As summer begins to sunset, it’s time for college kids to start or return to the universities.
This is an exciting time for many heading off to college! You might be moving away from home for the first time or maybe you’re heading back to school as a commuter ready to take the next year by storm.
Regardless, college can also be an expensive time. Fortunately, there are ways to save money during your college experience that can help you achieve financial success after graduation.
- Utilize Your School’s Amenities
Colleges offer free amenities for their students—whether they live on-campus or commute.
One of these amenities you should absolutely take advantage of is the fitness center. Many college fitness centers have upgraded equipment over the last few years with new machines and designated spaces for fitness classes.
Odds are the machines or space you need for your workout routine will be available at your college fitness center for free instead of paying a monthly fee for a gym off-campus.
College health centers are another great resource to utilize for free or discounted health care. Many on-campus health centers offer services you would find at other health care centers, such as treating minor injuries, standard immunizations, and treatment of common illnesses like the flu and common cold. Appointments can typically be made by calling the center or through an online portal.
Locate where your college’s health center is at the beginning of the semester so you will be prepared if you need to schedule a visit.
- Take Advantage of Everything Free
Regardless of the size of the school, there is always a free event happening on campus.
Colleges offer hundreds of clubs and groups that you can join at the beginning of each semester, which means hundreds of groups hold weekly or bi-weekly meetings– some of these meetings will even have free food for members.
Colleges also put on free, themed campus-wide events (i.e. Homecoming or End-Of-Semester Block party) throughout the semester with free food and live music that may seem corny, but free food is free food!
For those who live on campus, many resident assistants (RA) will hold floor events throughout the semester as a social gathering for you and your neighbors. An example would be a movie night or game night with pizza and beverages provided.
Check out your school’s social media accounts, newspaper or website for free local events happening on-campus or in the community.
- Carry Your Student ID Everywhere
Your student ID is used for more than getting access to your dorm, college library or other school buildings.
Your student ID offers you discounts at thousands of retailers in-store and online. You can use your student ID to get discounts for activities or entertainment such as movie theatres, museums, and public transportation. Your student ID will also provide discounts at retail stores like Best Buy, Kate Spade, and Apple. There are also many digital subscriptions that offer student discounts such as Amazon Prime and Spotify.
Even if student discounts aren’t advertised on a company’s website, it doesn’t hurt to ask if they do offer a student discount. For example, some chain restaurants will give free drinks, free entrees or free sides with a valid student ID, even though it’s not something they actively advertise.
We only just scratched the surface of companies that offer student discounts, so make sure you bring your student ID with you everywhere, so you never miss a deal!
- Join a Credit Union
Credit unions and banks are quite different. Credit unions are member-centric and make choices that benefit their members over anything else.
Unlike banks, many credit unions have better interest rates, don’t charge outrageous fees, and some even accommodate people with bad credit.
Typically credit unions have fewer locations than bigger banks, which may deter some from choosing a credit union for their financial institution. However, most credit unions are affiliated through Co-Op networks. This network provides access to over 30,000 ATMs. Plus, many credit unions offer Shared Branching, which means you can deposit cash or checks, make loan payments, transfer between accounts, and access notary services without ever going to your home credit union.
Whether you plan to attend college out of state or have a trip planned across the country, you won’t need to worry about accessing your funds!
These 4 ways to save money in college just scratch the surface of everything you can do to cut costs. It’s never too late to start saving money and better your financial future, even as a college student!
