Tips for saving money that every CSUB student can use
Many college students regularly find themselves deciding between having fun and trying to stay financially secure, but you don’t always have to choose.
February 18, 2020
Students have a lot to pay for when attending school but they still want to spend money to have fun, whether it’s attending school events or taking trips during spring break. Balance is needed to live a responsible and exciting college life. Here are a few tips to help college students enjoy life without breaking the bank.
- Buy used books
Aside from tuition, books are a huge expense at school. One way to save money is to buy used books. Students can buy used books through book stores or sites including: Abebooks, Barnes and Noble, and Chegg. There is even a group on Facebook for CSUB where you can sell, buy or trade books with other students (CSUB STUDENT SWAP)! Students can also rent books from other sites like these or even from our school library.
- Make your own coffee
A grande coffee at Starbucks costs around four dollars and according to the long lines at our campus Starbucks, students aren’t only buying coffee once a week. If a student goes to Starbucks five times out of the week before class, they’ll be spending around twenty dollars a week on coffee alone. Instead consider buying a coffee maker for fifteen bucks and Folgers ground coffee for four. They even have affordable flavored syrups made by Torani that can be used for a slightly more “gourmet” touch; Starbucks also has a line of syrups, but they tend to be more on the pricey side. If students don’t want to quit Starbucks completely, sign up for their reward system to earn free coffee, bakery items and more.
- Limit eating out
Eating out is nice because it’s easy, but making your own food can be too. Fresh produce ranges from fifteen cents to two dollars. Pasta and sauce can be purchased for under five dollars, and that is for more than one serving; this means there are left overs for the next couple of days.
- Budgeting
Although most of us don’t make a lot of money as college students, there is so much we want to experience. These experiences can be costly, but we can’t allow ourselves to go broke. Budgeting can help everyone avoid running out of money. Everyone could benefit from splitting their money into groups like groceries, school supplies, bills, fun, and savings may help in the long run.
- Utilize college student discounts
Another way to save money is to make use of college student discounts. Websites like UNiDAYS and StudentBeans make it easier for students to see what discounts they have just because they are in school. The sites have discounts for fashion, beauty, food, technology and traveling. Check out a few of the links below to see how it may help.
- Go to free events
Bakersfield often has free events to go out a hand full of times a month. There are trivia nights, yoga classes, and live music at old fashion bars. Check out other free events on Eventbrite to see what’s going on in Kern County, or even attend one of CSU Bakersfield’s free events.
If you want to take a break and get out of Bakersfield, it may be time to plan a trip and head to LA. There are almost unlimited free events. They have free museums such as the Broad and the Getty Center, flashy food events such as Smorgasburg and the 626 Night Market, and free concerts at clubs and bars. Of course gas isn’t free, but the cost of gas can be cut down by carpooling.
- Apply for scholarships
There are many scholarships that don’t get claimed because students don’t apply for them. Students should make the most of their education and apply for the general application for CSUB online. Check out the available options and utilize the link below to see what scholarships you may qualify for through CSUB’s partnership with Academic Works.
https://www.csub.edu/finaid/types/schol/index.html
https://www.myunidays.com/US/en-US
