Frugal Living Tips
Author: barbarac
Joined: 03 Jun 2005
Posts: 1
Posted: Fri Jun 03, 2005 11:18 am Post subject: Frugal Living Tips
anyone have any tips on living frugally? Being in college is tough on expenses. I tried to save as much as I could before coming to school but books were so expensive as well as wanting to eat out with friends. Do I have to give up having fun to be able to live an affordable life?
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Author:
Ira
SENIOR MEMBER (Member for 2 yrs.+)
Joined: 19 May 2003
Posts: 1150
Location: NJ
Posted: Fri Jun 03, 2005 3:22 pm Post subject: Frugal Living Tips
Personally I'm amazed that anyone can afford a college education at a good school. Sorry but there are no magic bullets that I know of. You might try buying used books as much as possible. That could save as much as half. If you have a car, use it as little as possible. If you can get along without it and ride with your friends, that's more money in your pocket. Also, consider getting a part time job, or even switching to night school and get a full time job and earn while you learn. That's how I got my degree. Be creative, let nothing stand in your way, and you'll do fine.
_________________
Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.
Ira
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Author: nixuzer
Joined: 18 Apr 2005
Posts: 94
Location: TX, USA
Posted: Mon Jun 06, 2005 10:07 am Post subject: Re: Frugal Living Tips
barbarac wrote:
anyone have any tips on living frugally? Being in college is tough on expenses. I tried to save as much as I could before coming to school but books were so expensive as well as wanting to eat out with friends. Do I have to give up having fun to be able to live an affordable life?
Well the first thing I'd comment on is give up having fun as something that you might need to adjust your feelings on. The interesting part I found is that there are people I was hanging out with that were suffering from the same stresses and wanted to do something more cost effective but wouldn't speak up. Some would laugh when I recommended a cheaper alternative and others were interested in what I had to offer (although they wouldn't say it in the group sometimes but come to me later). Things like having some friends over and doing sandwiches and chips (everyone brings an item) while playing games was a much cheaper alternative and fun. We also tried to get people involved in finding activities that didn't cost anything but got us out, like riding bikes on a bike trail, etc.
There are many websites about frugal living but I've offered a few below. Most are geared towards families but you'll be able to find tidbits that will help. The thing that my family has found is frugal living is like saving, at first it seemed painful but now we enjoy it. My 8 year old came to me this morning excited that she has saved up $21.## over the last month doing extra jobs around the house and for neighbors, this wasn't an overnight thing for her but she is definitely getting into a saving mindset. This is the other 50% of the money she earned (we require our children to save 40% of any money they bring in and give 10% to charity).
Anyway, rambling over, here are the websites:
http://www.frugalfamilynetwork.com/
http://www.stretcher.com/
http://www.homeeconomiser.com/ (they have an inexpensive newsletter that we recommmend for families. Being single, I'm guessing, your expenses are so low that you could probably save money many other ways without having to spend a cent on any newsletters, etc)
The other item to keep in mind is network with other people about money saving things. It takes time to learn what is and is not a good price on daily staple items but over time you'll get there. Make sure you have a budget and live by it. You can make adjustments over time but a cash envelope system works really well. Statistically people spend significantly more using credit cards (for more information look at the following link and look for the bullet that starts with A typical credit card purchase ends up costing).
It takes time but I'm sure you'll get it figured out and don't hesitate to ask for help along your journey.
_________________
"No warning can save a people determined to grow suddenly rich." :: Lord Overstone
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Author:skittles0220
Joined: 28 Jun 2005
Posts: 1
Location: Texas
Posted: Tue Jun 28, 2005 12:57 pm Post subject:Frugal Living Tips
Those are all great tips! As a professional student (yeah, I know, right ), I've been in this same situation. College is extremely overpriced - and when you add in all of the other necessities, it can be overwhelming. A few tips that have gotten me thru the years:
-Used books online. Check out auction and retail bookstore sites for used copies even cheaper than your school's bookstore. And sell back your books to these same websites. The school bookstore likes to be cheap as frequent as possible.
-Buy groceries in bulk. A membership to a club like Sam's/Costco will be more beneficial in the long run. And avoid eating out all the time. That adds up very quickly.
Most importantly, be well aware of your finances. DO YOUR RESEARCH. Look at your credit report and keep an eye on your statements. I've found http://www.studentfinancialguide.com to be my haven for information. I've learned so much in their articles.
Good luck, study hard, it'll be worth it!!
Jen
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Author:alohacamille
Joined: 12 Jul 2005
Posts: 3
Location: Hawaii
Posted: Tue Jul 12, 2005 12:32 pm Post subject:Frugal Living Tips
i'm glad i ran across this post! i was researching the net to try to find some financial info for students. it's really difficult being a college student these days. seems like tuition is always rising and the cost of living goes up with it.
thanks for the link jen. i'm going to check out that site, www.studentfinancialguide.com website for more help. the tips from everyone were also useful. i def. agree about buying used textbooks. i use half and amazon... it's saved me so much money in the long run.
camille
_________________
"No matter how hard things may seem, the diamond of your soul is harder."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Author:rain
Joined: 05 Dec 2004
Posts: 138
Posted: Wed Jul 13, 2005 4:14 pm Post subject:Frugal Living Tips
I find being a semi-geek/nerd helps me save a lot of money. I have almost no "life" and spend my time online surfing credit forums. Eat when really hungry and there's nothing cool going on "online", and go out as seldom as possible, and then mostly to the parks in Chicago or maybe pay per entry for gym now and then.
Hey, this works!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Author:Board Monitor
Board Monitor/ Administrator
Joined: 05 May 2003
Posts: 1136
Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2005 8:13 am Post subject:Frugal Living Tips
rain,
If it works for you, then go for it!
_________________
Best Regards,
Curtis Arnold
Board Monitor
http://www.cardratings.com
(501) 663-0314
Sign up for our free monthly e-mail newsletter!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Author:Alexis Rios
Credit Expert (100+ Posts)
Joined: 22 May 2005
Posts: 185
Location: Arecibo Puerto Rico
Posted: Mon Jul 18, 2005 1:50 pm Post subject:Frugal Living Tips
my last three semesters of college , i lived very frugal . I didn't have any kind of grant , my only source was an alimony from my parents. So i lived basically with $275/month , half of these went to pay my apartment. Luckily i have a student loan , and one credit card , and made a frugal living in college.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Author:rain
Joined: 05 Dec 2004
Posts: 138
Posted: Mon Jul 18, 2005 2:41 pm Post subject:Frugal Living Tips
That's really incredible! Unless of course this is in the 50s or something......
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Author:montana004
Joined: 06 Aug 2005
Posts: 6
Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2005 10:02 pm Post subject:
try to apply for scholarships, and student loans are also available (be careful with them, borrow only if you REALLY need)
yep getting a part time job helps
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author:cricket
Joined: 19 Aug 2005
Posts: 2
Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2005 10:46 pm Post subject:Frugal Living Tips
1) Learn to cook. If you can read, you can cook. Have friends over for a home-cooked meal - they can bring the beer (more savings)
2) Scope out happy hours with free food - I lived on free food and half-price drink specials several nights a week when I was in college. Depending on where you go to school, you may need to forgo the "college" bars for "working professional" bars. Dress accordingly.
3) Books are just a rip-off - No way around it.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Author:nixuzer
Joined: 18 Apr 2005
Posts: 94
Location: TX, USA
Posted: Mon Sep 12, 2005 11:00 pm Post subject:Frugal Living Tips
cricket wrote:
2) Scope out happy hours with free food - I lived on free food and half-price drink specials several nights a week when I was in college. Depending on where you go to school, you may need to forgo the "college" bars for "working professional" bars. Dress accordingly.
Now this is an e-book waiting to happen, "How to get fat and 'relaxed' on the cheap!"
_________________
"No warning can save a people determined to grow suddenly rich." :: Lord Overstone
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author:maddybeagle
Joined: 18 Jul 2005
Posts: 108
Posted: Tue Sep 13, 2005 1:13 pm Post subject:Frugal Living Tips
I found that there really is a lot of services (gyms), etc. that you can use. We also had a film club that was cheap per semester and you got to see movies every weekend. As if we had a lot of "free time" lol.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Author:sungod916
Joined: 19 Mar 2005
Posts: 26
Location: Sacramento, CA
Posted: Tue Sep 13, 2005 9:34 pm Post subject:Frugal Living Tips
I would like to add that buying a George Foreman grill would be a great idea. You can buy meat in bulk and cook it quickly with the grill.
Joined: 03 Jun 2005
Posts: 1
Posted: Fri Jun 03, 2005 11:18 am Post subject: Frugal Living Tips
anyone have any tips on living frugally? Being in college is tough on expenses. I tried to save as much as I could before coming to school but books were so expensive as well as wanting to eat out with friends. Do I have to give up having fun to be able to live an affordable life?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Author:
Ira
SENIOR MEMBER (Member for 2 yrs.+)
Joined: 19 May 2003
Posts: 1150
Location: NJ
Posted: Fri Jun 03, 2005 3:22 pm Post subject: Frugal Living Tips
Personally I'm amazed that anyone can afford a college education at a good school. Sorry but there are no magic bullets that I know of. You might try buying used books as much as possible. That could save as much as half. If you have a car, use it as little as possible. If you can get along without it and ride with your friends, that's more money in your pocket. Also, consider getting a part time job, or even switching to night school and get a full time job and earn while you learn. That's how I got my degree. Be creative, let nothing stand in your way, and you'll do fine.
_________________
Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.
Ira
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Author: nixuzer
Joined: 18 Apr 2005
Posts: 94
Location: TX, USA
Posted: Mon Jun 06, 2005 10:07 am Post subject: Re: Frugal Living Tips
barbarac wrote:
anyone have any tips on living frugally? Being in college is tough on expenses. I tried to save as much as I could before coming to school but books were so expensive as well as wanting to eat out with friends. Do I have to give up having fun to be able to live an affordable life?
Well the first thing I'd comment on is give up having fun as something that you might need to adjust your feelings on. The interesting part I found is that there are people I was hanging out with that were suffering from the same stresses and wanted to do something more cost effective but wouldn't speak up. Some would laugh when I recommended a cheaper alternative and others were interested in what I had to offer (although they wouldn't say it in the group sometimes but come to me later). Things like having some friends over and doing sandwiches and chips (everyone brings an item) while playing games was a much cheaper alternative and fun. We also tried to get people involved in finding activities that didn't cost anything but got us out, like riding bikes on a bike trail, etc.
There are many websites about frugal living but I've offered a few below. Most are geared towards families but you'll be able to find tidbits that will help. The thing that my family has found is frugal living is like saving, at first it seemed painful but now we enjoy it. My 8 year old came to me this morning excited that she has saved up $21.## over the last month doing extra jobs around the house and for neighbors, this wasn't an overnight thing for her but she is definitely getting into a saving mindset. This is the other 50% of the money she earned (we require our children to save 40% of any money they bring in and give 10% to charity).
Anyway, rambling over, here are the websites:
http://www.frugalfamilynetwork.com/
http://www.stretcher.com/
http://www.homeeconomiser.com/ (they have an inexpensive newsletter that we recommmend for families. Being single, I'm guessing, your expenses are so low that you could probably save money many other ways without having to spend a cent on any newsletters, etc)
The other item to keep in mind is network with other people about money saving things. It takes time to learn what is and is not a good price on daily staple items but over time you'll get there. Make sure you have a budget and live by it. You can make adjustments over time but a cash envelope system works really well. Statistically people spend significantly more using credit cards (for more information look at the following link and look for the bullet that starts with A typical credit card purchase ends up costing).
It takes time but I'm sure you'll get it figured out and don't hesitate to ask for help along your journey.
_________________
"No warning can save a people determined to grow suddenly rich." :: Lord Overstone
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Author:skittles0220
Joined: 28 Jun 2005
Posts: 1
Location: Texas
Posted: Tue Jun 28, 2005 12:57 pm Post subject:Frugal Living Tips
Those are all great tips! As a professional student (yeah, I know, right ), I've been in this same situation. College is extremely overpriced - and when you add in all of the other necessities, it can be overwhelming. A few tips that have gotten me thru the years:
-Used books online. Check out auction and retail bookstore sites for used copies even cheaper than your school's bookstore. And sell back your books to these same websites. The school bookstore likes to be cheap as frequent as possible.
-Buy groceries in bulk. A membership to a club like Sam's/Costco will be more beneficial in the long run. And avoid eating out all the time. That adds up very quickly.
Most importantly, be well aware of your finances. DO YOUR RESEARCH. Look at your credit report and keep an eye on your statements. I've found http://www.studentfinancialguide.com to be my haven for information. I've learned so much in their articles.
Good luck, study hard, it'll be worth it!!
Jen
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Author:alohacamille
Joined: 12 Jul 2005
Posts: 3
Location: Hawaii
Posted: Tue Jul 12, 2005 12:32 pm Post subject:Frugal Living Tips
i'm glad i ran across this post! i was researching the net to try to find some financial info for students. it's really difficult being a college student these days. seems like tuition is always rising and the cost of living goes up with it.
thanks for the link jen. i'm going to check out that site, www.studentfinancialguide.com website for more help. the tips from everyone were also useful. i def. agree about buying used textbooks. i use half and amazon... it's saved me so much money in the long run.
camille
_________________
"No matter how hard things may seem, the diamond of your soul is harder."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Author:rain
Joined: 05 Dec 2004
Posts: 138
Posted: Wed Jul 13, 2005 4:14 pm Post subject:Frugal Living Tips
I find being a semi-geek/nerd helps me save a lot of money. I have almost no "life" and spend my time online surfing credit forums. Eat when really hungry and there's nothing cool going on "online", and go out as seldom as possible, and then mostly to the parks in Chicago or maybe pay per entry for gym now and then.
Hey, this works!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Author:Board Monitor
Board Monitor/ Administrator
Joined: 05 May 2003
Posts: 1136
Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2005 8:13 am Post subject:Frugal Living Tips
rain,
If it works for you, then go for it!
_________________
Best Regards,
Curtis Arnold
Board Monitor
http://www.cardratings.com
(501) 663-0314
Sign up for our free monthly e-mail newsletter!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Author:Alexis Rios
Credit Expert (100+ Posts)
Joined: 22 May 2005
Posts: 185
Location: Arecibo Puerto Rico
Posted: Mon Jul 18, 2005 1:50 pm Post subject:Frugal Living Tips
my last three semesters of college , i lived very frugal . I didn't have any kind of grant , my only source was an alimony from my parents. So i lived basically with $275/month , half of these went to pay my apartment. Luckily i have a student loan , and one credit card , and made a frugal living in college.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Author:rain
Joined: 05 Dec 2004
Posts: 138
Posted: Mon Jul 18, 2005 2:41 pm Post subject:Frugal Living Tips
That's really incredible! Unless of course this is in the 50s or something......
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Author:montana004
Joined: 06 Aug 2005
Posts: 6
Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2005 10:02 pm Post subject:
try to apply for scholarships, and student loans are also available (be careful with them, borrow only if you REALLY need)
yep getting a part time job helps
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author:cricket
Joined: 19 Aug 2005
Posts: 2
Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2005 10:46 pm Post subject:Frugal Living Tips
1) Learn to cook. If you can read, you can cook. Have friends over for a home-cooked meal - they can bring the beer (more savings)
2) Scope out happy hours with free food - I lived on free food and half-price drink specials several nights a week when I was in college. Depending on where you go to school, you may need to forgo the "college" bars for "working professional" bars. Dress accordingly.
3) Books are just a rip-off - No way around it.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Author:nixuzer
Joined: 18 Apr 2005
Posts: 94
Location: TX, USA
Posted: Mon Sep 12, 2005 11:00 pm Post subject:Frugal Living Tips
cricket wrote:
2) Scope out happy hours with free food - I lived on free food and half-price drink specials several nights a week when I was in college. Depending on where you go to school, you may need to forgo the "college" bars for "working professional" bars. Dress accordingly.
Now this is an e-book waiting to happen, "How to get fat and 'relaxed' on the cheap!"
_________________
"No warning can save a people determined to grow suddenly rich." :: Lord Overstone
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author:maddybeagle
Joined: 18 Jul 2005
Posts: 108
Posted: Tue Sep 13, 2005 1:13 pm Post subject:Frugal Living Tips
I found that there really is a lot of services (gyms), etc. that you can use. We also had a film club that was cheap per semester and you got to see movies every weekend. As if we had a lot of "free time" lol.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Author:sungod916
Joined: 19 Mar 2005
Posts: 26
Location: Sacramento, CA
Posted: Tue Sep 13, 2005 9:34 pm Post subject:Frugal Living Tips
I would like to add that buying a George Foreman grill would be a great idea. You can buy meat in bulk and cook it quickly with the grill.
