No matter where you live in the United States, saving money while putting yourself through college is a hard order to fill. Even so, it is still possible in most situations to save money (a significant amount of money) if you are willing to make some sacrifices and go the extra distance.
Having a checking and a savings account is great, but make sure that the account that you have is free. Many banks like to charge fees for just having an account or for using the ATM more than they would like you to. Look around for a checking account that is free monthly and doesn't charge you insane fees elsewhere so they can make up the difference (and then some).
Keeping track of your credit card and debit card purchases is absolutely key. You never want to go over your credit card's limit or cause your checking account to be overdrawn because you made one PIN purchase too many. Many banks will let you overdraw yourself with your debit card just as easily as you can bounce a check (and of course they would, this is in their favor, since it means they get to collect an overdraft fee), so keep a constant check on how much money you have in the bank. Managing money is just as much a key to saving money as spending wisely is.
Invest in a bicycle or a pair of rollerblades or a scooter or something that gets good gas mileage if you live close to your college campus. The closer you live, the better, but it likely gets more expensive to rent the closer to campus you get, so choose the solution that's right for you. Not only is a bicycle a cheap option that will pay for itself within a few months (the rollerblades will pay for themselves quicker if you get a good pair, not so quick if you get a great pair), but it will also help you lose weight if you're as health conscious as many people are these days.
A great thing that you can do to show yourself just how wasteful you can be in a month's time is to hold onto all of your receipts for everything. Look at them at the end of the month and think about what you can leave out of next month's purchases. Coffee shop habits are particularly expensive and you may be better off learning how to be your own barista at home.
Purchase your textbooks used and online if possible instead of expensive bookstores that can often cost you twice as much.
Don't go overboard with the amount of school supplies that you purchase. If you buy something, make sure you're going to need it.
Lastly, it's often true that eating out can be just as cheap as eating in, but it may not be as healthy. Try to find some healthy alternatives to fast food places like McDonald's and Wendy's. Sushi is a great food if you're trying to diet and 1 roll is often enough to make a meal for 1 person and costs around the same as a burger and fries in some locations.
![[Valid RSS feed]](http://www.articlesinsight.com/images/icon_Rss.png "XML Feed For RSS"){kind=icon}
Category Rss Feed
Print This Article
Add To Favorites
