<p>i've been accepted to colleges, but I am so confused about which colleges are better financially, educationally, environment wise.... ahhh</p>
<p>and i know its late, but i dont want to burden my parents with my college costs [im a twin]. and as soon as me and my sister graduate, my little sis starts college, and two yrs later, my little brother. they've worked very hard to support me and my family, and i don't want my parents to be penny-less by the time they retire. they've wanted to do alot of things- and i do NOT want my education to stop them.</p>
<p>so, i've got to start generating an income when i go to college for sure. but do you guys know of any simple, but efficient ways to save cash before and while i attend college. i dont want to end up in debt, or get tied into some financial agreement that could be bad for me.</p>
<p>so, what have you done/ plan to do to save money? any ideas are welcome.</p>
<p>thanks a bunch- bumble</p>
<p>**edit: applied and completed the fafsa. ;D just in case u were wondering.</p>
<p>It is very considerate of you to be concerned about college costs and impact to your parents. did you apply to any inexpensive schools? Did you apply to any schools that meet need with low or no loans? How will you be paying for your education? </p>
<p>One tip is to try to buy your textbooks early…try to buy used ones (make sure they are the correct books) and resell books that you won’t need when classes end.</p>
<p>If you have parents or someone coming to see you now and then have them pick up items you need and pay them back. Like shampoo, laundry detergent, soap. Trying to buy stuff on campus is expensive.<br>
Also, our water and grocery bill goes way down when son is in college so it saves us money.</p>
<p>Re: textbooks…buy them online…used. Just make sure they are the same edition of the book the teacher requires. In addition spend the extra money to have them shipped FASTER than book rate. Otherwise the term could end before you see your books:) Another book option that is becoming popular is renting textbooks. This is very cost effective. Check to see if your college does this. My kid rented a $400 (yes, $400) book for the summer term a couple of years ago for $50. It wasn’t a book she intended to keep anyway. </p>
<p>You can resell texts online as well…and you will net more money than selling them back at the bookstore.</p>
<p>Don’t get stuck on “name brands” for things like clothing. E.g. the EMS polar fleece is every bit as nice as the Northface Danali for a fraction of the cost. Ditto shoes…Uggs are $200 a pair. Bearpaws are $70 a pair. Both are fleece lined suede boots. Do the math…that’s a huge difference.</p>
<p>Learn to do your own manicures and pedicures if you’re a girl. Costs for those really add up. </p>
<p>Snack food purchases really add up. Buy some things you like that you can toss in your backpack so you won’t have to spend money on them…granola bars for example. </p>
<p>Ditch the bottled water for a Brita Pitcher and your OWN water bottle.</p>
<p>i didn’t realize how much money u could save from not buying ridiculously large hot chocolates or expensive drinks. i dont drink coffee but ive stopped going to Joffrey’s coffee on my school campus, and i saved about 25$ this week. sounds small, but i think itll accumulate quite a bit.</p>
<p>buy used textbooks- thanks ill def rmr that. momof2- yes. i applied to both state and prvate schools… and we filled out the fafsa. my parents arent as concerned [or atleast they are quite good at not showing it =] but i dont want to be a freeloader. i’ve never had a ‘real job’ before, and we’ve never had money problems, but i don’t want to be a spoiled brat or just take advantage of the situation. i just dont want to be a burden, you know?</p>
<p>i don’t know anyone who could buy stuff for me off campus, but im sure i could figure out a way to get stuff off campus. </p>
<p>renting textbooks sounds cool- but i like to write in my textbooks. lol. sounds like a good option… id just have to resort to sticky notes instead of penciling stuff in, i guess.</p>
<p>im going to make a word doc and copy paste all of these in, so i dont forget!</p>
<p>thanks for the advice =D i really appreciate’em!</p>
<p>i didn’t realize how much money u could save from not buying ridiculously large hot chocolates or expensive drinks. i dont drink coffee but ive stopped going to Joffrey’s coffee on my school campus, and i saved about 25$ this week. sounds small, but i think itll accumulate quite a bit.</p>
<p>buy used textbooks- thanks ill def rmr that. momof2- yes. i applied to both state and prvate schools… and we filled out the fafsa. my parents arent as concerned [or atleast they are quite good at not showing it =] but i dont want to be a freeloader. i’ve never had a ‘real job’ before, and we’ve never had money problems, but i don’t want to be a spoiled brat or just take advantage of the situation. i just dont want to be a burden, you know?</p>
<p>i don’t know anyone who could buy stuff for me off campus, but im sure i could figure out a way to get stuff off campus. </p>
<p>renting textbooks sounds cool- but i like to write in my textbooks. lol. sounds like a good option… id just have to resort to sticky notes instead of penciling stuff in, i guess.</p>
<p>im going to make a word doc and copy paste all of these in, so i dont forget!</p>
<p>thanks for the advice =D i really appreciate’em!</p>
<p>Bumble…$25 a week at a coffee shop? That is $100 or more a month. You need to learn to make your own hot chocolate. Cultivate a taste for Swiss Miss…it’s a lot cheaper!!</p>
<p>If your college is an rural one not hear shopping places, they will likely have some kind of transportation there once in a while anyway. My DD who goes to college across country quickly found friends with cars who were very willing to take her to Target and Costco for her staples and toiletries. You won’t be the only one who wants to stock up on shampoo and the like.</p>
<p>My daughter had one good tip…and she IS a college student. When she goes to the mall, she does not take her debit card, credit card or a lot of money with her. She takes enough to get something to eat, and that’s it. Saves spending money on unnecessary impulse shopping while with friends. The trip is still fun, but a LOT less expensive. Sometimes she needs something and that’s different, but if she’s “along for the ride” the credit card and debit card don’t go. I thought that was a good idea.</p>
<p>Clothes wise look around for a Plato’s closet, Goodwill, or basically any second hand store or thrift shop.
You can take the clothes you don’t want there, and then buy new stuff for a fantastic deal!
I know the Goodwill near me sells things for like 19 cents a piece!
It goes to a good cause and it’s recycling! I also find brand new and all sorts of fancy brand name clothes for like a small fraction of the price it would be if bought through that company.
Clearance racks, sales, and end of season clean outs are another great way to get cool stuff and save at the same time. </p>
<p>Cut coupons, you can find them in ads and newspapers, 30 cents here, a dollar there, overtime the savings really add up!</p>
<p>awesome =] my mom had this coupon organizer when i was little. it organized all of ur coupons into different compartments. so sunday was “cut out day”. it was cute.</p>
<p>goodwill. for some reason, i always thought goodwill had really bad quality stuff. i dont know why. but ill def check it out when i go to the states. thanks!</p>
<p>btw. sorry it posted twice. cc wont let me delete it =[</p>
<p>thumper: what i meant was ive saved up to 25$. i didn’t eat at joffrey’s the whole week [they sell sandwiches on campus, not just hot chocolate ;] ive started taking sandwiches from home. </p>
<p>i do have the splurge, “buy buy buy” problem. especially when it comes to makeup. but im learning how to be thrifty. =D havent bought any makeup for two months now.</p>
<p>You shouldn’t really need to buy clothes while in college… I haven’t had to buy a single clothing item or shoes since I started college. Same jeans I’ve had all through high school, same shirts, same sweatshirts, etc. I did get a few Christmas gifts for “essential clothing items” but that’s it. Trust me, no one on campus cares what you wear. Especially here in the north- it’s all about keeping warm. Not fashion.</p>
<p>Don’t eat out. ESPECIALLY if you have some sort of meal plan. </p>
<p>If you go to the movies- go to the dollar shows or the cheaper shows. All college towns have them. </p>
<p>Don’t go to concerts. They are a HUGE waste of money. </p>
<p>Get a job. </p>
<p>If you do buy your own food, buy fruits and veggies rather than meat. Meat is ridiculously expensive.</p>
<p>i’ve had the same wardrobe for awhile now… mostly splurge on cosmetic items unfortunately. and i’ve heard college dorm room closets are small, and i can only bring my stuff by airplane, so im limited in terms of space.</p>
<p>=D im going to be a vegetarian when i go to college. </p>
<p>no concerts. got it. dollar shows… arent they on tuesdays or something? </p>
<p>i want to get a job… i applied for a work-study, but i might not get it. if not, i’d like to work in a library =D</p>
<p>**somehow i have this shameful, i-am-a-very-spoiled-child feeling. its not that my parents have spoiled me… they have always been very smart about money… only buying when there are discounts and sales. im so scared that im going to go outtawhack w/ money once im the only one responsible. AHH.</p>
<p>oh question! how should i keep track of my money in college? my parents are going to teach me how to use quicken this weekend… anything else i should know? </p>
<p>thanks again =D all of ur comments have been so helpful</p>
<p>If you are very social and enjoy organizing, look into becoming an RA (resident advisor). Some universities allow students to RA as early as sophompre year, at others you have to be a junior or senior. Most universities give you free housing and some also include a free meal plan for RAs. The savings can be $6,000 - $12,000 per year.</p>
<p>Check to see if you can fulfill any of your GE requirements with community college courses at your local cc during the summer. Staying a bit ahead in credits is important to avoid having to stay an extra semester or year beyond four - graduating on time can save thousands.</p>
<p>On the same note as above, if you are doing a for-credit internship over the summer, see if you can get the credits through a community college instead of your university. The difference can be $30/unit at a community college vs. as much as $1,300/unit at a private university. </p>