Money Tips for College Students

Cheap Food, Cheap Books and more

Best money tips for college students. Save money on food, books, housing, transportation and more. See our tips on cheap food for college students.

Cheap College Housing

Housing is one of the biggest expenses for college, after tuition. So how can you get cheap college housing?

Live at home - If you are fortunate to live with your parents near a college, consider living at home. I know, you want to be out on your own, but it will save you a ton of money.

Share a room - Sharing a room, whether it is a dorm room, or a room in an apartment or house, is usually cheaper than renting your own room.

Choose off-campus housing - Many colleges have housing shortages on-campus and even near campus. Research options for off-campus housing that is far enough away to be cheaper, but close enough to still get to your classes.

Buy a house - Sometimes parents buy a house near campus for their student, and the rent from other students in the shared housing pays for the mortgage. They sell the property after the student graduates, usually at a profit.

Cheap Food for College Students

Saving Money Tips for College Students

Food is a big expense for college students. Here are some tips on cheap food for college students.

Learn to cook - Cooking your own food is so much cheaper than eating out, or a meal plan. If you live in a dorm room, a rice cooker, small microwave and a refrigerator are all you need. Figure out a few simple recipes that you can make in the rice cooker, and enjoy the leftovers the next day. PBJ sandwiches are easy to make too.

Go vegan or vegetarian - You can save money by skipping the beef, chicken and fish, and choose a plant based diet, or vegetarian diet. It is healthier and cheaper.

Live in a co-op - Choose a living situation with a common kitchen, when you can cook and enjoy meals together. Even in a house or apartment, you can have someone assigned to cook dinner Monday - Thursday evenings on a schedule. You will save money, enjoy the company and it is nice to have someone cook for you, and to cook for others.

Drink water - Skip all the fancy drinks, sodas, fruit drinks, beer, wine and just drink water. Carry around your refillable water bottle. This saves a ton of money. OK, yes, make an exception for your one favorite drink, but drink it at home, not in a restaurant where water is free (separate checks so you don't pay for everyone else's drinks).

Work in a restaurant - Get a part-time job in a restaurant. One of the perks is you will get free food or substantial discount on food.

Don't eat out - Skip the restaurants and fast food places, the food is expensive and not always healthy for you.

Cheap Transportation, Books and Supplies

Transportation - Transportation can get expensive too, both getting around campus, and traveling from campus to home, if home is far away. See our suggestions for student travel deals.

College books - See out tips on getting cheap college books.

Supplies - For supplies, try Amazon, and get free shipping with an Amazon prime account.

Furniture - The best time to get cheap furniture and small appliances are at the end of a school year, when students need to get rid of these items. You can pick up some bargains if you are in the area, e.g. attending summer school.

Student Jobs

Working while attending college can pay for college, or just give you some pocket money. Here are some tips for working while in college.

Student jobs - There are many types of student jobs, mostly part-time, that can be done while attending college. See our tips for student jobs, including on-campus jobs.

Employee tuition assistance - Some employers reimburse employees for tuition when courses are completed. This is typical for larger employers, and the employee tuition assistance may be limited, say to $5000 per year. Other employees offer tuition assistance only for specific schools or programs. Consult with your HR department or online benefits programs to learn more.

Summer jobs - A summer job is a great way to help pay for college, while allowing the student to focus on classes during the school year. Students in some majors can get paid internships, others may find seasonal or summer work. See more ideas for student summer jobs.

Money Tips for College Students

Read more tips from our readers.

Spending Money at College (Taylor, Indiana)

The first advice that I think is important for every college student to know is to save money over the summer. Even if you are working to pay for school over the summer, put a little extra aside to give yourself some spending money for college. It is extremely important to practice self-care while in school so you don’t get burnt out. This can be something as simple as going to a local Starbucks and getting a coffee while you read. Any extra money that you can save to practice self-care will be extremely useful in helping you stay sane during school.

How to Survive College for the First Time (Courtney, Montana)

Buy groceries with your roommates. If you cook together, this will save a copious amount of money without having the temptation to go out to eat. Also, if your roommates can cook, that is always a plus!

Only Take What You Need (Zac, Indiana)

The first time I accepted all the money that they would offer me, this turned out to be a bad idea. See I didn’t realize that I had to pay this money back after I was done with college. I now realize that I will be paying back money that I shouldn’t have taken out.

While the government paid for all my college the first semester, they didn’t for my second one. This became a problem because I didn’t have a job, and my parents weren’t going to help me out. So I had to take out a private loan. I had to take this loan out because I decided to take all the money I was offered in my first semester. This money I took was to be used for my first and second semester.

What did I do with the extra money I had gotten from the first semester? I spent it on materialistic stuff that I didn’t need. So now I owe the government money, and this loan company money. If I had known that you do not have to take the whole amount the government offers you, I wouldn’t had done it. It would have saved me money now, and in the long run.

Think Cheap for College (Amber, Connecticut)

Don't live on campus all through college. You can save so much money by renting a place off campus with a few reliable friends and cooking your own food. The $7000 that I was paying for room and a meal plan on campus for one semester could pay for all my food and bills for 12 months in the house I’m currently renting with friends. Yes, it might be giving yourself a bit more responsibility, but that’s not a bad thing. It comes with more freedom and you learn important life lessons. You get used to paying bills on time, taking care of your own living space, and you get much better at cooking. It’s no secret that campus food isn’t that great, and trust me, if you live off campus food is cheaper, healthier, and it tastes much better.

If you can, try getting a part time job on campus. It doesn’t have to be anything special, but everything helps and it’ll look good on your resume. If you’re lucky, you might find one that’s connected to your area of study. I got lucky with my science major and have a job cleaning lab equipment for my advisor. Don’t forget, there are often jobs in the cafeteria, library, and athletic centers. Good luck!

Living off a Penne (Alina< Arizona)

My first semester of college I was spending all of my funds on tuition and housing, so my food budget wasn't very large. While most students invest in a meal plan or stuff themselves full with ramen noodles. I couldn't because the salt content of those foods made me really sick, plus those options put an even larger dent in my wallet. So instead I stuffed myself with penne pasta. It was filling, tasty, and most importantly...cheap. A box of penne pasta and some tomato sauce would get me roughly 4 meals for under three dollars. By adding some salt, pepper, and homegrown basil to the mix, it made a delicious lunch or dinner. This experience made me become more creative with food and improved my cooking skills. Cooking gave me an outlet to de-stress and clear my mind so I could get my work done.

My advice? Eat in and learn to cook. Eating in is cheaper as well as healthier, and though cooking in a dorm kitchen may be a little work, but is not at all impossible.

Coupons for College (Tiffany, Florida)

In the past year, I have started cutting coupons which have saved me hundreds of dollars a month! The coupons are available online through Google searches, and through inserts in Sunday newspapers. There are coupons available for everything between toilet paper to laptops. For example, on a regular shopping trip to Walmart I saved my parents twenty-dollars in coupons! Twenty-dollars in this economy are worth more than one imagines.

Another advantage to being in college is the student discounts. Many retail stores and food companies offer discounts on products for students. Dunkin' Donuts gives a ten percent discount when university identification is presented at the time of purchase.

Perhaps one of the best discounts out there has to be the discounts for books. Purchasing books at the university can be very costly. Fortunately, websites like Amazon and SlugBooks offer great deals on textbooks as well comparing the different prices at other locations.

More Money Tips for College Students

Thanks to our readers for sharing their best money tips for college students, including cheap food for college students. Read more at the links below for saving money on college expenses.