Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Save Money & Earn Money (If You're in College or Otherwise)

College Tips & Life Hacks

A topic of debate that has come up a lot recently in my life is that of budgeting and taking care of one's money. This is an important topic for everyone, but is also especially of importance for us college kids who are usually on a tight budget that can range from lint-pocket broke, to my-parents-pay-for-everything. So my objective for this post is to provide you with a few ways to make some spending money, and some ways to save money. Now these will mostly be directed towards students like myself, but I don't think I know anyone that will say no to some money-saving tips and extra cash. Don't worry, this isn't one of those crazy-all out-penny pinching lists, this is just simple and easy tips to keep you from going broke. So let's get started!

Save Money:


  • Borrowed, loaned, or thrift store. For those of us who like to have some amenities & appliances in our rooms or apartments, new hipster clothes that you've probably never heard of, or some good furniture, borrowing from a friend, getting it loaned to you, or buying it from a thrift store is the way to go. Sure, it's probably used, and sure, it might not be in the best condition, but that won't really matter when you are sitting in your free couch you borrowed and enjoying a cold beverage from the fridge you got from the thrift store for next to nothing. Trust me, don't be that guy who has nothing in his room. No one likes hanging out in that guy's room.
  • Do matinees, lunch instead of dinner, and cook your own food. Planning a date? Make it a lunch date, and see a matinee after. Lunch prices and matinees cost way less than they do at night as they do during the day. Cooking your own food is also a very good choice, and has some really great benefits such as: you can cook healthy, you save money (it's less than a restaurant), you don't have to worry about not getting a table, crowds, or the loudness of most places, and you can do everything at your leisure. Plus you learn a valuable life skill: cooking. Not knowing how to cook is one of those things that if you are guilty of, you should really get on. It'll impress the opposite sex, teach you independence and healthy lifestyles, and you'll appreciate your parents that much more.
  • Don't buy frivolous crap. I'm looking at you, fellow college students. That awesome DVD set you saw in the store the other day? Yeah, you probably don't need that. Borrow it or look for a deal on it online at least, if you must. Please, when you see something you want to buy that's not clothing, food, or other essentials, now stick with me here cause it's about to get intense, take 10 seconds (gasp!) and really think, "Do I actually need this?" The answer is usually no. You don't need that new Angry Birds app. If you want Angry Birds, go toss pebbles at some pigeons. The graphics are way better.
Earn Money


  • Look for an online or temporary job. Do freelance writing, babysitting, freelance photography, become an online tutor, sell plasma, sell some of your junk on eBay or Craigslist, start a blog, etc. Don't wait around and hope that a job and money will come around and smack you in the face, get out there and look people. I make money online all the time, and yes, I do have to work for it, but trust me, if you've got even a little extra time on your hands, you can turn that into money in your account. With a little bit of searching and some elbow grease, you'll find something that fits your schedule and that you can do soon enough, I promise. If I can do it, anyone can. Well, most people can. As long as you're willing to work you'll do fine. But please, don't be one of those people (we all know one) that whines about having no money and needing a job. C'mon people, you've got the Internet at your disposal. Use it.
  • Reward sites. I know you think these are gimmicks, but I have two sites that are 100% legitimate.  Check out Swagbucks or download Checkpoints if you have a smartphone. Swagbucks is an easy and awesome way to earn points that you can turn into Amazon gift cards or whatever else, including actual cash through Paypal gift cards. I got my copy of Skyrim for absolutely nothing thanks to Swagbucks, and that is a true story. I've earned about 85$ in Amazon Gift Cards by just doing surveys, polls, offers or whatever else on the site, and I've never paid a penny for anything. Checkpoints is a cool little app that gives you points for scanning items whenever you're out shopping. That's it. Just scan, earn points, and use those points to get awesome stuff. 
Well, there you have it folks! I hope this helps a lot of you out there, because I know how much it sucks to not have money. If you're in college and you're really being hit hard in the wallet, just follow these tips, and trust me, you'll have enough saved or earned to pretty much do what you like. And for those of you not in college, these tips still apply! A little bit of money saved or spending cash earned never hurt anyone.

-M

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