Do you know someone who is headed Back to College this week? I live in a College town and our stores are full of Kids (And their parents) Stocking up on essentials and filling their dorm rooms and apartments for the start of a new year. Schick challenged us to share our best back to school tips with you and I’ve got some fun Back to School College Savings Hacks to help you save your time, money and your sanity!
Back to School College Savings Strategies
1. Stockpile Necessities Before you arrive on Campus
The prices of basic items are inflated if you buy them on campus, You can make a simple trip to Walmart and pick up all the necessities you need before you head back to school. Having a nice stockpile of essentials like these Schick Disposable Razors and other necessities that will last you through the semester will help you avoid paying higher prices on campus.
Space Saving Tip – If you stock up and have multiple packages then take the time to open up the packaging and place items like disposable razors in a plastic bag to reduce the amount of space needed for storing!
2. Take Advantage of Freebies
Did you know Starbucks offers FREE Refills of Brewed or Iced Coffee or Tea Beverages regardless of the original beverage you purchased as long as you stay in the store. Spend your studying hours at Starbucks and take advantage of these Unlimited refills on the same visit. You can get the details here.
Schick Disposables is sponsoring this awesome giveaway which could earn you FREE money to put towards your college tuition – that is $10,000 for 4 Grand Prize Winners. You can also win more awesome prizes!
3. Keep Snacks in your Backpack
Resist the urge to buy snacks from vending machines and college campus stores, the prices are always inflated. If you stock up off campus at your local Walmart and just keep your backpack filled with a few of your favorite snacks you’ll really start to see the savings add up.
4. Rent Textbooks & eBooks
Skip the high prices at your local campus bookstore and Rent your Text Books or eBooks. You can rent textbooks from the Amazon App and it’s simple and much more efficient + you won’t have to carry around all those heavy books in your backpack. Check out some of the cool features included with eTextbooks here.
5. Get a Debit Card & Skip the Credit Cards
The average college student leaves college with over $3,000 in Credit Card debt. Start life after college with a blank slate by using a Debit Card instead of a Credit Card, this forces you to be more responsible with your money and helps keep you from spending money you don’t have. You’ll thank me in 4 years when you come out of college without the additional burden of credit card debt.
6. Find a Bank with ATM’s Located on Campus
Check with your local bank and make sure that there are ATM’s that you can use Fee-Free located on your college campus or near by. The last thing you want to do is rack up tons of ATM fees for taking money out of a different bank’s machine. If you’re from out of state it might be worth the trouble to set up a new Free Checking Account at a local bank just to have access to your money fee-free. Look for a bank near campus, they often offer Fee-Free Checking for Students and other perks that you might not find at another location.
7. Rotate Cooking Responsibilities with your Roommates
If you live off campus set up a cooking schedule with your roommates and take turns cooking dinner. Often times it’s hard to cook for just 1 person so if you take turns cooking for everyone then you’ll save money because you’ll be buying less food each week. Cooking at home is also MUCH CHEAPER than eating out every meal so it’s a great way to save big over the course of the year.
8. Use an App to Keep up with Bills
Use an app like Bill Monitor to help you track your bills and when they are due. This app will alert you when your bills are going to be due and help remind you to pay them on time so you can avoid all those hefty late fees that add up fast.
9. Skip the Gym Membership
Most college campuses have a Fitness Center or Fitness Classes that you can take. You can use these classes in place of the traditional Gym Membership to save on Monthly Fees.
10. FREE Amazon Prime Memberships
Did you know you can get 6 months of Amazon Prime for Free and then get Half Price Memberships after your Free Trial? It’s an awesome deal and a great way to save on everything you need.
11. Ditch Netflix & Cable
If you’re paying monthly for Netflix and Cable consider switching to less expensive services. You can get Amazon Prime Instant Videos free with your Amazon Prime Account. This is half price for students and there’s a FREE 6 month Trial! A Year Membership is only $49 which works out to just $4.08 per month! Much less than Cable or Netflix.
12. Attend On Campus Events!
I can’t tell you how many meals I ate for Free just by keeping up with the Campus Calendar. There were often Free Lunches at our school union when organizations were promoting or celebrating different events. These are a great time to connect with other students and save a little on eating out so pay attention to those Campus Calendars and Flyers for details and dates.
13. Earn Extra Cash On Campus
There are often research studies, experiments, & surveys on college campuses that pay participants involved for their time. I used to take these Food Taste Test surveys on campus that paid between $20-$40 for tasting and giving feedback on new recipes. Basically I got a Free Lunch and got paid for my time to complete surveys and share my opinions on which items I liked the best! It was super simple and actually a lot of fun.
14. Print at the Library or Computer Center
Chances are you’re already paying hefty printing and computer center fees included in your college tuition. Make sure you resist the urge to print things at home because Ink and Paper can be expensive. Use your campus computer centers and print what you can since you’re technically already paying for it.
15. Don’t Stop Applying for Scholarships
Just because you’re already in college doesn’t mean your chance to apply for Scholarships is over. In fact there are some scholarships only available to upperclassmen so make sure you keep applying because every dollar matters and even those smaller scholarships really add up.
The ideas for saving at college are really limitless, most of the high costs of campus living are associated with conveniences, by stockpiling items when you’re off campus, planning ahead & taking advantage of discounts and freebies you can really get the most out of your college experience without spending a fortune!
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Schick®. The opinions and text are all mine.
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