How to save money in college

Are you in college and broke? Me too. Going into college, I didn’t really think about how much money I would be spending. I saved money from my job but a few weeks into my first semester of freshman year I realized I was not budgeting my money well at all. Even with a meal plan and living in the dorms (take advantage of your meal plan, you’re going to miss it when you don’t have it anymore!), I was still going through money like crazy. Now that I’m a junior, I’ve learned a few things that help me save some money.

First, making coffee at home can be a huge help. I had a routine of going to Starbucks or Dunkin’ before every class and at the end of the first semester I did the math on how much I spent on coffee, and it was actually embarrassing. Buying a Keurig, your favorite brand of coffee pods, a creamer of your choice, and a cute cup can make all the difference, and save you so much money. I’m still guilty of going and getting a coffee every once in a while, but overall, I’ve saved hundreds of dollars by making my coffee at home most of the time.

Another suggestion to save some money is to stop Door Dashing and getting delivery as much and make your own food. Adjusting to making my own meals in college was difficult because I didn’t really know how or what to cook. Over time I learned how to make cheap and lazy meals which will be a blog post in the future so stay tuned! Buying your own groceries can be expensive but in the long run, you're able to save more than if you were ordering takeout. If you have roommates, splitting groceries is also a smart idea. My roommates and I eat pretty much the same things, so we always split the cost of groceries so going grocery shopping doesn’t make as big of a dent in your bank account.

Textbooks are also super expensive and half the time, we don’t even use them so might as well save some money when buying them. Renting used textbooks from places like Facebook Marketplace, your university or colleges group's Facebook pages, and Amazon can save you a ton of money. Textbooks tend to be more expensive at the university bookstore so try looking elsewhere before going there.

Something else you could do to save money is go to your school’s gym instead of paying for a gym membership. Gym memberships can be expensive so use the gym that your tuition is already paying for.

Another thing that saves money but is also fun is carpooling to class. If your friends have class at the same time as you or are in your class driving together will help save some money on gas and also gives you some time to hang out with your friends right before and after class. Saving money in college can be hard so making these small adjustments will help you both now and in the long run.