College is great- the entourage is better than it ever was in high school, you can party all night long and sleep all day and most of all, you’re out of your parents’ reach. But that comes with a cost, like every beautiful part of adulthood. In a student’s case, the price for adulthood is the casual week without proper meals after the money was spent on one crazy party. But worry not, there are ways to make ends meet and live a comfortable life on a minimal budget.
The brand won’t change the taste
When you go shopping, even for food, it’s easy to succumb to pressure and buy big brand names, even when it comes to regular things like flour or milk. But the taste is not that different, and it’s certainly not worth all that extra cash. If you don’t believe it, go try it yourself. There might be differences, we admit it, but too insignificant to matter when you look at the bigger picture. And while we’re at it, don’t go shopping when you’re hungry because you’re likely to fill up the shopping cart and buy none of the things you set out to purchase in the first place. Buying on impulse is one of your wallet’s greatest enemies, so don’t let yourself get tricked into buying things you don’t really need!
The new chef de cuisine: you
Since food is one of the things we all need but you won’t think of it till you’re broke, let’s make things clear: the kebab place should not be your dinner go-to place. It will leave its marks- on your credit card and on your waist. Why spend money on the gym instead of developing healthy eating habits? Moreover, if you cook your meals at home and pack a sandwich or a salad for lunch, you’ll save a lot of cash while keeping an eye on the calories. Oh and by the way, same goes for coffee- don’t go to Starbucks. Instead, buy a fancy sipping tumbler and coffee and make it at home.
Fun times? A bargain!
Going to the movies is fun, but it’s also pricey. However, you don’t have to give up on that treat; just make sure you go to the matinee – you have the same movies, lower prices and no annoying children or loudmouths. If you want more than that, do some research on local libraries- many of them offer more than just books- you can get DVDs or music albums, all free of charge!
Pre-drinking
Now we get to the tough part. While we don’t encourage drinking, especially underage drinking, we know parties are a big part of college life. If you want to get a little woozy, but not broke, consider inviting friends over for a pre-drinking session that will give to the vibe you look for without totally damaging your budget. Furthermore, if you really are on a tight budget, by doing this you’ll not only avoid over-spending, but also over-drinking!