Living on a College Student Budget

If you're like a lot of college students, you are probably living on a budget. This isn't always easy to maintain, and it may be difficult to work while also attending classes and keeping up with your studies. As a senior, I've lived on my own for a few years now and have found a few tricks that help me stay within my budget.

• Saving Gas Money -- If at all feasible, don't drive your car to campus. There are many other ways to get around-- the CityBus, walking, or riding your bike. Walking to class would also be great way to get some fresh air and clear your head before you begin your day! 

• Discounts on Groceries -- A lot of grocery stores will send you coupons or advertise their sales through the mail. Take advantage of those! Also, places like Target offer discount coupons right on the package of some food items. Often times if I buy ground hamburger from there, there will be a $3.00 off coupon right on top. Target also offers an app called Cartwheel that allows you to rack up some pretty good deals as well. There are all kinds of ways to save on groceries, you just have to scope them out!
  
• Discounted Car Insurance -- That's right, many insurance companies will award discount to students who maintain good grades. A simple way to save a little cash and also a big motivator for class!
  
• Netflix vs. Cable -- Cable can get expensive if you want certain channels. Many companies provide a basic package that gives you exactly that-- your basic channels. Anything added onto that is a big jump in price. If you don't have a certain show you watch every week on TV, Netflix could be a solid option for your entertainment needs. You can find many TV shows on there, with no commercials, and for only around $8/month.

• Renting Textbooks -- When I first came to Purdue, I always tried to stray away from renting books, only because I thought that for some reason I would accidentally damage the book before returning it. As it turns out, unless you just really don't take care of your books, it's pretty difficult to damage them. That being said, renting your textbooks is usually a lot cheaper than buying them full price. I tend to rent mine off of Amazon, mostly because I find they are the lowest priced. Another advantage to that is now, as Purdue students, we can pick up our rentals at the new Amazon stores around campus! 
  
  
  These are only a handful of tricks I've learned during my past 3 years here. They've made a world of a difference, though! You'll find your own ways of managing that suits you best along the way.