Saving money in college can be done by something as simple as making your own coffee or sharing books with a friend. Many students do not realize the small things you can do to help cut unnecessary expenses and save more money.
Eating out regularly is one of the main problems that students face when trying to save their money. Most college students order food instead of going to the cafeteria if they aren’t satisfied with the meals that are chosen for one particular evening. Grocery shopping and making coffee on your own can help reduce the amount of money spent and increase the amount of money saved.
Sharing books with a friend is an excellent way for students to save money. Many students choose to take classes with a friend of the same major, so why not share a book and save a hundred dollars or so?
How do Cabrini students save money? Many freshmen said saving money is easy while not being able to have a car on campus. Upperclassmen carpool so spending money on gas isn’t as frequent.
Stephanie Keleshian, a junior graphic design major, said, “I save the most money in the summer working and shop less during the school year.”
Many students agree with Keleshian and work a lot during the summer to save money, so that the year isn’t as hectic with schoolwork and focusing on a job.
Jessica Zawrotny, a junior psychology and special education major, said, “I make my own coffee and steal straws and splenda from Wawa.”
According to the New York Times, saving at least 10 percent of earnings can really help in the future. You can save a smaller amount now rather than a larger amount later.
Maggie Walmsley, a junior psychology major, said, “My dad is always telling me to put 10 to 20 percent of the money I earn into savings.”
Credit cards are another major problem that students face when trying to save money. Fleeing to credit cards may be an easy way to buy that cute outfit for the weekend or the expensive bag for books, but will only make saving money that much harder with all the built up interest.
A very high percentage of students have loans. Without loans many students would not be able to receive the education they need to achieve their future goals.
Most students with loans do not save money to pay them off, and put the idea off to the side for future years to come. If only 10 percent of everyday earnings are put aside for loans, students could make an incredible jump start to take away a lot of the stress of paying back such a large amount of money in years to come.
Allie Rodolico, a freshman communications major, when asked about paying student loans, said, “I really don’t want to think about that, since it’s so much money.”
Chris Luongo, a senior human resource major, said, “I have just been brushing it off for now.”
When living off campus, there are many ways to conserve money. Always make sure to unplug appliances, turn off lights, turn computer on hibernate to conserve power, do not leave air conditioning running regularly, and do not overuse appliances. Students should be extremely cautious to conserve energy as much as they can, so they can save money on their bills.
