by Susan Klatz Beal

Created on: November 19, 2009   Last Updated: November 18, 2011

The cost of college has gone up so much that it is increasingly difficult for young people to afford to attend college, or to remain in college once they start. For most students, scholarships, grants, loans and work study jobs or part time employment may help to offset some of the expenses, Many students work during the summer in order to save some money for the upcoming school year. Though these things may help, nothing is as important as knowing some easy ways to save money as a college student. 

*Create a budget for yourself 

Creating a budget will help you see what your essential expenses are. Once you add up everything you will have to pay out for expenses, then you can see what you have remaining. Think of all of the things you'll have to pay for with that remaining money. Create a budget for those things, but be flexible.

*Keep an accounting of expenditures

Computerized accounting programs make it very easy to keep track of expenses. They will also help with balancing a checkbook. Knowing how and what you are spending money on can be a great way to help yourself save money. You will learn to recognize when you are spending money unnecessarily or frivolously. 

*Consider a college or university meal plan 

By opting to get a meal plan, you save yourself from having to figure out what to cook for yourself and then taking the time to do it. You will probably get a better bang for your buck if you eat at campus meal halls. What's more, you won't have to go out to eat or spend money to eat on campus.

Meal plans can be customized to the needs of a student. If you live off campus, you probably won't want to eat breakfast on campus. But if you get a meal plan that allows you to eat one or two meals on campus each day, you won't be so tempted to eat out, and eating out can get quite costly, especially if it is done often. A meal plan can minimize the amount of money you'd have to spend on groceries, and the benefit of not having to spend time cooking meals can be a real life saver - especially for students with extraordinarily busy schedules

*Look for ways to save on textbooks 

If you get a textbook list for your classes in advance, you can take the time to investigate some of the places on the Internet that sell textbooks at rock bottom prices. Be sure you  get the required edition of books. Used textbooks can be another way to save, and this is especially helpful for books that are only used for a semester. Sell your books back

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>