College is known as a time of having little money & living off Ramen, so here’s a few tips to help save & even earn some money while in college!
Shopping Tips:
Shop in sales: Shop clever, buy your winter clothes when they’re on sale in summer & vice versa. You can really save a lot of money on good quality clothes such as shoes & fleeces buy buying them when they’re discounted.
Look around: compare online prices & the price in other stores and retailers. Also remember to check delivery!! It can make a real difference to the price!
Discount Codes: a college student’s best friend. Sites like Unidays & Student Beans always have lots of codes for discounts when shopping online and don’t forget to present your card at the till when you’re shopping in store! Also many bloggers often share discount codes so make sure to look out for them too!
Unsubscribe from emailing lists: emails offering products that you don’t need or from stores are 1) clogging up your inbox & 2) can be tempting to make impulse purchases.
Cut down on take-out: and food you buy in college. Try bringing your own meals & snacks you’ve made at home in. You’ll be surprised how much you’ll save in a week!
Be wise about when you shop: look out in advance about when there’s going to be a sale on & know about upcoming ones, especially if looking for something specific.
Buy high quality: on items that you use often such as fleeces, shoes & coats. Try and buy these when they’re on sale, usually spring and summer months! Buying a higher quality will stop you having to repurchase sooner as they’ll last longer.
Be careful shopping with others: be considerate about what you want & what you need. Friends can sometimes be a bad influence when it comes to buying wants.
Pay with cash if possible: people tend to spend less if they can actually see what they’re spending & see it disappear.
Good Saving Habits:
At the end of each week: clear out your purse, collect spare change in a jar, watch it add up!
Have a target: set a target for an amount you want to save at the start of each week. At the end of the week you can use it to treat yourself, or save it up and after a few months you could have enough for a trip!
Ask yourself if you need it: especially for things like textbooks. See if there’s other options such as borrowing from the library or buying a cheaper old/used edition.
Make use of free things: such as the library! You can borrow books for free & it’s a warm, quiet place to study (which will save money on your home electricity bill!). Also see if any college clubs have free classes such as karate, or dance which you can do, instead of forking out for a gym membership! Also societies are always hosting free events such as movie nights!
Try envelople budgeting: it can be a handy way to see how much you want to spend on different things!
Mend: old things or DIY a new one! Pinterest is great for finding plenty of different DIY’s & hacks.
Sign up for rewards programmes: if you shop at a specific store a lot, see if they offer a loyalty programme. Some banks even offer rewards for shopping at specific stores. So make sure you’re all signed up to make the best of your purchases!
Share subscriptions: Ask if anyone wants to share a subscription service such as Netflix with you, it’ll be cheaper & you’ll both benefit! Also remember Spotify & Apple Music both offer 50% off student discount!!
Earning Money:
Online Jobs: such as translator, writer, or typist. These jobs offer a lot of flexibility which can help if you’ve a busy schedule! This blog post has lots of information on online jobs.
Tutoring: there’s always people needing a little extra help in a subject, and if it’s one you’re specialising in, why not choose to tutor! There are online sites depending on your local area which can list you as a tutor in specific subjects.
Weekend Jobs: If you’re busy from 9-5 in college it can be hard to find a job during the weekdays. Plenty of companies are looking for people to work weekends, when their weekday staff is off.
Working on Campus: can be a great option as they know you have a busy schedule and also when exams are coming up. Pop in to your Student’s Union and see if they know of any available jobs!
Online Surveys: you won’t get rich quick from doing these & in my opinion some can be really time consuming. Many offer gift cards instead of money but income is income! Look online for companies that offer online surveys were you live.
Sell: old stuff hidden in the attic or clothes you never wear! Sites like eBay and Depop always have people looking out for something specific which you could have. Make sure you’re honest about your products condition & work out the shipping beforehand so you can get a sale!
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