personClick to Personalize
Home chevron_right 10 Step Action Guideschevron_rightGuide
More Easy Ways to Save Money in College
By: Gen and Kelly Tanabe


4
Get free food at campus events.

You know where the free food is on campus? At campus events! Whether it's an Earth Day celebration or a concert sponsored by one of the dorms, there are always free food and drinks. Make it a habit to look for posters and flyers announcing these events to get your free grub.


5
Trim your rent.

The easiest way to save on rent (short of moving) is to get a roommate. Turn an extra room or an extra large apartment into extra cash. Be aware, however, that some apartments have legal occupancy limits and your apartment manager may want to raise the rent. So before you do anything, run it by the manager and see if adding an extra person will save you money.

If you add a roommate, you'll probably have to sign a new lease with both of your names on it. This is important because it will legally obligate your new roommate to pay the rent and any damages to the apartment. You'll also want to sign the renters' equivalent of a pre-nuptial. Spell out everything that might be the source of a problem such as who takes out the garbage, the frequency of having house parties and what the policy is on guests staying over. (Roommates' significant others have been known to bunk rent-free for months at a time.) If things don't work out and you want to part ways with your roommate, you'll have something written to back up your claims.


6
Share those DVDs.

While music piracy is a definite no-no, you can still legally share your DVDs and CDs. Instead of renting or buying, visit your hall mates and see what they have in their collection. You might even set up a schedule where you swap DVDs on a regular basis.


7
Take fruit and cereal from the cafeteria.

If you have a meal plan that gives you unlimited access to the cafeteria, take some fruit or cereal back to your dorm as a late-night snack. Kept in a refrigerator, fruit and cereal (put it in a Ziploc if it's not in one of those individual size boxes) will last a long time and save you money that you might otherwise spend on a snack from the convenience store.



About the Author

Gen and Kelly Tanabe
Founders of SuperCollege and authors of 13 books on college planning.



add
1001 Ways to Pay for College

By: Gen & Kelly Tanabe
Need money for college? Stressed over how to pay the next tuition bill? Searching for a way to get a degree without going broke? Whether you need a full-tuition scholarship or a little extra cash to make ends meet, 1001 Ways to Pay for College provides students and parents with the answers.


Learn More