Just Jack Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 WATCH your laundry! I sounds crazy, but I lost (read: had stolen) lots of unattended clothes in my day. Sucks. Same here. I used to go buy the Sunday paper, then sit in the laundry room while doing my laundry. The one time I had clothes stolen, I had run upstairs to grab one of my textbooks. In that less than 4 minute span, someone stole two shirts and a pair of pants. Buy used textbooks. My first semester, I wanted all new books. Big, expensive mistake. Some colleges will not allow you to not have a meal plan if you're living in the dorm, but they may offer different pricing/number of meal levels. Mine was based on number of meals, not price, so if you wanted seconds you could go back and get more. Buy a package of those red Solo plastic cups. Then find the house/frat parties that are using them. Take one cup and go on in. If someone questions you, you were 'out having a smoke'. I'm amazed the number of places that always use the red cups, and no other color. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SDS Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 DON'T GET A CREDIT CARD! One of the biggest mistakes college students make is charging up a bunch of money and end up deeply in debt buying crap they don't need. Credit is way too easy to get and it's a great way to screw up your life before it gets started. well, I don't think that is true anymore (easy credit) - is it? But still, I suppose if you can't be trusted that is decent advice, but the best situation would be to get a low limit credit card ($500?) and charge all the monthly expenses and pay it off. You can't start too early establishing A1 credit. These days - you better have good credit or you ain't squat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WVUFootball29 Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 well, I don't think that is true anymore (easy credit) - is it? But still, I suppose if you can't be trusted that is decent advice, but the best situation would be to get a low limit credit card ($500?) and charge all the monthly expenses and pay it off. You can't start too early establishing A1 credit. These days - you better have good credit or you ain't squat. Gotta agree with SDS here. I have a Hilton Honors card and use it for the hotel and airfare points and pay it off at the end of the month. I have about 2 weeks worth of top notch hotel rooms saved so far. Nothing like a good vacation for cheap and having a good rating rating. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dwight Drane Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 Sell your plasma You joke....but if you are Rh- you can make some good cash. I used to "donate" at Somerset Labs in Amherst between classes and would take home $7k a year tax free......all while reading and getting a free lunch. Five minutes from UB. Nabi used to do it in Florida, but I think they are done. Instead of getting a job as a ballboy, try getting a job at a local stripclub. Not as a dancer....but as a host/bouncer/bartender. Orlando is a booty-trap with a bunch of good looking young girls and tourists around all the time. If you are really lucky, you'll meet a girl that can support you. All you need to know is how to say "I understand.......How could she do that to you?.........That B word...........My uncle did that to me once too." Now you're all set. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chef Jim Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 Don't start using coke. Oh you can use it just don't snort all the profit. The best way to save money though is to date only married women. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FluffHead Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 I haven't backread, so there may be some repeats here. But I am a current college student so here's some things I have learned. buy the mealplan if you're on campus. you probably won't have a stove in your dorm room, so that makes it tough to eat decent. off campus apartment, probably will have a stove, but most kids don't live off campus first 1-2 years. walk to class, or ride a bike, cars mean parking passes and gas. learn to drink cheap booze. find out which bars have the best specials. it's hard when everyone else is doing it, but do your best not to order out all the time. if you do have a car, don't ignore parking rules, although they are usually ridiculous (i paid so much money on parking tickets my first couple years) don't not spend money at the expense of being anti-social, but don't be a cheap skate and not go out, in the end the memories are worth it and as long as you don't go overboard, get decent grades, you'll be ok Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 Saving money is easy. Just don't buy stuff. Nuff said. And if you get a job, get one at a restaurant. Free food. With free food and not buying stuff, you'll have all the money you'll ever need. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 Try to find and snag a cush on-campus job. Most campuses have plenty of positions where they pay decent money for you to do very little. I had a 10 hour per week job at the library as an undergrad, which essentially gave me 10 paid hours to do homework and study. Advice for life! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaska Darin Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 well, I don't think that is true anymore (easy credit) - is it? But still, I suppose if you can't be trusted that is decent advice, but the best situation would be to get a low limit credit card ($500?) and charge all the monthly expenses and pay it off. You can't start too early establishing A1 credit. These days - you better have good credit or you ain't squat. It is for college students. I'd say that about 1% of people that age can be trusted, though your statement on good credit is certainly true. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beerball Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 You joke....but if you are Rh- you can make some good cash. I don't joke. My son had a plasma center across the street from his apartment last year. Told him to check it out if things got tight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plenzmd1 Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 I don't joke. My son had a plasma center across the street from his apartment last year. Told him to check it out if things got tight. This got me thinking...when things were tight(electric getting shut off etc) me and a couple of boys would head to Pittsburgh (70 miles south) and do weekend drug studies. Not the worst way in the world to make $300 back then, just sucked as you usually were locked in a dorm style place for the weekend. I am sure those types of studies are done at some Univ around Orlando, mabe even UCF. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ans4e64 Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 Find the parties where they collect your money INSIDE. My friends and I used to go there, stand outside the door, pretend like we lived there, and charged the dumb freshman $5 to enter. We'd sometimes make $50 before anyone inside would realize and chase us away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bdelma Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 Eat Kraft macroni and cheese daily Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KD in CA Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 Find the parties where they collect your money INSIDE. My friends and I used to go there, stand outside the door, pretend like we lived there, and charged the dumb freshman $5 to enter. We'd sometimes make $50 before anyone inside would realize and chase us away. I like it, but that sounds like a good way to catch a beating. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ans4e64 Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 I like it, but that sounds like a good way to catch a beating. Not really. It isn't very difficult to get away from a big, dumb frat brother who currently see's two of you. I don't know what it was about my campus, but it seemed like being overwight and dumb was a requirement for the fraternities around there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuckincincy Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 Eat Kraft macroni and cheese daily It's always on sale somewhere at three for a dollar. You have to factor in the milk cost, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WVUFootball29 Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 Not really. It isn't very difficult to get away from a big, dumb frat brother who currently see's two of you. I don't know what it was about my campus, but it seemed like being overwight and dumb was a requirement for the fraternities around there. typically a general rule of thumb at most colleges Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fingon Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 Seriously, try selling your blood. If you have a rare blood type, you can make tons of cash. But they will buy any kind of type. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plenzmd1 Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 learn to drink cheap booze. okay..i am lost on this. "learn to" implies that before college you drank not cheap booze. For me, adjusting to cheap beer was easy, as there was no adjustment...drank cheap beer before, during and after college Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Senator Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 I'm headed to college (UCF) in the fall and I need as much help as I could possibly get for saving money. What are some of the things you guys did to save cash when in college? Any tips would be great! Also, I am leaning towards not purchasing a meal plan. The thing seems like a rip off, $1500 a semester which only covers 10 meals a week. The only way I'd spend that much is if Jessica Biel was sitting at the table with me for dinner! See this movie - It will answer all your questions - including how to navigate the cafeteria food line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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