Students are under great stress in this economy.
Obviously, school pressures are the largest contributing factor. One’s family life, social problems and personal issues are in the mix as well. The high cost of living, however, is an often-overlooked issue that is affecting everyone now.
This is partially understandable. Young, inexperienced full-time college students have the hardest time finding employment when jobs are scarce.
Tuition rates and fees are not getting any lower, and the cost of living in general — food, gasoline and rent — only requires more income.
Nevertheless, this does not mean the situation is hopeless. Today’s students will have to change with the times. For some, living off ramen noodles and ketchup packets is already a harsh reality. For others, however, the concept of thrift is alien.
The latter group needs to learn how to live within acceptable means. Eating out or getting Starbucks everyday isn’t wise.
Some of the rising costs are easily remedied with a little pride swallowing. If fuel prices are too high, it is simply a better idea to invest in a bus pass or a bicycle. When movie theaters charge $10 per ticket (not counting the outrageous prices for 3-D), watching a movie at home is simply more frugal. When parking passes exceed what you can afford, it would not hurt to find one of the further away but completely free parking areas on campus.
It is no question that switching from an American dream lifestyle of consumption to that of thriftiness is difficult.
Using credit cards or cashed paychecks to fuel a ravenous appetite for commercialized needs is more than irresponsible. Spending is both important and unavoidable in today’s world, since less spending equals a more stagnate economy, but doing so correctly and moderately will help out far more than overspending.
Textbooks are a perfect example. Buying on campus (any campus) is always the most expensive.
Compared with finding a used book online, or renting off campus, it is simply foolish to waste money on something that is easily more affordable somewhere else.
Yet students have not realized this, or are living in denial. Buying overpriced goods or spending more money on something that could easily be purchased cheaper with a little added effort isn’t wise.
If a student wants a way to reduce stress, saving a little money in the bank is definitely one of them.
I've been trying to save money for years, because even before this recession, I've been short on cash being that I'm an artist. One really easy way is to switch from a contract cell phone plan to a prepaid plan. I switched to straight talk, which is only $45 a month for unlimited everything (texts,minutes,web) and that is almost half of what I was spending. That's like an extra 40 bucks a month that I can use toward something else, and an easy way to make your money go a long way
Idiosyncracy, I applaud your frugality! Saving money starts with things that we do everyday, we just have to think outside of the box! As you found out, saving on cell phone usage is a great place to start. In this regard, there is another option…getting your cellphone service for FREE…and better yet, getting paid whenever people pay their cellphone bill! This concept is spreading like wildfire, and many college students are finding this a great source of extra income.