Financial Disaster? Say Less

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Money Doesn’t grow on Trees

You always hear about students never having any money in college. This seems to be a growing issue, and your parents can only support you for so long. You probably don’t get that weekly allowance anymore. Due to this lack of leverage, you’re going to want to save as much money as possible for the sake of yourself and your future. Luckily, there are many easy ways to do this.

If you live on your own, you probably buy your own groceries. It’s not always about what you buy, rather it matters where you go. If you’re looking for larger portions to last you a while, go to Sam’s Club. You need a membership to shop there, but it’s only $45 for a year and it will save you so much more money than that in the long run. They have an excellent selection of larger items that come in large quantities. The total price will be slightly more, but you won’t be taking as many visits to the grocery store. If you’re a big frozen pizza person (which I am), get it at Sam’s. You can get three DiGiorno pizzas (my favorite brand of frozen pizza; also the best quality in my opinion) for only $11. Or, if you’re really a penny pincher, you can get four Jack’s pizzas for $10. That will last you for a long time and cost you little money. They also have great deals on bread, snacks, fruit, meats and pretty much everything else.

If you’re looking for groceries in less quantity for a low price, then the generic Walmart is the place to go. Everything there is cheap and gets the job done. Not ideal, I know, but sometimes college can have you feeling desperate. If you refuse to buy from Walmart for whatever reason, go to Target and pay a few extra bucks for arguably slightly better quality groceries.

Do not order food for delivery. I’m going to say it again. Do not order food for delivery. I realize the convenience of the whole thing, but when you’re low on money, convenience isn’t necessary. This puts a giant hole in your wallet, yet college students fall victim to delivery foods far too often. Don’t get sucked in. By ordering for delivery, you add anywhere from $6 to $10 onto your bill after you take the delivery fee and tip into consideration. You would be much better off just ordering food for takeout. It would save you so much money in the future.

Normally, I wouldn’t recommend going out to eat at all. However, we have to live a little bit, and everyone needs a little fast food. I have a slight addiction to Taco Bell, so I know how to get a full meal for cheap. If you’re really hungry and looking for a full meal, the $5 box is probably your best bet. They introduce new ones all the time, but every one of them is very good and filling. Right now they have a crunchwrap box, which consists of a crunchwrap, two tacos and a drink. They also have a chalupa cravings box, which is amazing. It’s by far the most bang for your buck. It comes with a chalupa, beefy five-layer burrito, a taco, cinnamon twists and a drink. Not bad for $5. I would also suggest looking at their dollar cravings menu. Three or four items on there will have your stomach satisfied. My personal favorites are the beefy Fritos burritos, triple layer nachos and mini quesadillas. Do yourself a favor and grab some Taco Bell if you don’t feel like cooking. (It can cure anything, I swear.)

Burger King is also a safe bet for fast food deals. We all know about the 10 chicken nuggets for $1.69 deal. (It used to be $1.50, but I’m not really going to complain.) Burger King has recently added many new deals that are very hard to beat. The “King Meal Deal” is arguably their best option. You can mix and match a double cheeseburger and chicken jr. with fries and a drink for only $3.49. Yes, you can literally get a full meal for not even four dollars. Now, you can also get a nine-piece chicken fry for only $1.69. In my opinion, Burger King tastes better than McDonald’s, so there’s that. Not only are they cheaper, but their food is more appealing. Their burgers are flame-broiled and have more flavor. I probably wouldn’t go as far as saying their fries are better, although they are tasty. Burger King is definitely cheaper than McDonald’s too, something all college kids should care about.

Don’t pay for cable. Deal with the channels you get with your coaxial cable. You should get a reasonable amount of channels. I know how convenient NFL Network is when you want to catch up on the latest news around the NFL. However, would you rather have that or money to pay for real necessities? Instead, get yourself a Twitter account and follow the NFL. If you’re upset you can’t watch anything, spend a measly eight bucks a month on a Netflix account. Or Hulu. Or Amazon Prime. There are many alternatives to purchasing cable.

Please consider these options. Or don’t, honestly. If you really want those Insomnia Cookies delivered to your house with an ice-cold glass of milk, go for it. If you want that pizza with extra cheese and toppings ran to your place, order it. If you get a nice driver and want to tip $20, you’d be very (too) generous. Just realize one thing, folks. Money doesn’t grow on trees, so you might want to try and save it rather than throw it away. Just a thought.

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