Let's face it- college is expensive enough as it is. We don't needed to be spending a ton of money just to get everyday products that we need like grocery and beauty items. I made it my goal for the summer of 2014 to coupon and get enough of a stockpile going that I would not have to buy household and beauty products during the school year, and I have succeeded, for now! I have compiled a list of ways you can save money and still get everything you need while maintaining your budget.
1. Coupons! My mom has been couponing for the last couple of years, and I finally picked up on her habits this past summer. I used to never shop at CVS because it was so expensive, but now with coupons and their rewards program, I can get everything I need (and more) for less than I would pay at places like Target. CVS will also take one of their own coupons and a manufacturer coupon for the same item making it even cheaper, and therefore more awesome. Grocery stores such as Kroger and Food Lion make it way too easy to save money because you do not have to print anything (saving paper!) because you just load the coupons to your rewards card from a computer or app and you are good to go when you type in your phone number at the register! Also most stores will let you double coupons if you have multiples of the same item which is a great way to stock up and save on products that won't go bad.
2. Rebate Programs! These are also another easy way to save money. I use Ebates for online purchases because you get a certain amount of cash back. I just got my first check from them and got a whole 13 bucks back! Other programs that you can download for free in the App Store on your phone include Ibotta, Checkout 51, Savings Star and Snap by Groupon. Most of these apps have weekly specials on items you can get money back on. All you have to do is upload your receipt and they verify it and you get money in your account! I have about 3 dollars right now in most of my accounts, and I think the minimum for a check for most of them is 10 dollars.
3. College ID discounts! Fast food restaurants are pretty good about these. Chick-fil-a in my hometown does a College Night where you buy an entree and get the drink and fries for free which is pretty awesome. Moes (my preference in the great Moes vs. Chipotle debate) also does a college discount on your meal if you just show them your ID! Some retailers such as J. Crew and Charlotte Russe will also give you a discount just for purchasing something.
4. Taking the bus to campus! If you live off campus, my biggest recommendation is to live near a place with a public bus stop if the bus goes to campus. I got very lucky because there is a bus stop right outside of my apartment building, and the route drops me off right in front of the building where I have my first class. My university charges a bus fee in our tuition so technically riding the bus is "free" for students. Doing this has not only saved me gas, but has also saved me from having to pay over 200 dollars for a parking pass.
5. Stop paying for cable! The cable company that my apartment has decided to go digital and up their prices for cable. After giving it some thought, my roommates and I decided not to renew our cable package because it would be costing us twice as much, and we did not watch enough TV for that. We all have Netflix and that is what we use most of the time anyways.
I'm sure I will have another post with more tips at some point, but these are the tips I am using now in order to save money!
xo, K
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