College students will hopefully find good careers when finished school, but until then, they need to have a tight budget so as not to fall into debt. For students who were supported until college and are now on their own, this can be hard.
However, getting through college without accruing additional debt aside from student debt that you owe for your studies is doable. It takes determination and self-control, but it definitely can be done. I’m very excited to present you with the ideas I implemented as I went through college! Put these into practice and you’ll be so happy you did.
Save on Scrubs
Grey’s Anatomy or Prada Scrubs are considered cool; I won’t deny that. However, I will say that it can be quite pressurizing to always need to get yourself brand name men’s scrubs. Once you get used to luxury, its much harder to do without, and expensive scrubs purchased while in nursing school can waste a lot of money at a time when every dollar needs to be spent wisely. Therefore, instead of buying brand name, exclusive scrubs, stick to the cheaper options. You can save hundreds to thousands of dollars per year, and one day, when you’re out of school, your debt will be significantly less because of what you didn’t spend on scrubs.
Share a Room
If your university doesn’t provide dorming, instead of having an apartment to yourself, share a room with a friend. Of course, before moving in, do your due diligence and find out if you’ll both get along. Here are a few things to keep in mind when choosing a roommate: Does he snore? If you’re a light sleeper, this may be very hard to deal with. Is he neat or messy? If you’re the type that will go crazy from a slob, make sure he isn’t one. If you’re kind of messy and chilled yourself, and neat freaks get on your nerves, then make sure he’s neat. Are you more of an introverted, early to bed sort of guy? Then a life-of-the party type of person who may bound into your shared space at 1 am with a whole bunch of cronies at his heels may cause you to deeply regret sharing your room.
However, sharing a room can be pleasant; just make sure your personalities are compatible. Also, you may want to call some references or people you know that know him to find out if he’s honest, reasonably nice, and mentally healthy. These are the kind of things that you can’t always tell immediately upon meeting a person, but they’re really important factors in deciding if this roommate makes sense for you.
Learn to Cook
It sounds daunting; I know. I didn’t think I’d be able to accomplish this either. But I taught myself how, and simultaneously discovered a talent that I never knew I had! You don’t have to cook major meals; hamburgers, hotdogs, macaroni and scrambled eggs all taste delicious. And – this one’s a shocker – you can make a hot coffee without stepping into Starbucks!
Here are a few savvy shopping tips:
- Make a list, and stick to it. If its not on the list, don’t buy it! Compulsive shopping habits are costly; there’s no denying it. However, they can be avoided! Tell yourself that you won’t buy anything that isn’t on the list. Leave the store with only what’s on the list.
- Plan in advance so you can shop on sale. I almost never pay full price on anything! Getting your stuff on sale is really a great way to save big.
- Be smart about those sales. Don’t just assume that getting something on sale means that it’ll be priced right! Some products can be on “sale” for a laughably high price.
Live Within Biking Distance to College
Don’t waste money on gas! Spend once on a good bike, and you’ll hopefully be set for years to come. Its also great exercise, and as a student, you probably don’t get to do much workouts. Biking to school is a win-win; its good for building your muscles and great for saving those greenbacks!
Get a Job
I don’t mean a fulltime job; you are in college after all. But there are part-time jobs you can do such as dogwalking or babysitting that will provide you with some spare cash. You can use this to cover some (or all) of your expenses. I often babysat at night when I was in college; I charged $13 an hour, it was usually about 3-4 times a week for 2-3 hours each time, and I earned about $400 per month. The best part was, I was basically getting paid to do nothing! The kids enjoyed sweet dreams while I studied or chatted with friends on the phone.
Just Do It!
Most of these ideas aren’t that complicated; all they take is some determination. Will is what gets you places in life; it’s what got you to college in the first place! And now, gather some of that grit and use it to save money. When you graduate college, you’ll be so, so happy you were careful earlier.
Bio:
Paul Priceman is a passionate male nurse advocate both in his personal life and professionally with Murse World. Priceman works tirelessly works to promote male nurses in the US and worldwide. He is also involved in researching and writing about various different fascinating and intriguing healthcare related topics. In his spare time, he enjoys skiing in the winter, swimming in the summer and daydreaming all year round.
