Being in college is a great learning experience. Not only while in school but also while living outside campus and learning the ropes of adult life. There are various student-housing units that provide accommodation for students near most college campuses. Most of these housing units provide furnished apartments for students to share. Living outside campus comes with a lot of responsibilities, especially when it comes to spending money. Here are a few money saving tips to live comfortably.
Mental tricks
You can play some mental tricks to avoid excessive spending when living outside campus. There are a few surefire tricks that will fool you into spending less money. For instance, you should always pay with cash when possible as it makes spending more real than using credit cards. Also carry large bills since they are more painful to spend than small bills. When leaving home, take only the cash you need and leave your wallet to prevent impulse spending.
Budgeting for entertainment
Entertainment is a huge part of student life so it should be included in your budget. Set aside a small portion of your budget for entertainment and stick to it to avoid spending too much. You can consider watching DVDs and videos online instead of watching cable TV, which is more costly. Be an outdoor person and take advantage of the park and other outdoor activities that prevent you from spending too much. You can also go for happy ours in most restaurants where you get cheap food or go for free tours in factories for entertainment. Finally, house parties is where refreshments are free and in plenty.
Food and shopping
Your budget should have a list of "must haves" and "want to haves". The must haves are your usual needs such as groceries and toiletries. Wants are things that you desire to have but can do without. You should put this in a separate list and revisit them after thirty days to see if you still need them. When shopping for items look around for the best price, share items that you don't need with others people and trade them for things you need. Always buy in bulk if you tend to buy a lot of a certain item and cook at home to save money on food expenses.
Stay healthy
You should also keep your health bills to a minimum and you should do this by staying as healthy as possible. Make sure to exercise regularly, go jogging and use the campus pool to stay fit. You should also maintain a healthy diet and quit vices such as cigarette smoking, alcohol and drugs.
Transportation
Using a car can be very expensive. You have to budget for gas money, insurance, parking and maintenance. Using mass transit can help you save a lot of money. Riding a bicycle is a great way to combine the exercise and money saving. Most campuses usually have free campus shuttles and you don't have to spend anything.
Mental tricks
You can play some mental tricks to avoid excessive spending when living outside campus. There are a few surefire tricks that will fool you into spending less money. For instance, you should always pay with cash when possible as it makes spending more real than using credit cards. Also carry large bills since they are more painful to spend than small bills. When leaving home, take only the cash you need and leave your wallet to prevent impulse spending.
Budgeting for entertainment
Entertainment is a huge part of student life so it should be included in your budget. Set aside a small portion of your budget for entertainment and stick to it to avoid spending too much. You can consider watching DVDs and videos online instead of watching cable TV, which is more costly. Be an outdoor person and take advantage of the park and other outdoor activities that prevent you from spending too much. You can also go for happy ours in most restaurants where you get cheap food or go for free tours in factories for entertainment. Finally, house parties is where refreshments are free and in plenty.
Food and shopping
Your budget should have a list of "must haves" and "want to haves". The must haves are your usual needs such as groceries and toiletries. Wants are things that you desire to have but can do without. You should put this in a separate list and revisit them after thirty days to see if you still need them. When shopping for items look around for the best price, share items that you don't need with others people and trade them for things you need. Always buy in bulk if you tend to buy a lot of a certain item and cook at home to save money on food expenses.
Stay healthy
You should also keep your health bills to a minimum and you should do this by staying as healthy as possible. Make sure to exercise regularly, go jogging and use the campus pool to stay fit. You should also maintain a healthy diet and quit vices such as cigarette smoking, alcohol and drugs.
Transportation
Using a car can be very expensive. You have to budget for gas money, insurance, parking and maintenance. Using mass transit can help you save a lot of money. Riding a bicycle is a great way to combine the exercise and money saving. Most campuses usually have free campus shuttles and you don't have to spend anything.
Melbourne Commons is a Melbourne Florida student living community. Melbourne student housing, Melbourne off campus living. http://melbournecommons.com/
