Being a college student has taught me a lot about money. It’s taught me about the value of the dollar and how expensive higher education can be. I’m graduating in May and have to be able to pay for my apartment with my roommate, my food, my utilities, and everything else. I have a part-time job right now that I absolutely love, and I’m using most of that money to supplement my savings. But there are other ways that I am finding to save money! Here are some of my tips and tricks that have helped me the most!
Put Aside Parts of Your Paycheck
This is the one tip I use the most for sure. It’s not the easiest, but it is the most recurring choice that I make in my life to save up some moola. I’ve heard all sorts of “rules” for putting aside parts of your monthly income, from 30% all the way up to almost 60% of the paycheck. Most of the time, I won’t stick to a hard percentage for every paycheck I receive. Some paychecks have different amounts depending on the amount of work that I did for that pay period, so I vary the amounts I put aside for savings. If I received the same amount of money every two weeks, I would probably put aside the same amount or “percentage” every month to make everything consistent. Everyone’s case is always different, this is just one of the ways I try to save money! Find what’s best for you and stick to it!
Coupons or Deals or Sales
I love shopping at Target. That’s where I get all of my food and my household stuff. However, Target is a bit on the expensive side. I use my Cartwheel app for all of my shopping needs from them. I’ve saved over $100 thanks to this app, including Target Circle, a new feature they have added that rewards you for every shopping trip that you log within the app. I have all sorts of coupons from my Target app, even manufacturer-related coupons that I can use for my products! I’m very happy with the app and recommend it to everyone who shops at Target!
Avoid Dining Out if Possible
This was one of the biggest ways I ended up saving money. By avoiding spending money at restaurants, Starbucks, or the different dining places around campus, I saved so much money. During my junior year, I spent most of my money around campus (Jamba Juice and Starbucks, I’m looking at you) and that hurt my finances significantly. This year, my senior year, I knew I had to put more money into eating at home and making more healthy meals (which was better for me and my wallet!). I put more money into grocery shopping and meal-prepping at home so that I could take that food with me to campus and to work. It has helped my financial situation immensely!
These are the best ways that I have found to save some money. What ways do you save money? Any different ways than the ones I mentioned? Let me know down in the comments. And, as always, thank you so much for reading!
Love,
Kaitlin H Powell 