'em coming!

Eating a healthy diet has been a random unintentional way I have been saving money too. Instead of buying so many brand name snack foods, I ended up buying lots of whole fruits like apples and bananas, and fresh veggies like carrots instead. The packaged stuff is always more expensive and usually unhealthier. I also don't over eat and thus over-buy now that I am paying attention to my eating habits.

Try to repurpose school supplies would be another tip. I needed color pencils, highlighters, paper etc. for some classes and instead of buying new stuff I realized I still had some from high school that I stashed away at my parents house and forgot about! I also borrowed some stuff from my brother. This might sound bad but my Mom also brought me post-its and printer paper from her work. Lol.

With food you have to plan carefully. produce is always expensive. thats why our country is overweight. its much easier to go to the dollar menu than buy ingredients to make a nice healthy dinner. look for sales and vendors who offer cheap produce. if your able make a nice healthy meal a few times a week. then eat something fast and filling and cheap the rest of the week like rice, hamburger helper, or canned soup. If you feel like your not getting enough nutrients, grt some vitamins. i love veggies and friit however if i had them every meal every day ill be broke. rice is a very good filler. Cheap isnt necessarily unhealthy if you portion and moderate. There Are always ways to make meals healthy. Dont go overboard with the cooking. you wont have time. So cook cost effective hearty meals and portion them for the rest of the week in tupperware. cook things that are easy and things you will like. and do find time to walk or run. It will mitigate stress and keep you healthy.

If any of your friends or family have a membership to Sam's or Costco or a similar place see if you could shop with them for things that won't go bad like soap, razor blades, toothbrushes, toilet paper, etc. You could also split the cost of things with roommates too.

Specializes in OR.

Shop smarter. Use discount grocery stores. We have both Aldi and Save-a-Lot in my town. I know people who refuse to set foot in them, but they have both saved me A TON of money. I just had to get past brand loyalty, and now I spend less than when I was couponing, and it doesn't take near as much time. Don't forget some stores price match, too. That'll save gas getting everything at one store instead of driving all over town chasing sales. I can often find great stuff for cheap at dollar stores. We also stopped eating out, and I always plan meals around the sale ads.

Also, pay attention to what your school offers and utilize it! I do all my printing in the school computer labs. My school also often has student club meetings that lure students with free food. Take advantage!

Shop smarter. Use discount grocery stores. We have both Aldi and Save-a-Lot in my town. I know people who refuse to set foot in them, but they have both saved me A TON of money. I just had to get past brand loyalty, and now I spend less than when I was couponing, and it doesn't take near as much time. Don't forget some stores price match, too. That'll save gas getting everything at one store instead of driving all over town chasing sales. I can often find great stuff for cheap at dollar stores. We also stopped eating out, and I always plan meals around the sale ads.

Also, pay attention to what your school offers and utilize it! I do all my printing in the school computer labs. My school also often has student club meetings that lure students with free food. Take advantage!

I am really lucky to be a military dependent, so am able to buy my food cheaper & tax free at the commissary. But I am going to start couponing to get it even cheaper.

I live in Maryland & am addicted to Wawa coffee (if anyone knows what that is) so I am slowly cutting back how often I stop there because it adds up! And my new school offers free parking, laundry & printing so I am very grateful for that.

I tend to lose school supplies so where do you guys buy your pens, highlighters, etc. For cheap? And do you buy the latest editions of textbooks or is it okay to buy one edition back?

Here's some example things I have done to cut down on food costs. I never buy soda or special drinks, I drink water at every meal. Instead of a $4 box of cookies, I will buy $1.50 celery or bananas, etc. Instead of ordering take-out when I'm lazy, I just make $0.50 instant noodles and throw in frozen mixed veggies if I feel I need the nutrition. Buy in bulk or value packs and freeze stuff. Make sure you use a club card if there is one--some give gas money! Don't forget thrift shoppes are awesome too. I was actually at one today and there was a lady who is an interior designer buying home furnishings for a client. You can get stuff for FREE through Craigslist or Nextdoor.com, my neighbor just gave away a microwave and an old TV. There's a million things you could do.

Specializes in Oncology.

Not sure if you belong to a gym but I dropped my gym membership when I got into nursing school and now run outside, do yoga in my living room (I taught myself from YouTube and Yoga Journal), and do many different workouts I find on Pinterest. Fo' free!

The dollar store is great for toiletries and school supplies.

Try to buy used books if you can, or rent them. If you have to buy them, resell the ones you don't need. I got $150 for my microbiology book and human growth book. That info is online if I need it again.

Check out anything by Dave Ramsey. Just google for his website. There is a lot of good information on knocking out debt, saving money, and avoiding putting yourself in debt.

Used textbooks and even previous editions of the textbooks to save money. I've never had an issue using a previous edition, but always check with the instructor if possible to see if I can use the previous edition. Most of the time there aren't many major changes, sometimes a chapter or two may be reordered or questions at the end of the chapter change with little else changed.

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