Saving Money When Heading Off To College

Summary: Heading off to college can be a nerve-racking experience, particularly when you start adding up all of the expenses you will be facing when you attend school. Though college is going to be somewhat costly regardless of what you do, there are a few things you can do to help save yourself some money when heading off to pursue your dreams. Take Advantage of Pre-Paid Meal Plans With pre-paid meal plans, which are offered by most colleges to students staying on campus, y...

Heading off to college can be a nerve-racking experience, particularly when you start adding up all of the expenses you will be facing when you attend school. Though college is going to be somewhat costly regardless of what you do, there are a few things you can do to help save yourself some money when heading off to pursue your dreams. Take Advantage of Pre-Paid Meal Plans With pre-paid meal plans, which are offered by most colleges to students staying on campus, you can actually get a pretty good deal when it comes to how much you will be paying per meal. Of course, you need to be on campus and at the student dining hall in order to take advantage of these free meals. Try not to get caught up in socializing off campus so much that you miss out on the meals you have already paid for with the pre-paid meal plan. Shop Smart when Purchasing Textbooks College textbooks can be quite costly. In fact, the books you need for just one class can cost you hundreds of dollars if you buy your books from the campus bookstore. Rather than shelling out unnecessary dollars, see about buying the used books the store will have to offer. You will need to get in early, however, because used books usually fly off of the shelf pretty quickly. If the campus bookstore is out of used books, try looking online with bookstores such as Amazon.com. Another option is to ask around campus. More than likely, there is someone else on your campus that has already taken the class that will be more than happy to sell the book to you. Another way to save money on textbooks is to purchase international books. Books sold in other countries usually have the same content as those bought in the states but cost much less in order to be appropriate for that country's economy. These books may be made of less quality paper and may contain only black and white print, but the savings can be quite substantial. Bypass the Bookstore when Selling Old Textbooks When you are done with your textbooks, you most likely won't be using them again. Therefore, you can sell the books in order to recoup some of the money you spent to buy them in the first place. Many people take their textbooks back to the campus bookstore to resell them. While this is convenient, you can actually make more money if you sell your books directly to someone without bothering with the bookstore. In fact, you can make more money while also providing that person with a better deal than what the bookstore has to offer. Look Into Student Discounts and Freebies In order to experience college to its fullest, you will likely want to be involved in a number of different activities. Many times, students can actually receive special discounts or can even get into certain events for free. Be sure to find out about free events and concerts that are offered nearby and take advantage of them in order to socialize and have fun. Also, ask businesses whether or not they offer student discounts and take advantage of these offerings as well.