Easy Ways to Save Money If You Don’t Work in College
Working in college is hard. There is very little time to do much else other than studying, class and the occasional night out with friends. We are starting to have to pay for our own bills, food, and everything else on top of hefty tuition payments. I worked part-time for the majority of my time in college, but during the time I did not work, I found great ways to save money.
Automatic Savings App
First, I downloaded an app called Digit. This app keeps track of your bank account amounts and will save money for you each day. I have saved over $300 with this app in the past year, and it’s been so great! You can also turn on Low Balance Protection that will take money out of the savings you’ve earned when your bank account balance drops below the amount that you set. They also give you a 1% savings bonus every 60 days. Download Digit here: https://digit.co/r/ZyuIiGr1I7?al
Save the Change
Second, keep your change! Since I was in middle school, I would collect my loose change in a jar and roll the coins when I was ready to bring it to the bank. This is one of the best ways that I’ve afforded little things like coffee before class or that late night pizza run on Saturdays. I hate carrying a ton of change around in my wallet, so this is the perfect way to avoid that and save up some money. All those quarters add up in the long run!
Start Clipping Coupons
Third, clip those coupons – now, you don’t have to go to the extremes like in those TLC shows, but knowing your way around the coupon world is a great way to save when buying groceries and necessities. Download the apps of your local grocery stores - the Meijer app I have on my phone allows me to clip coupons and put them on my MPerks account and they’re applied automatically at the register. According to the tracker on the app, I have saved over $100 this year so far!
There are so many ways to save money even when you’re not working in college. It’s so important to focus on your schoolwork, because between classes, extracurricular activities, and socializing, working can be really difficult. Sometimes just simply googling “money-saving apps” or “creative ways to save money” can give you some great new ideas!