Chances are, if you’re a student, you’re always looking for ways to save money. Whether you’re living off of a part-time job or handouts from your parents, it seems like there’s never enough – but it doesn’t have to be that way. With a little creativity and discipline, saving money as a student can be more rewarding than it is troublesome. Try our new quiz:

But that’s just the beginning. There are a lot more ways to start saving money more efficiently as a student. Like, for instance…

Housing!

At many schools, dorms are notoriously expensive for the quality of accomidations they offer. Although off-campus housing in university areas can be competitive and hard to come by, it can end up paying for itself in all the money you’ll save. (Not just in housing costs – the more flexibility you have in your accommodations, the more money you can save in other areas. More on that later.) Some schools will try to pressure you into staying in the dorms, but it’s not just because of the money they’ll make off of you. For many new students, communal living is the best way to make friends and have the full “college experience.”

However, there are other options. If you like the idea of being part of the student community, many fraternities or sororities offer a similar experience in more flexible housing arrangements. But don’t get roped into communal living if it’s not your thing. Being boxed in with other people can add to your stress, and make saving money more difficult. Look into getting your own apartment, or sharing a house with other students so each person can have their own room. Just having a place where you can be alone can make studying, relaxing, and de-stressing much easier for many people.

Food!

If you live in the dorms (or even if you don’t), you likely have a meal card available to you at your school. But before you sign up for the biggest plan, consider this: most on-campus food is low quality and overpriced. Unless your meal plan is mandatory, think about alternatives. Even if you live in dorms without a kitchen, there are many options available to you. If you can’t go without a meal plan entirely because of your school’s policies, see if you can dial it down to the cheapest version and just use it for snacks and occasional meals on the go.

If you have a kitchen available to you, saving money on food is a breeze. Stock up on healthful essentials like peanut butter, low-fat cheese, eggs, and whole-grain breads. Look into easy and quick recipes, and keep an eye on sales in the grocery store. When meat is cheap per-pound, buy it in large packages and freeze what you can’t use right away. In a stir-fry, one small chicken breast can easily be stretched into several meals.

Without a kitchen, saving money on food takes a little more effort. But it’s not impossible. Find out what kinds of appliances you are allowed to have in your dorm. Microwaves are usually allowed, which means you can easily steam veggies for a healthful snack. Having a hot plate or single electric burner can make cooking in your dorm much simpler, but they might be banned for safety reasons. If so, consider a crock pot. Their low energy usage means they are cheap and safe, and most recipes are simple and foolproof. Cook things like chilis and soups in large batches, saving portions for later. For easy cleanup, use crock pot liners; somewhat like oven bags, these allow you to cook entirely within a plastic bag that can be discarded, and they make washing the crock itself unnecessary.

If you like pricey coffee drinks, invest in a coffeemaker. They can cost as little as $15 and allow you to make it just the way you like it. While lattes and cappucinos are made with espresso rather than coffee, you can brew your coffee at double-strength for a similar flavor and effect. Google your favorite designer coffee drinks to find out how others have made them at home.

Transportation!

If your school is in an urban environment, chances are, public transportation is readily available to you. But if you’re hanging on to your car in a big city, consider whether it’s necessary. Even if you aren’t using it often, you’re likely renting a space to put it – whether it’s on campus or off, it might not be a necessary expense. Ask yourself how often you use your car and whether or not there is another place you can leave it, free of charge. If you can reach all the places you need to go on foot, on a bicycle, or on the bus or train, a car might just be a drain on your resources. If you use a car only to go back home for the holidays, find out if there’s a train or bus you can take instead. Alternately, if you have friends at school whose families live close to yours, perhaps you can hitch a ride with them. Or a family member or friend from home can come visit you and bring you home for the holidays, and back to school afterwards.

If you absolutely need a car, Zipcar is available in many cities. It allows you to “check out” cars for short amounts of time – less pricey than a rental, but you’re still not responsible for maintenance and long-term storage. But beware: in order to keep costs low, they’re very strict about who they will accept. If you’ve been ticketed for anything significant in the past, Zipcar’s probably not for you.

Banking!

Most national banks offer “free college checking,” which is usually a better deal than standard checking accounts. Look for accounts that offer free debit cards, no minimum balance, and free checks. Walk away from anything that charges fees for normal banking features. If you’re going to be spending a lot of time hanging out on campus, consider what ATMs are available at your school. If your campus has partnered with a bank, then you can avoid pricey withdrawal fees for those times when you need cash at school.

Don’t forget to consider local banks and credit unions, which could offer better deals than some national banks, depending on your needs. Whatever you do, don’t go without a bank account: even if you deal mostly in cash, you’re likely to encounter a check every now and then, and it’s best to have a place that won’t charge you fees to cash or deposit them. Plastic has a bad reputation among students due to the potential to overdraw your account, but debit (or “check cards”) can be your best friend. It’s often quicker and easier than cash, and it can help you learn financial responsibility. Online banking, available at most banks for free, makes it extremely easy to keep track of your money.

Having a credit card isn’t necessarily a bad idea for students, either. Especially if you regularly buy gas or plan to book a hotel room – gas stations and hotels are known to put unnecessarily large “holds” on your account, sometimes up to $250 for a relatively small transaction, which could incur overdraft fees on a check card. On a credit card, the worst that can happen is going slightly over your credit limit, which seldom incurs the kinds of exorbitant per-transaction fees that a bank overdraft does.

That’s It!

We hope these tips have helped you stretch your dollar a little further. And if you’ve got services to offer that can help people save money, we can help you market them more effectively with Kwanzoo widgets like the one above. Engage users, drive traffic, and target your advertising, all in one neat package. Get in touch with us today to find out how.

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