Are you getting ready for spring break or summer study abroad? It’s exciting to look ahead, but have you thought about how you are going to fund an abroad experience? Yes, those dreaded dollar signs are staring you in the face. You spent a ton over the holidays on stuff, how are you going afford an awesome break or a experience abroad? I hope that this helps you collect those pennies and dollars!
Eat On-Campus or In Your Kitchen
While you are on your way to your on-campus job, you can eat in the cafeteria, (if you have a meal plan), or, even better, buy groceries and eat in your kitchen. Let us do the math:
- Your favorite fast-food meal: $5-8
- Weekly frequency: 2
- Monthly frequency: 8
- Total: $40-50/month
That is the cost of your new swimsuit or a 1/5 a plane ticket! You will be surprised what a little creativity and budgeting can do!
Skip the Starbucks
This does tie in with eat on-campus or in your kitchen, but I think people try to put the coffee in a separate section! Starbucks and other coffee shops can total to $5-10 per meal. A grande vanilla latte is 350 calories; caffè vanilla frappuccino is 530. Talk about many calories AND money?! Recently, I found International Delight Iced Coffees! This and other recipes cost the price of one blah-blah latte and you can get WAY more servings!
Get an On-Campus Job
This is understood as one of the easiest ways to help you achieve your fiscal goals. Working in the cafeteria does not seem ideal; however, working on-campus has the most flexible schedule and will cut down the amount of gas you will spend. In addition, it will help you since you are already on-campus, you can leave from work and go straight to class or vice versa. (Bonus points for working at Starbucks: Money + discount coffee!)
Ask Yourself, “Do I Really Need That?”
Those emails you get from your favorite store are dangerous to your goal and your bank account! While you are in your must-save mode, put all those emails in a separate folder so you will not see them. You do not want to get distracted, and those things, you really do not need at all.
Cut Those Coupons
Now, sometimes, those emails we get are not too bad. Sometimes, they are filled with coupon offers that can save us pennies and dollars at the checkout line. Coupons are underrated and underappreciated. I shop at Kroger because many times they already apply the discounted prices with the Kroger card.
Traveling Size= Economy Size
There are some necessities that I use sporadically, like shaving cream or other cosmetics. For those things, I do not buy the regular size, but the traveling size. It’s budget friendly and I know that many of my items will not expire so fast.
I hope that these tips helped you out! I have some other tips on a similar post on Dormify. I also have a Budget Pinterest board that you can check out for more helpful hints!
Good luck and Happy Saving!
VaNessa Th
ompson is a graduate student at Lawrence Technological University majoring in Technical and Professional Communication. She graduated with a BA in Communication from Michigan State University where she was a NSCS member. Currently, she is one of NSCS’s Social Media Ambassadors and one of Dormify’s Style Advisors! In her free time, she blogs and vlogs! Feel free to tweet her @nessabirdie!