Entertainment and Exercise

All work and no play...

  45. Go natural. Do entertaining things that don't cost money: visit friends, explore campus, hike, ride, skateboard, rollerblade, etc.
  46. Athletics services. Some campuses include use of facilities (pool, weight room, etc.) in your tuition.
  47. Abstain. Alcohol is costly and dehydrates you. Or check out Billy Cosby's I'll never drink again skit, if you can find it.
  48. Beg for beer. Do parlour tricks for a pint.
  49. Ladies night. Free or discounted drinks for females. Or borrow your sister's dress.
  50. Brew your own. More legal than "grow your own".
  51. Movie night. Student residences may show recent films in lecture halls at a reduced rate.
  52. Wait for the DVD. Why pay $11 for a cramped seat in a smelly theater.
  53. Your own movie night. Share DVD rentals with roommates and friends on weekends.
  54. Skip the pizza. Go potluck on movie night.
  55. Cancel cable TV. Or at least slim down the monthly package you pay for.
  56. Streaming video. There are tons of streaming video sites such as YouTube, Google Video, Daily Motion, iFilm, revver (which pays) and many more. Some TV broadcasters' websites also show recent episodes.
  57. Internet TV. IPTV comes in two forms: broadcaster's streaming video of recent TV episodes and standalone clients like Joost, Babelgum, or Democracy.
  58. Free music. iLike, Pandora, Last.fm, finetune, gotuit (music videos).
  59. Go Dutch. This is the 21st century. A guy doesn't always have to pay for everything on a date. Split the cost.
  60. Get a subscription. Magazines cost less in a prepaid subscription, compared to monthly purchases at the mall or bookstore.
  61. Cancel magazine subscriptions. You can probably read it free at the college or local library.

Food, Meals, Grocery Shopping

Food is usually your biggest expense after tuition, books, and rent.

  62. Take a lunch. College food courts are notoriusly expensive.
  63. Give up coffee. Ditto. Or make a pot at home in the morning.
  64. Use a thermos. A sturdy thermos is ideal for hot coffee or soup, and it'll hook onto your backpack or book bag.
  65. Bottle your own. Use your own water filter and carry a squeeze bottle.
  66. Reduce meat. And increase less expensive vegetable protein.
  67. Eat generic. Brand name food items cost extra due to advertising costs.
  68. Split a pizza. Go halvsies with a roommate or buddy on a big pizza deal.
  69. Make your own. Pizza is easy to make. Go with flatbread, a bit of cooking oil, sauce, cheese, and toppings, and a (toaster) oven.
  70. No drinks. If you do enter a restaurant occasionally, skip the soda pop.
  71. Clip coupons. Standard cost-cutting procedure for students. But only for items you actually use.
  72. Jut what you need. Make a list before you shop and stick to it.
  73. Buy bulk. Save on packaging by buying small baggies of loose items from the bulk bins.
  74. Make your own snacks. Snacks are nice, but think twice. Or buy bulk items and mix'em yourself.
  75. Try the local Farmer's Market. Great bargains to be had.
  76. Meal planning. A bit of meal planning reduces waste and maintains variety.
  77. Share meals. Only the most easygoing of people can pull this off, but sharing groceries and meals is far more cost effective than buying for one.
  78. Devise a budget. Use free spreadsheet software from Open Office, Zoho or Google.
  79. Take a calculator. To keep track of your purchase total and stick to your budget.
  80. Shop the perimeter. That's where the necessities are.
  81. Warehouse clubs. Team up with a friend and cut down on costs.
  82. Don't use credit. Careful with credit cards for food purchases. It's easy to get out control.

General Frugality and DIY

Student frugality goes beyond sticking to a budget. It requires a do-it-yourself mindset.

  83. Count your coins. Do it yourself while watching TV. Use paper coin wrappers instead of losing nearly 10% in a coinstar machine.
  84. Thoughtful gifts. A gift doesn't have to cost a lot to be valuable.
  85. Free samples. There really are websites offering free samples.
  86. Discount postage stamps. Buy in bulk and save, for letters to grandma.
  87. Dumpster diving. Not literally, as it's illegal in most places. But people really do throw out good quality furniture, TV sets, books, tools, etc.
  88. Re-use. Sour cream/margarine containers, ziploc bags, pickle bottles.
  89. Volunteer. How does volunteering save money? Time away from the mall, free stuff.
  90. Clean your kitchen. You're more likely to cook at home and thus save money.
  91. Barter. Some towns have student/grad-run barter groups, whereby you can trade items/services.
  92. Wait on the pets. At least until after college.
  93. Re-gift. Can't use all the gifts from uncles and aunts? Re-gift. Tacky? Maybe not.

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