Written by DeAnna Britton, Relate Contributing Writer
One of the things the country is struggling with is money. There seems to not be enough to go around these days. This can be a problem for students as they want to go to college and be able to afford it and for current students who want to continue pursuing their education. Here are some ways you can help soften the burden of tuition and expenses.
With the new semester approaching, there are several ways a current college student can save money. With the new semester comes new classes, which means you have to buy new books. These books can add up to hundreds of dollars. One way to cut down these costs could be to buy all of your books used. Personally, I have found that I buy a book brand new and barely use it for class and when I sell it back, I get a fifth of what I paid for it. Trust me, buying used is the way to go. I have also found half.com to be my best friend when it comes to buying books. I usually get all my books for five classes for under $100 total. This will help you save a lot of money in the long run.
For those of you who like to go out to a dance club, know that that lifestyle can get expensive. I personally am in love with dancing and could go dancing any night of the week. Unfortunately, a lot of places charge you to just enter their club. My quick fix is to gather a bunch of my friends and have our own dance party in my dorm room. This helps me save money toward things I need and I still get the entertainment and exercise as if I went to a club.
On that note, you don’t have to go out and have fancy dinners every night or spend a lot of money trying to find things to do. Instead, get your friends together for a game night and play board games such as Apples to Apples and Seven Deadly Sins-anything that seems fun and make your friends laugh! Also, you can make your own dinner for you and your friends instead of going out. I usually make pancakes for everybody. It’s easy, cheap and delicious! There are a lot of things you can do to save money, so always look for the alternative!
For bigger financial issues, there are some solutions, as well. For tuition, there are many scholarships available for students to apply for. Usually you need to write an essay, but that beats paying $2,000 out of pocket for your education! Also, many of you have probably heard of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). You apply for it every year and it determines how much federal aid you receive toward your school’s tuition. It is best to fill this out as soon as possible.
If you currently work, you should also start saving money just in case of emergencies. It comes in handy when you’re in a money crunch.
(Photo by newsweek.com)
Tags: college tuition, expenses, FAFSA, financial aid, save money in college, saving money, used college rental books
Those are great ways to save money. I love it. Speaking of used. At our school there is a board were you can buy a used book directly from another student that just took the class. There are even some that are giving them away.
Awesome advice! I always used to look on Amazon or other used book websites for deals. You can also ask friends who have taken the class before you to buy the book directly from them. If it’s not a heavy reading class, you can also split the cost of the book and share!