College life can be stressful enough as it is, but when you have money worries too, it can be so much harder than you had ever imagined, especially if you are not used to managing your own budget.
The good news is, there are lots of money-saving hacks you can employ to help you save money, live on a tight budget, and hopefully have a lot of fun along the way too…
Apply for a 0 percent credit card
It’s always a good idea, if you can, to avoid using credit at all, but we know that this is not always possible. If you do need to use a credit card to help you get by on your budget, it’s a really good idea to compare credit deals to see if you are eligible for a 0% purchase card. These cards will enable you to access the money you need without adding an interest burden, which means you will only have to pay back exactly what you spent, providing you pay off the balance before the 0% deal ends.
Grow your own
This may sound like an odd suggestion, but if you are lucky enough to live in a place that has a yard, or somewhere you can hang window boxes, you could save a lot of money by growing your own fruits and vegetables. Obviously, you won’t be able to supplement all of your diet this way, but you would be surprised how much you CAN save by doing this, and it’s a fun and relaxing hobby that will help you wind down from your studies too.
Get essentials as gifts
You may be at college, but your friends and family will likely still want to shower you with gifts on your birthday, Christmas, and other important occasions. So, why not ask them for stuff you will need instead of frivolous fun gifts? Ask your parents to get you that expensive textbook or suggest your friends buy you stationery supplies instead of the usual and that will be a few less expenses you need to worry about.
Take a sewing class
Again, this may sound strange, but many college campuses have various additional classes in things like sewing and knitting that are free or subsidized for students. If you take a sewing class, then you can repair your clothing, or even turn an old outfit into something completely new, which means you can cut your clothing budget significantly. Learning a new skill will be a lot of fun too.
Get a bike
If you have a bike, then you don’t have to spend lots of money running a car or paying over the odds for public transport. It’s also a cheap way to stay fit and healthy so you won’t need to pay for gym memberships or fitness classes either. Just make sure you invest in a really good lock too because college campuses are notorious for bike thefts.
These money-saving hacks might not be quite what you expected, but give them a chance because they really do work.
