Quick, easy ways to save money in college (without going insane or being called frugal)

By Lauren Brose ‘15

Like the old cliché that “money cannot buy happiness,” I realize that there is much more to life than wealth. Money certainly isn’t the solution to all of my problems but that doesn’t necessarily mean it isn’t a problem I face as a college student who’s entirely dependent on my parents. As much as I appreciate my parents’ generosity of financing my college education, it doesn’t feel right to be wasteful with my finances. Now’s the perfect time to take control of your finances, learn to save here and there and understand the full value of managing and spending money earned. 

Check your checking account and credit card balance regularly

The dreaded moment when you don’t know if you have $700 in your checking account or $7… yeah I know that feeling. So you got a little carried away with swiping your debit card over the weekend. You almost want to never look because not knowing the truth is much more comforting than realizing you’re completely and utterly broke. To prevent scary realizations like discovering you only have a few bucks to your name, check your debit card/credit card balance at least once a week. If you go out check it the very next morning so you are conscious of how much money you spent that night.

Live off campus and take charge of your own meals

Freshmen are required to live on campus and enroll in meal plans that are, to be honest, pretty average in quality. The price, however, is through the roof when comparing the cost of living on campus and living off campus. I used to share a one bedroom apartment through USC Housing and it cost me $50 more per month than the apartment I currently live in that’s not through USC Housing. Oh did I mention that I also have my own room? Consider alternatives.’

Cancel your gym membership and use the one at USC

The Lyon Recreation Center is located on campus near the Engemann Student Health Center. It has two levels of cardio and weight training machines as well as a pool, rock-climbing wall, spin room, racquetball courts and group fitness facility. There are locker rooms with showers and lockers of two sizes available for semester rentals or daily use. The best part is that all USC students get to use the Lyon center for free!

Stop buying coffee and brew your own

It costs a person an average of $96 to brew their own coffee and $1946 a year to buy. If you’re wondering where all your going out money went, here’s your answer.  

Try Mint

Mint is a free service that assists with managing finances. From reminders to when your bill is due to alerts that your bank account has reached a specific minimum, Mint is a proactive way to track your finances in an organized manner. Additionally, it is available on multiple platforms such as on your computer, phone or tablet. Through Mint, you can set budgets and financial goals and they work to get you there within a certain time.

Take advantage of all of the free s*** USC gives us!

• Free transportation: USC has three bus routes that pick up and drop off students on campus from their apartments. They also offer Campus Cruiser, a free taxi service open to all students 7 days a week from 6PM-2:45AM.
• Free condoms! 
• Free entertainment: USC’s Program Board, a branch of University Student Government, works hard to bring only the best entertainment to USC students each year. From free concerts to film screenings to celebrity guest panels, follow Program Board's Calendar to stay in the know on cool campus events. 
• Free yoga: Engemann Student Health Center offers free yoga and meditation classes to students throughout the week. You can find a schedule of upcoming events here.
  
• Free food: I know that there’s always someone from Nestlé who lurks around outside Wallis Annenberg Hall. I’m not complaining though… the habit of receiving free chocolate milk after my 10AM lecture has proven quite convenient. What’s even better are the lunches hosted by my department each week due to panels or presentations from field professionals who visit USC. I receive email notifications about them several days beforehand and can find a calendar of events for my department on its website. Take advantage of free food and intellectually moving topics if you have the time between classes.

Drink Bottled Water (and save the world too)

Let’s do a little math to break this concept down for ultimate understanding.

The cost of a Brita that holds 10 cups of water is $27

The cost of 3 Brita replacement filters is $20

At the cost of $57, you can drink clean, filtered water for the entire year. Each year thereafter requires the cost of each replacement filter (4 per year). 

Bottled water costs an average of $225 a year. Not to mention,  plastic bottles are extremely detrimental to our environment and ecosystem. Let’s take steps toward deepening our pockets and saving the earth from pollution. Plus, you get to sport a nifty reusable water bottle around that no one will drink by mistake!

Eat half of your entrée and save the other half for later when eating out

Dinner is supposed to be the smallest meal of the day because you are going to be sleeping while it digests. Don’t force yourself to overeat! Instead,  cut your meals in half before digging in to prevent overeating and to also provide yourself with a meal the following day.

Apply for scholarships

I know for a fact that the majority of college students don’t apply for enough or any scholarships. There are ones exclusively to USC students in specific majors and are offered each semester. It doesn’t cost a thing to look into it and who knows, maybe you’ll be awarded a couple thousand dollar scholarship just for applying. Here’s a list of scholarships offered by USC. There’s also a ton of scholarships outside USC that students can apply for as well as departmental scholarships. 

Prepare your meals at the start of each week to prevent dining out

I am going to assume that I am not the only college student who decides to take each day as they come. Things unexpectedly come up as my week goes by and I find myself becoming too lazy to cook for myself when I’ve been in class all day and am starving. By preparing my meals before my week begins, I found that I am way less likely to dine out. Instead, I  now save the occasions in which I do dine out to be purely in social settings. By doing this, I enjoy my meals free of worry or remorse for indulging in a full course dinner.

Recycle

Did you know that by recycling 100 cans you could light your bedroom for two weeks?

According to Dosomething.org “over 75% of waste is recyclable, but we only recycle about 30% of it.”

Recycling minimizes buildup of waste that imminently goes into landfills but it can also save you some serious money. My roommates and I found that our beer and wine purchases accumulated after a short amount of time and cut into the cost of items that are more important such as dishwashing soap and laundry detergent. We started recycling so we can afford our apartment essentials and also live the best of both worlds. 

Try this: Host a trash-free tailgate for USC’s next home game that consists of 100% recyclable material. It’s super easy and tips can be found here.

Work On Campus

Whether you are qualitied for Federal Work Story or not, there’s still a really good chance that you can get a job working on campus. Jobs vary from customer service to administrative assisting. Some positions even allow you to work on schoolwork during your downtime and pay is typically above minimum wage. The best part about working on campus and not off campus is the understanding that your studies come first and foremost. If you have a quiz coming up that you need to do reading for, you can always call in and let them know and they’ll find another student to cover you.

Shop on USC’s Free & For Sale Facebook group or Craig’s ListI once bought a lightly used $99 Keurig off a student who lived on Menlo for $40 through USC’s Free & For Sale Facebook group. Not only are discounted items found on Free & For sale, it is also safe since only USC students can join the group. If you’re looking to get something off your hands you can post and sell it with ease. If you’re feeling bold, check out Craigslist for discounted items and to sell your stuff. Remember: Always meet a prospective buyer/seller in a public place like Starbucks or the supermarket. Never meet them at their home or at yours.