College Expenses: It’s Not Just the Tuition

For most adults returning to school, it won’t be such a difficult transition. Sure, there will be some added expenses and a few adjustments to be had, however, you have had some time and experience living on your own, so you know how it works and what to expect.

For the younger generation however, having just graduated from high school, most of you will have an idea of the world, based on just living with your folks and what you may have been taught in school, but there’s still quite a bit of real-world learning ahead of you.

Living on your own is an exciting prospect and you’re the one calling the shots. Hopefully, you learned enough about being responsible that you can take on this endeavor, well, responsibly.

You have taken the first step into a productive an rewarding adulthood: a higher education for your career and your future. The education is being paid for somehow, whether it is through grants and scholarships, which often also leave you with some funds for living expenses, or through family, where either you’re being given living money as well or having to work to pay those expenses.

No matter how your education itself is being paid for, you have more than just your tuition to think about. Some expenses are education related and others have to do with your day to day living. No matter what the expense, it’s good to cut a few corners and try to save a buck or twenty wherever you can.

No matter where the money for your living expenses is coming from, you are experiencing the phenomena that most college students endure: poor student syndrome. in this day and age, a few hundred dollars goes about as far as pocket change. Here’s a few tips for cutting your costs and optimizing every penny:

Housing
If you’re a student who has chosen to fly the coop and no longer live at home, you have 2 options. You can either live in a dorm or in campus housing, or you can get an off-campus place of your own.

Dorms and on-campus housing don’t come cheap. If this is included in your tuition costs, it will just push your expenses up even higher. The est option is to find nearby, off-campus housing.

Many of these places are run by landlords or companies who are well aware that most of their tenants attend college nearby. They often offer move-in specials and affordable monthly rent. This will cut your costs considerably. If you have a friend or two that want to split the cost, even better!

Thrifty Shopping
It’s very unlikely that you packed up your childhood bedroom and moved every last thing to college with you. besides, being on your own, you want the freedom and the experience of picking out and acquiring your own things.

However, unless you’re up there with the Vanderbilts and the Rockefellers, you probably can’t afford the latest, upscale trends. Welcome to the real world. It’s the way most of us live these days: frugal, good enough.

Hit the thrift shops and resale stores! You can find great furniture and home accessories or housewares for pennies on the dollar. It’s a great way to acquire some nice, affordable clothing too.

Textbooks
For those students whose tuition is paid with family money, this is still a good tip to save everyone some dollars. For those on a penny, pinching budget and receiving financial aid, this tip is quite valuable.

Don’t buy new textbooks unless you have no other choice (for example, new curriculum just came out and no used copies are available).

Now, if you are receiving financial aid, you will either have a book voucher or a student account. The more you save on books, the more you have coming back to you either as cash for your other expense or to be put toward other educational needs.

Used books are just as good, so no worries. The problem with your voucher or student account could arise if you have the nutty professor, such as I once did. You voucher or account will typically cover those books listed as the required curriculum set up for your classes.

My English professor announced on the first day of class that we would be required to return the book that was ought for the class and to buy a different one. because this book was considered elective and not required text, I was out $130 of my own money.

So, you can see why it is important to save some dough here. If you have other books from semesters past that are in good condition, but no longer needed, consider cashing in on them or trading them in on the books you do need.

You Gotta Eat, Right?
Some universities offer several meal plans that you can choose from. This can push your tuition up a bit, especially if you get the all-you-can-eat or unlimited plan. Smaller colleges often have the cafeteria option or there’s always the grab-and-go fast food choice. Unfortunately, all of these can get pricey and may not be so healthy for you.

You are better off to budget in groceries so you can make healthy meals and snacks. This will save you money and you will feel healthy and alert enough for school because of the good food. However, groceries can be expensive if you don’t shop right.

*Look for sales and take advantage of them
*Shop discount grocery stores and damaged freight grocery stores
*Join your local grocery store’s savings card program (if they have one)
*Clip and Use coupons, especially for stuff you buy frequently
*Generics and store brands are often just as good (some say even better) than name brands

There are tons of other ways for a college student to save money on there expenses. These are just a few ideas, but they can make a huge difference between being broke or at least making the ends touch, if they don’t always meet.