Save More and Spend Less This Semester with These 5 Money-Saving Tips

By Meghen Jones

It’s that time of year again! You have to stock up on school supplies, textbooks, and other necessary equipment for class while keeping on schedule with rent, bills, and other various adult financial responsibilities. Whenever you seem to catch a breather, whether it’d be earning a weekly check from working part-time or receiving your college refund, it seems to disappear just as quickly after clearing your list of must-haves.

You know what’s absolutely no fun and can really cramp your style? Scraping together change when you’re short on cash. While the struggle may be very real, uCribs has put together 5 ways that you can save a few bucks during the beginning of the Fall semester.

Buy Used Textbooks or Rent Each Semester

It’s no understatement that textbooks can cost you a good chunk of money. When you have so many necessities to purchase—writing utensils, binders and notebooks, and other supplies—textbooks only add to that ever-growing list of necessary items.

Instead of purchasing brand-new textbooks, save your hard-earned cash by purchasing used textbooks or renting them each semester. Not only do you avoid spending hundreds of dollars on books, but you can also use your leftover money for any additional expenses that might present themselves at the last minute.

Keep Your Coupons

Do you ever find yourself automatically discarding those coupons that you often receive in the mail? Don’t feel bad—we all do it. While it all may seem like pure junk mail, coupons are a great way to cut financial corners. With small discounts on everything from grocery necessities to fast food, coupons are your bank account’s new BFF. This is reiterated by the fact that some consumers love the reward of couponing so much that they make it a hobby.

Next time you get several coupons, sort through them and decide which ones would be most helpful to achieve your financial goals. And who knows, you’ve most likely been skipping out on some great deals from your go-to stores. Well, uCribs is here to encourage you to get your head in the game! Couponing is a great way to get what you need at a price anyone could afford.

Prepare Your Meals

Eating out—no matter how convenient it is— always leaves you spending more and saving less. Sure, fast food is beyond beneficial to your watch and your wallet as someone constantly on-the-go, but five to eight bucks per meal adds up quickly. Trust us, if you compile a spreadsheet of your spending in the last six months on meals out, you’d probably be shocked and even a little annoyed.

Think about it this way: if you spend at the minimum of five dollars five times a week, that’s 25 dollars a week. You can use those extra 25 big ones to purchase groceries and prepare your own meals, which with that budget, will potentially last the course of a few days –depending on how big your appetite is! Plus, what’s better than a nice, homecooked meal?

Print at the Computer Lab

The need to print different materials for class is not obsolete, even in the 21st century. Required papers written for classes, syllabi that tell you everything you need to know about the course and notes that will prepare you for exams are a consistent must for college students despite the popularity of cloud-hosted technology. Sure, the small fee of 10 to 25 cents per page doesn’t seem costly, but it surely adds up just like anything else—especially if you need colored ink.

Why not save a few extra dollars with a more cost-efficient method? Avoid those endless printing fees by making a stop at your university’s computer lab. Most universities allow students a set budget per semester, allowing them to print what they want when they need it. Sure, the funds come from your fee bill, so maybe it isn’t necessarily free, but it’s more money you can keep in your pocket while utilizing services you’ve already paid for… even though you might not have realized it until now.

Save Your Spare Change

Now, we were sort of critical concerning those who scrape together spare change— but hear us out.  Trust us, we know it really can help just about anyone who is in financial jam despite being a last resort.

Ask yourself this: how many times have you tossed out that spare change that you found in your pockets or at the bottom of your purse? Almost every time, right? Believe it or not, as pointless as saving change may seem, it adds up in the long run, which seems to be the central theme of this blog!

We suggest centralizing a place in your apartment for change storage—a glass jar, for example, is often a popular option. If you really want to take your change saving game to the next level, there are a number of digital coin banks on Amazon as well!  Before you realize it, you will have saved a decent amount of cash that is perfect for unexpected expenses or a rare occasion where you actually treat yourself to something that’s been on your wish list.

While you can never go wrong with saving money, it’s perfectly normal to treat yourself to a day out, a new outfit, or a meal from your favorite restaurant. But, like everything, it must be done in moderation. With these 5 money-saving tips for the beginning of the semester, you will set the tone for your financial future by balancing what you need with what you want.

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