There are many costs involved with going to college including tuition, books, housing, entertainment, and food.These costs can quickly add up and make life after college a financial nightmare.
To avoid getting into a sticky situation yourself, here are ten practical money tips for you, the college student.Try some of these tips to lower the amount of debt you end up with, and to help clear your head after graduation.If you are the parent of a college student, send them this list.
1.Be Careful Of Promotions On Campus
There are certain companies and organizations that make money by preying on naive and unsuspecting college students. Some examples of this are credit card companies, loan companies, and employers looking for dirt cheap labor. Just be aware of the people out there hoping to make an easy buck off of you. Regardless of the endorsements, read the fine print.
2.Don't Eat Out All The Time
It may be convenient and tempting to eat out frequently, but it can end up costing you a lot of money. Start keeping track of how many times you eat out every week or month, to see how the costs add up. You might be surprised by how much money you spend on food.
3.Use Your Credit Card For Emergencies Only
With all of the expenses associated with going to college, it can be very easy to rack up a lot of credit card debt. So instead of making poor decisions with your credit card, save it for emergencies only. It is easy to overspend and spend without thinking when you're paying with plastic, but when you pay with cash, things are very different.
4.Commute To School
Living off campus and commuting to school is an option that can help you save a bundle of money. This is especially true if you go to school on an urban campus, where rent can cost a lot of money. The cost of gas, insurance, parking, and maintenance can be far less than paying for rent in many cases.
5.Buy Books Online Before The Semester Starts
Most college students know that buying books on campus can be a big rip off. The profit margins at college and university bookstores can be as high as 50%. The main reason why students buy from these book stores is because of convenience. It's so much easier to get your books on campus and go right to class, but the costs are just too high. If you plan ahead and buy your books online, you can save yourself hundreds of dollars per semester.
6.Consolidate Loans
Do the math and find out if consolidating your school loans will make it easier to pay them off in the future. In many cases, loan consolidation can help simplify and reduce your overall debt and interest payments.
7.Get A Part Time Job
If you have time outside of your academic and social life, consider taking on a part time job to make extra money. Having a part time job will give you some extra cash to pay for the things you need and help you avoid adding more to your debts. Many schools offer work/study programs that pay students tax free.
8.Max Out Financial Aid And Scholarships
Find financial aid and scholarship programs to help pay for your education and other expenses. There is probably a scholarship program for your particular major, ethnicity group, or background. Most of these scholarships require a simple essay and resume and can be well worth the time and effort put into applying for them. The bottom line is, if you're not maxing out the amount of financial aid and scholarships you receive, you're leaving money on the table.
9.Take Advantage Of Student Discounts
Ask around to find out about restaurants and entertainment venues that offer discounts to college students. You can get discounts on meals, movie tickets, concert tickets, and clothing just for having a college ID. If you're going to spend money on these things anyway, you might as well try to get a discount.
10.Study Hard
The best way to save money in college is to make the most of the money you're spending. If you study hard and do well academically, the thousands and thousands of dollars you spent to go to school will have been that much better spent. So do the best you can and make the most of your tuition dollars.
College is expensive and is getting more expensive each year. Most college students are unprepared to face the financial burdens that are required to earn a degree. With these ten tips, you’ll have a better chance of maintaining your financial health throughout college.
上大学涉及的费用很多,包括学费、书、住宿、娱乐还有伙食。这些费用会迅速地叠加起来,并把你的毕业后的生活变成一个“理财地狱”。
这里有10个实用的理财诀窍,让你避免自己陷入棘手的情况。尝试这里的一些建议来减少你最终的债务,同时帮助你毕业后还清债款。如果你是大学生的父母,给孩子们看看这些建议。
1、小心校园里的促销活动
有一些公司和组织通过猎食那些天真的没有疑心的大学生来赚钱。例如信用卡公司,贷款公司还有寻找廉价劳动力的雇主。要知道外面的这些人只是想从你身上简简单单地赚到钱。无视其他罗嗦的协议,先认真看看关于小字体的附属条款。
2、不要总是在外面吃饭
频繁地去外面吃饭虽然很方便也很诱人,但是它会吃掉你一大笔钱。开始留意每星期或者每月外出吃饭的次数,看看这耗费了你多少钱。你可能会对你在伙食上的花销感到惊讶。
3、只在紧急状况下才使用你的信用卡
加上和上大学相关的所有费用,大量的信用卡债务很容易就会被构架起来。因此,与其根据你的拙劣的决定来使用信用卡,不如省下来应急。当你用信用卡买东西时,很容易透资或者想也不想就把钱花掉,但是如果你用现金付款,情况就不一样了。
4、通勤上学
住在校外和通勤上学是一个能为你省下一笔钱的选择。如果你在市区的校园里上学则更是如此,房租就能花掉一大笔钱。在许多情况下,瓦斯、保险、停车和维修的费用可以远低于支付租金。
5、在开学钱上网买书
很多大学生都知道,在校园里买书就像被洗劫一场。学校里的书店利润率高达50%。学生在这些买书的主要原因是方便。在校园里买书可以方便地拿了书就直接去上课,但是费用太高了。如果你事先计划好在网上买书,每学期你可以给自己省下几百块的美元。
6、合并贷款
计算并找出,合并你在学校的贷款是否会使得将来更容易还清。在许多情况下,合并贷款能帮助你简化和减少你的总债务和利息。
7、找一份兼职
如果除了学术和社交活动你还有足够的时间,考虑从事一份兼职来赚点外快。有一份兼职能给你带来额外的现金来购买必需品,还可以帮你避免增加更多的债务。许多学校提供给学生免税的半工读计划。
8、最大化财政援助贷款和奖学金
寻找财政援助贷款和奖学金来帮助你的教育和其他方面的开支。很可能会有为你的特殊专业,种族或者背景所提供的奖学金。大部分这种奖学金只需要一篇简单的论文和一份简历,而且你投入其中的时间和努力能获得相当不错的回报。如果没有最大限度地获得这类财政援助和奖学金,你就等于把它们白白错过了.
9、利用学生折扣
问问周围的人了解关于提供大学生优惠的餐厅和娱乐场所。只是因为你有学校的ID你就能在吃饭、电影票、音乐会门票上打折。无论如何,如果你打算在这些方面花钱的话,你还不如尝试打折。
10、努力学习
在大学省钱的最佳方法是让你所花的钱价值最大化。如果你努力学习并在学术上最的很好,上学所花的成千上万块钱将更有价值。所以,要全力以赴,做到最好,充分利用你的学费。
大学很贵,而且每一年都变得越来越贵。许多大学生没有准备好面对获取学位所必须的经济负担。根据这10条建议,你将有更好的机会在整个大学期间来保持你的财务健康。