<p>What's the cheapest way to live while at school??? should I live off campus and find some roommates or at the college apartments? I want to know the cheapest way to go to a UC and survive. I.E (food and shelter) Also, what's the cheapest way to eat? </p>
<p>I don't get that much for federal student aid because my mom makes too much. In addition to that, I have a bad credit history so signing low interest student loans is not really probable.
Someone help a sister out.!</p>
<p>I really think it depends on what UC you are planning to attend. For instance, UCLA off campus can go either really expensive or pretty cheap. I have found one bedrooms for 700-800 but they are in a slightly less desirable area. The on campus apartments are affordable but you are also sharing a room with three people, so it really depends. Also, a place like UC Irvine can really kill you living off campus. If you want to live in Irvine, you need at least 2-3 roommates to make it anywhere near affordable, but if you are okay with commuting a little, you can live in Tustin (right next to Irvine) and probably find something more affordable that isn’t going to cost you 600+ for a room. Irvine’s on campus apartments are pretty pricey 1100+, but you are also alone and that includes all your utilities and includes furniture.
Anywho, my (longwinded) point is that it really depends on where you think you’re going to attend and what your price range would be.</p>
<p>A cardboard box and scraps from the garbage would be the absolute cheapest way. My point is, it’s all a matter of degree.</p>
<p>If possible, the sweet spot is probably family. Some students have relatives near their university who would charge less in rent than a landlord would, and less than what they’d pay to split an apartment with other students.</p>
<p>Barring that, just try and find a cheap room to rent–with a long commute, if necessary–and learn to eat cheaply. You can easily eat on $5 per day if you work at it. A book I’m reading has a meal plan that works out to $1.37 per meal, including organic beef. The key is buying in bulk, centering your diet on cheap but high quality ingredients (legumes, vegetables, etc), and cooking your own food.</p>