Saving money is never an easy thing to do. Here are some tips for saving up before enjoying the spring break. Remember, the ability to stockpile cash is driven by willpower since there are a lot of temptations out there.
Cook more, eat out less
A critical motivation for many students to cook more in their apartment or living residence is realizing eating out costs a lot and breaks budgets.
Some students say buying a lot of groceries at one time and cooking costs a lot of money and is time-consuming. But don’t forget the food you buy and cook will allow you to eat for multiple days. So money spent on groceries should be divided into approximately nine meals and the result is way cheaper than eating out for every meal.
Bring your own lunch and snack to campus
Buying lunch in the Idaho Commons Food Court isn’t cheap. Bringing a lunch to campus may require additional cooking the night before school or building your peanut butter and jelly sandwich ahead of time, but in the end it will save you some extra dough. Imagine a student buying chicken strips at lunch every day — that costs about $30 a week.
Walk more
Moscow’s weather is unpredictable. So it is understandable if you want to drive on a cold day rather than walking, even though the distance is roughly a 10-minute walk, but next time think about the gas prices. Walking to class is good exercise, environmentally conscious and will save you a good amount of cash from not having to fill up the tank so much.
Use cash, not card
Typically, people spend money much faster when using a credit or debit card. When people see cash go out of their wallet, there is a physical representation of money disappearing from their savings. But with a card, the effects of disappearing savings aren’t felt because money isn’t physically leaving their wallet and with credit cards the payment is delayed. This is why there are many “card slaves” who can only pay minimum deposits on their card every month.
Leave your wallet at home
The idea of leaving your wallet at home includes not asking friends for financial help, even it’s only a simple meal. This tip works well on students, since their daily routine is usually taking place in school, unless they have other plans in advance.
It takes time and energy to cultivate money-saving habits. Try not to push yourself too hard, but remember spending less on unimportant things is good for the future when you are faced with paying off student loans.