College Room and Board Money Saving Tips, Ideas and Advice to Reduce the Cost of a College Education

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Textbooks (continued)

c. Sell your books to the college bookstore, although prices are generally not very attractive, or sell your books to off-campus bookstores where pricing may be somewhat better.

d. Use eBay.com, etc. to sell your books.

Food, Transportation & Lodging

Food, transportation and lodging will most likely be a major expense at college. Here are a few tips to try to control those expenses.

1. Eating at college is expensive. If you don’t cook and want to make sure fast food or expensive restaurant food does not become the everyday menu, the college meal plan may be a suitable alternative. However, they are generally expensive. Also, if the student chooses not to take maximum advantage of the plan, and has money left over in the meal plan at the end of the semester, these funds are generally forfeited, causing the meal plan to become very expensive. So make sure if you have a meal plan it is used to the maximum extent, given the funds spent.

2. College students are famous for snacking. Avoid buying snacks out of vending machines or from convenience stores. Buy snacks at grocery or discount stores and keep them in your room. If your dorm allows you to have a refrigerator or microwave this can also help in reducing food costs.

3. Use student discounts whenever possible. Almost everything on campus and often nearby off campus is less expensive with a student ID. Bank accounts, public transportation, the movies, eating out, flowers, malls, airlines, etc. often offer student discounts. Always ask if a student discount is available.

4. Leave your car at home. Unless it’s absolutely necessary to have a car in order to get home on holidays, having a car on campus is expensive and can be a hassle. Parking, insurance, theft and other auto related expenses and worries can really detract from the college experience and cost plenty. And on most campuses you can either walk to your destination or take campus transit. Or perhaps a friend has a car. And if you do leave your car at home, ask your insurance company if they give discounts for good grades and for students who attend school away from home.

5. Living on campus can be expensive, but living off campus can be very expensive. While dorm rooms are not cheap, living off campus has several hidden costs that need to be considered. Most off-campus students eat out more often (even though they may have kitchen facilities), spend more on transportation, and spend considerably more on utility bills. So, unless you get a great deal on off-campus housing, beware of the total cost of living off campus.

Other College Tips

When at college, there always seems to be yet another expense. Here are a few to try to minimize, if at all possible.

1. Computers, other electronics and software can often be bought on campus for less than prices at either local or national retailers. Used computers may also be available at far lower cost than a new computer, and work just as well. As for software, check to see if your school has site licenses for major software such as Microsoft Office. Also, you may be able to get a copy of these programs for very little from your school’s technology department. And do not forget to ask for student discounts wherever you buy.

2. If your laptop has wireless capability, save on Internet costs by studying in locations that have free wireless access.

3. If a student needs furniture for their dorm room or off-campus residence, check campus publications and bulletin boards, local garage sales and classifieds. Often, if you offer to move graduating seniors or even underclassmen out at the end of the year, many of them will have furniture they just want to get rid of that may be just what you are looking for. Consider renting a temporary storage cubicle to keep the furniture in until the next semester. You may even consider visiting the college at the end of your senior year in high school, when college students are moving out, to buy some cheap furniture and put it in storage until needed in the fall.

4. Medical care and prescriptions are often available on campus at a fraction of the cost of regular sources. Visits to the student health center to see a doctor or nurse are sometimes free or low cost. Filling your prescriptions at the student health center may also provide significant savings.

5. Entertainment costs can also be minimized. Check with your friends and resident advisor before you rent or buy a movie. Quite often you can just borrow the movie. Or join some friends for a movie by hooking up a DVD player to one of the dorms TV’s. And keep in mind all the great facilities and activities on campus for recreation, exercise, sports, etc. There is always something to do and quite often it is either free or very low cost.

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