{"id":270,"date":"2023-05-08T10:49:32","date_gmt":"2023-05-08T15:49:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/receipthog2023.test\/?p=270"},"modified":"2023-05-09T15:54:21","modified_gmt":"2023-05-09T20:54:21","slug":"money-saving-tips-college-students","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/receipthog.de\/en\/blog\/money-saving-tips-college-students\/","title":{"rendered":"17 Realistic (and Effective) Money-Saving Tips for College Students"},"content":{"rendered":"

So you got into college \u2013 congratulations! You\u2019re about to step into the next stage of your life.<\/span><\/p>\n

But going to college means more than just getting an education; it also may be your first opportunity to experience adulthood. And when you\u2019re a full-time student, your money has to stretch a little further to keep you afloat.<\/span><\/p>\n

Luckily, you\u2019re not the first person to experience the broke college kid days, and there are tons of ways to budget and save money as a college student. But we\u2019ve taken the generic <\/span>just cut unnecessary expenses!<\/span><\/i> advice and turned it into actionable and effective ways to keep your bank account in the positives \u2013 without sacrificing all of the things that make college fun.<\/span><\/p>\n

Here are our favorite money-saving tips for college students:<\/span><\/p>\n

Make a budget \u2013 and stick with it<\/b><\/h2>\n

This is an essential first step, but it may be the toughest. If manual spreadsheets or pen-and-paper systems feel overwhelming, try an online tool like<\/span> Mint<\/span><\/a>,<\/span> PocketGuard<\/span><\/a>, or<\/span> Goodbudget<\/span><\/a>. They\u2019ll help you see the current state of your finances and make sure you only spend what you can afford.<\/span><\/p>\n

Get a part-time job<\/b><\/h2>\n

Whether it\u2019s baristaing on the weekends or a paid internship in your field, a part-time job is a great way to gain experience while earning a little money in the process. If you qualify for<\/span> Federal Work-Study<\/span><\/a>, there may be additional on-campus opportunities for you as well.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Take advantage of student discounts<\/b><\/h2>\n

From restaurants to movie theaters to hair salons, you\u2019d be surprised just<\/span> how many places<\/span><\/a> offer student discounts, especially in a college town! Make a habit of asking \u2013 and bring your student ID everywhere you go.<\/span><\/p>\n

Apply to scholarships every year<\/b><\/h2>\n

You probably applied to more scholarships than you can count as a senior in high school, but did you know that there are scholarships available to upperclassmen as well? Check with your school\u2019s financial aid department to learn what other scholarships you may qualify for.<\/span><\/p>\n

Strategically go out to eat<\/b><\/h2>\n

Avoiding restaurants is a great way to save money, but where\u2019s the fun in that? If you don\u2019t want to stop eating out entirely, plan to go during lunchtime or happy hours (<\/span>or on Tuesdays<\/span><\/a>) when everything\u2019s a little cheaper. And, of course, check if they have a student discount!<\/span><\/p>\n

Use the meal plan you\u2019re paying for<\/b><\/h2>\n

Before the school year starts, make sure you\u2019re only paying for<\/span> the meal plan you\u2019ll need<\/span><\/a>. And when you\u2019re on-campus, make sure you\u2019re using it to its full potential and not letting your precious swipes go to waste!<\/span><\/p>\n

Take advantage of your college\u2019s perks<\/b><\/h2>\n

College students get all sorts of perks just for, well, being a student. Usually this includes a gym membership, subscriptions to programs like Microsoft Office, and a<\/span> career center<\/span><\/a> with free services to help you get internships and a job after you graduate.<\/span><\/p>\n

Share expenses with friends or roommates<\/b><\/h2>\n

You\u2019re definitely not the only person in your friend group trying to figure out how to save money as a broke college student, so why not go in on some expenses together? You can save quite a bit by splitting the cost of a Netflix account or getting a Spotify family plan.<\/span><\/p>\n

Buy used, thrifted, or repurposed<\/b><\/h2>\n

Avoid buying new textbooks<\/span><\/a> if you can help it \u2013 but buying used also applies to other necessities! Thrift stores are great for filling your wardrobe, and you can find discounted furniture at second-hand stores, Facebook Marketplace, or local buy nothing groups.<\/span><\/p>\n

Don\u2019t bring your car on campus<\/b><\/h2>\n

Being The Friend With The Car sounds great until you have to pay for gas, get an oil change, and replace your brakes all in one week\u2026 So skip buying that<\/span> annual parking pass<\/span><\/a>, utilize public transport when available, and invest in a bike to get around campus (or roller skates if you\u2019re feeling quirky).<\/span><\/p>\n

Take turns hosting entertainment<\/b><\/h2>\n

On nights where you just can\u2019t study anymore, you can still find entertainment<\/span> without leaving home<\/span><\/a>. Take turns with your friends hosting movie nights, board game competitions, or in-dorm karaoke performances (RA permitting) to keep your fun budget-friendly.<\/span><\/p>\n

Attend campus events<\/b><\/h2>\n

Being a college student means having a pass to free (or cheap) events including collegiate sports, theater or music performances, and other events hosted by on-campus clubs. Bonus: on-campus events often include free food\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

Perfect your at-home coffee<\/b><\/h2>\n

Daily trips to Dunkin\u2019 or Starbucks add up quickly, so skip the coffee shop and learn<\/span> how to make your go-to order at home<\/span><\/a>. YouTube and TikTok are full of dupe recipes so good you won\u2019t know the difference.<\/span><\/p>\n

(Responsibly) use a cashback credit card<\/b><\/h2>\n

Start building credit now by<\/span> looking into credit cards<\/span><\/a> with cashback on things you\u2019re already buying \u2013 like gas, groceries, or restaurants. If you\u2019re going to school far from home, though, you may find the perks for travel or airline cards to be the best bang for your buck. But accruing interest or missing payments is the easiest way to lose money, so only spend what you can immediately pay off.<\/span><\/p>\n

Consider becoming an RA<\/b><\/h2>\n

Resident Assistants make the world (residence hall) go round, and they come with<\/span> some pretty sweet perks<\/span><\/a>, too \u2013 like free housing, no roommate, and a budget to put on events every semester. It also looks great on a resume!<\/span><\/p>\n

Resell what you\u2019re done with<\/b><\/h2>\n

When the semester is over, don\u2019t let your textbooks sit around and collect dust \u2013 sell them! Bookstores often charge a premium and then buy back for pennies on the dollar, so find others in your department who may need them and you\u2019ll both come out ahead. You can look into selling clothing or furniture you aren\u2019t using to get a little extra cash as well.<\/span><\/p>\n

Use rewards or cashback apps<\/b><\/h2>\n

Many businesses have rewards programs you can take advantage of, but there are also third-party apps that will give you cashback on things you already buy. That\u2019s why we developed<\/span> Receipt Hog<\/span><\/a> \u2013 one of the easiest ways to make some extra cash as a college student. Our completely free app not only lets you share feedback with your favorite brands, but you can also track your spending and turn your receipts into rewards \u2013 all in one place.<\/span><\/p>\n

Start saving for college today by downloading Receipt Hog from the<\/span> App Store<\/span><\/a> or<\/span> Google Play Store<\/span><\/a>. And we wish you the best of luck in your higher education!<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

So you got into college \u2013 congratulations! You\u2019re about to step into the next stage of your life.\nBut\u2026<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":542,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-270","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-money-smarts"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nTop Money-Save Tips for College Students | Receipt Hog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn the easiest and most effective ways to stretch your budget as a broke college student \u2013 without sacrificing all of the things that make college fun.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/receipthog.de\/blog\/money-saving-tips-college-students\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Top Money-Save Tips for College Students | Receipt Hog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Learn the easiest and most effective ways to stretch your budget as a broke college student \u2013 without sacrificing all of the things that make college fun.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/receipthog.de\/blog\/money-saving-tips-college-students\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Receipt Hog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-05-08T15:49:32+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-05-09T20:54:21+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/receipthog.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/shutterstock_1412586785-1-scaled.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1440\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Eric Janofski\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Eric Janofski\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/receipthog.de\/blog\/money-saving-tips-college-students\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/receipthog.de\/blog\/money-saving-tips-college-students\/\",\"name\":\"Top Money-Save Tips for College Students | Receipt Hog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/receipthog.de\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/receipthog.de\/blog\/money-saving-tips-college-students\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/receipthog.de\/blog\/money-saving-tips-college-students\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/receipthog.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/shutterstock_1412586785-1-scaled.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-05-08T15:49:32+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-05-09T20:54:21+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/receipthog.de\/#\/schema\/person\/37d042636bd7ee03967c8be6bd9aae22\"},\"description\":\"Learn the easiest and most effective ways to stretch your budget as a broke college student \u2013 without sacrificing all of the things that make college fun.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/receipthog.de\/blog\/money-saving-tips-college-students\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/receipthog.de\/blog\/money-saving-tips-college-students\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/receipthog.de\/blog\/money-saving-tips-college-students\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/receipthog.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/shutterstock_1412586785-1-scaled.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/receipthog.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/shutterstock_1412586785-1-scaled.jpg\",\"width\":2560,\"height\":1440},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/receipthog.de\/blog\/money-saving-tips-college-students\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/receipthog.de\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"17 Realistic (and Effective) Money-Saving Tips for College Students\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/receipthog.de\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/receipthog.de\/\",\"name\":\"Receipt Hog\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/receipthog.de\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/receipthog.de\/#\/schema\/person\/37d042636bd7ee03967c8be6bd9aae22\",\"name\":\"Eric Janofski\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/receipthog.de\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/22513ab3569da277d7536f6d45783e25228c198b23ddffa7bb0b2db6332100a1?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/22513ab3569da277d7536f6d45783e25228c198b23ddffa7bb0b2db6332100a1?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Eric Janofski\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/receipthog.de\/en\/blog\/author\/b1-super\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Top Money-Save Tips for College Students | Receipt Hog","description":"Learn the easiest and most effective ways to stretch your budget as a broke college student \u2013 without sacrificing all of the things that make college fun.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/receipthog.de\/blog\/money-saving-tips-college-students\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Top Money-Save Tips for College Students | Receipt Hog","og_description":"Learn the easiest and most effective ways to stretch your budget as a broke college student \u2013 without sacrificing all of the things that make college fun.","og_url":"https:\/\/receipthog.de\/blog\/money-saving-tips-college-students\/","og_site_name":"Receipt Hog","article_published_time":"2023-05-08T15:49:32+00:00","article_modified_time":"2023-05-09T20:54:21+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2560,"height":1440,"url":"https:\/\/receipthog.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/shutterstock_1412586785-1-scaled.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Eric Janofski","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Eric Janofski","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/receipthog.de\/blog\/money-saving-tips-college-students\/","url":"https:\/\/receipthog.de\/blog\/money-saving-tips-college-students\/","name":"Top Money-Save Tips for College Students | Receipt Hog","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/receipthog.de\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/receipthog.de\/blog\/money-saving-tips-college-students\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/receipthog.de\/blog\/money-saving-tips-college-students\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/receipthog.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/shutterstock_1412586785-1-scaled.jpg","datePublished":"2023-05-08T15:49:32+00:00","dateModified":"2023-05-09T20:54:21+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/receipthog.de\/#\/schema\/person\/37d042636bd7ee03967c8be6bd9aae22"},"description":"Learn the easiest and most effective ways to stretch your budget as a broke college student \u2013 without sacrificing all of the things that make college fun.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/receipthog.de\/blog\/money-saving-tips-college-students\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/receipthog.de\/blog\/money-saving-tips-college-students\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/receipthog.de\/blog\/money-saving-tips-college-students\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/receipthog.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/shutterstock_1412586785-1-scaled.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/receipthog.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/shutterstock_1412586785-1-scaled.jpg","width":2560,"height":1440},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/receipthog.de\/blog\/money-saving-tips-college-students\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/receipthog.de\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"17 Realistic (and Effective) Money-Saving Tips for College Students"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/receipthog.de\/#website","url":"https:\/\/receipthog.de\/","name":"Receipt Hog","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/receipthog.de\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/receipthog.de\/#\/schema\/person\/37d042636bd7ee03967c8be6bd9aae22","name":"Eric Janofski","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/receipthog.de\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/22513ab3569da277d7536f6d45783e25228c198b23ddffa7bb0b2db6332100a1?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/22513ab3569da277d7536f6d45783e25228c198b23ddffa7bb0b2db6332100a1?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Eric Janofski"},"url":"https:\/\/receipthog.de\/en\/blog\/author\/b1-super\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/receipthog.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/270","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/receipthog.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/receipthog.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/receipthog.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/receipthog.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=270"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/receipthog.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/270\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":851,"href":"https:\/\/receipthog.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/270\/revisions\/851"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/receipthog.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/542"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/receipthog.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=270"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/receipthog.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=270"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/receipthog.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=270"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}