Saving on the Little Stuff

College is, for most people, a first-try at being on your own.  That means you wake yourself up, make your own schedule, do your own laundry, and spend your own money. Usually.

                The latter of that bunch is always the hardest. It is surprising how quickly money disappears when you not only have to buy the normal things like food and movie tickets, but also the small but very necessary items like toothpaste, trash bags, and shampoo. It all adds up, and, before you know it, you’re out of money and you can’t afford to buy laundry detergent.

                But there are ways to avoid this tragedy. Not every college student is doomed to the pitfall that is overspending. In fact, using modern technology and the tips in this blog, you can morph from a typical first-time over-spender to a frugal smart-shopping machine. Then you can make all of your dorm buddies jealous over your keen ability to afford toothpaste, or your laundry detergent collection.

Tip #1: Ditch the name brands

                According to Walmart.com, the difference in prices between the Hefty (Name brand) EasyFlaps 13-gallon trash bags (80 count) and the Great Value (Walmart brand) FlapTie 13-gallon trash bags (80 count) is $0.90 per box. Now, while that might not seem like a lot of money saved, think of it in this way: to buy the name brand instead of the generic brand is to spend an extra dollar on something that is meant to be thrown away.

The difference between these two items? $0.90.

                To make a long story short, if both products function in the same way, springing for the generic brand instead of the name brand will save you some bucks.

Tip #2: Make everything count

                Every time I do laundry, I see first-time guys doing their laundry. They make a habit of overloading the washers and rarely separate by color. Then, it comes time to add detergent, and they dump the bottle upside-down over the washing machine without ever bothering to measure. There is a reason that the cap on your detergent bottle has a few lines on the inside for weighing out your pours.

                This is not a way to make your hard-earned dollar last. Instead, you should try measuring everything: there’s a reason the manufacturer suggests a particular amount for each use. This could be said for shampoo, soap, and conditioner too, as well as deodorant, mouthwash and other items.

                To maximize your time between buys, use only what you’re supposed to. No more.

Tip #3: If you can do it yourself, do it

                How much does a haircut cost nowadays? How about a car wash? I don’t know the answers to those questions exactly, but I do know this: it’s more than the average college student needs to spend. Instead of taking the easy route by paying someone else to do things for you, do them yourself.

                By doing this, you’ll not only save money, but you’ll also learn skills that can help you later on in your life. Does your car need an oil change? Why not try it yourself? Save your money and instead invest a little time. You'd be surprised how easy it is to make a birthday gift for your roommate instead of buying something expensive or how little it costs to make your own meals instead of eating fast food.

That doesn't seem so hard, now does it?

                And there you have it: the best tips money (or no money) can buy when it comes to saving in the little areas of college life. And, guess what? You got them for free, which means you’re doing better already.