Living on a Budget

Tis the season of giving

Posted in Lifestyle, Living on a Budget on 12/23/11 by .

As reported by USA Today earlier this month, it has become a trend over the past weeks that good Samaritans have been either personally or anonymously paying off the layaway balances of complete strangers.  This act of Holiday giving began in Michigan, before spreading to various states such as Nebraska, Ohio, and Missouri.

Normally over here at StudentCity we tend to keep things lighthearted, funny, and at times a bit provocative.  However, during this time of year it is important that we don’t forget the true meaning behind the Holidays that we celebrate.  It is a beautiful thing for people to have enough heart to want to help out families who are crunching numbers to make ends meet in order to provide a magical Christmas morning for their children.

This Holiday season, we ask that you do whatever you can to somehow give back to your community.  Whether you jump on the anonymous bandwagon of individuals who are paying off layaway balances of strangers, volunteer at a shelter, making donations to other various charities in the form of money or gifts, or even contribute a small amount to help pay off someone’s layaway balance.  Remember, any amount helps.

Try not to get caught up in the trend of extravagant gift-giving this Holiday season, and think about how much more meaningful it is to help out those who are less fortunate than we are.  Or, if you are giving expensive gifts this year, chances are if you can afford that designer bag for your sister, you can spare $10 to donate to a charity.

In the words of Biggie Smalls, “We can’t change the world unless we change ourselves.”  Do your part, and have a safe and happy Holiday!

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Contest winner will receive free college tuition for life!

Posted in College Life, Living on a Budget on 12/7/11 by .

Huffington Post: Cardiff University Hosts Willy Wonka Like Contest for Life-Long Free Tuition

Who would complain about this? “While I think that the individual student who wins this process will be very fortunate, it is a very sad indication of the state in which our higher education system finds itself that gimmicks like this have to be offered by our universities.” Dr Philip Dixon, director of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers in Wales told ‘Wales Online.’ “I wonder where this will end – will we see the universities of Wales offering buy-one-get-one-free degrees?” (I hope you read this in your most stuck-up British accent ever…I did.)

…Apparently Dr. Philip Dixon would.  Is he for real?  What a pretentious ass, huh?  “Gimmicks like this” should be offered by universities, and on at least a once-per-semester basis.

#1 problem with this contest:  tuition is less than half the battle regarding college expenses.  How about pay for my books, room&board, and throw in a couple hundred extra for leisurely spending?  I’m talking about colleges throwing around full-boat scholarships on a regular basis out of the goodness of their heart.

I went to an in-state university and my loan bills still aren’t cute, even though they make it seem like going to a state school is dirt cheap, I am still tens of thousands of dollars in the hole.  Every month when I write out my check to the loan companies, I want to include a memo of choice words for them.  I wouldn’t waste my time getting up on a Saturday morning to participate in a free tuition contest because I already got that with my impeccable MCAS scores (only about $4,000, but I guess I can’t complain), however, this would be a great opportunity to lessen those college loans for the students who didn’t rock their MCAS testing like I did.

To conclude, Philip Dixon needs to stop crying and probably get the universities of Wales to jump on the band wagon with this maneuver so that the population of the UK doesn’t start thinking they suck for not being more like Cardiff University.  Just saying.

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One household item that every college student should keep handy…

Posted in Living on a Budget on 12/2/11 by .

Baking Soda.

StudentCity wants to help you brush up on the many uses of baking soda.  Keep a box or two of this around in your apartment or dorm and save money on many other more expensive alternatives for daily cleansing and hygiene routines, or keep these in mind for when you’ve run out of a product and are in a crunch to get showered and ready without having time to run to the store!

Here are 7 uses for baking soda that your wallet will thank you for checking out…

1.  Brushing your teeth.  Sprinkle some baking soda onto your toothbrush for a peroxide-free whitening experience.

2.  Washing your face.  One tablespoon of baking soda + 1 tablespoon of honey will suffice for a cheap and easy do-it-yourself facial exfoliating scrub that is acne preventing and won’t dry out your skin.

3.  Make a homemade deodorant.  This may sound crazy and ineffective but combining 4 tablespoons of baking soda with about 10 drops of your favorite essential oil and then applying to your underarms will create an antiperspirant.

4.  Acne spot-treatment.  Create a paste with baking soda and water, apply to acne-affected area.  This will dry out your unwanted blemish.

5.  Cleanse your hair.  Dissolve about 1 tablespoon of baking soda into a glass of warm water and apply it to your roots in the shower.  Comb your hair through before rinsing out the mixture.  This will reduce the product build-up on your hair and allow you to shampoo less often!

6.  Soothe your stomach.  Mix 1 teaspoon of baking soda with warm water and consume to soothe stomach problems such as heartburn, gas, and acid stomach.

7.  Soak your skin.  Dissolve some baking soda directly into your bath for a soothing cleanse- and you wont need soap!

 

Let us know if you have any other top secret uses for baking soda!

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Ease the stress on your budget with these money saving (and earning) tips!

Posted in Living on a Budget on 11/30/11 by .

If you are reading this, you are most likely a college student or recent graduate.  Making ends meets can be stressful, especially with the added weight of the upcoming Holiday season.  Well my fellow peers, fret no longer!

A recent article from MSN has laid out a number of ways in which you can both save your hard earned money this season, as well as even EARN upwards of $1,000.  Besides the obvious money saving solution of dining out less often, here are some effective ways you can save substantially by the holidays;

  • Cancel your premium cable package and go with a lesser option.  To many, it may be difficult to not be able to catch the newest episodes of Dexter, Boardwalk Empire, etc., but there are plenty of ways around this.  Spend Sunday nights at your frinds house mooching off  of their cable, or catch the episodes at a later date online.
  • Drop your gym membership.  No one wants to put on those extra pounds of lovin’, which is easy to do around the holidays, but there are ways to burn those calories outside of the gym.  Considerably watch what you eat, take up running and walking outdoors, use smaller weights at home, learn some pilates online, etc.
  • Get rid of your telephone landline.  Who uses landlines anyways? Survive off of your cellphone for a few months…I’m sure that’s all youre using now anyways, so you might as well ditch the landline for good.

As far as earning that bit of extra cash you can;

  • Sell sterling silver for scrap (earnings: $240/ 8 oz. peice)
  • Sell unwanted gold jewelry (earnings: $140 for jewelry with melt value of $200)
  • Sell unwanted gift cards (earnings: relative)
  • Participate in focus groups that will pay you for your opinion (earnings: up to $200/ focus group)
  • Sell your belongings online (earnings: relative)

All of the above options are worthy of consideration when you’re crunching numbers to pay your rent, books, food, and extracurriculars.

Would you consider any of these options for saving and earning some cash during the holiday season, or any time of year for that matter?

 

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California college students are living in mansions for CHEAP!

Posted in College Life, Living on a Budget on 11/14/11 by .

According to the NYDN, University of California, Merced students are living in mansions that have been foreclosed on for $200-350 each in monthly rent.

Why such cheap rentals?  The town of Merced was ranked the third hardest-hit area in the country for home foreclosures.

Amenities include:  5 or 6 bedrooms, many equipped with their own private bathrooms, Jacuzzi tubs, walk-in closets, and swimming pools.

The one question on my mind, are there any UC Merced students who need a roommate?  Don’t threaten me with a good time (or $200 rent).

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A holiday gift guide for students

Posted in Living on a Budget on 11/30/10 by .

Giving presents to everyone isn't necessary this Christmas, keep it simple and fun.With the gift-giving season upon us, it’s time to make that horrible decision: do I spend money on my friends or do I buy that new pair of shoes that just went on sale?

Yes, presents are fun to receive but they’re a bitch to give. However, there are ways to avoid spending a fortune on all of your friends and still make them feel loved.

Don’t worry about getting everyone a gift. Not everyone on your floor will be exchanging presents so stick with a few friends (and family) before spending a whole month trying to think of a proper gift for 50 people.

First off, buy a few $10 gift cards to Starbucks…two or three will suffice. Keep them for when someone gives you a gift you hadn’t planned on. If that doesn’t happen, you have money dedicated to coffee, which isn’t really so bad, is it?

Once you’ve chosen the people who will get gifts, think hard about something meaningful to give them. It doesn’t have to be expensive, the key is to make sure they know how much you care. A CD by a local band given to a girl who loves finding new music is much better than a $20 gift certificate to Best Buy.

All of these gift ideas are meant to be cheap, and we’ve divided them up into “personalities” so you can decide whether or not the gift you want to hand out is appropriate or not.

The Boyfriend

Boyfriends are technically the easiest to get gifts for, but you don’t want to write them off as someone who doesn’t care about getting something meaningful. Of course, giving them flowers won’t really strike their fancy either. Everyone sees those retro posters with phrases like “Beer: give your brain the night off!” and guys think they’re hilarious. You can find them for less than $10 at any joke shop or gift store usually, but they’re really cheap online. Also cool for guys? A mixed CD. Well, today you might as well put it on a zip drive, but make a playlist of songs they don’t have and give it to them. Stay away from sappy stuff, but maybe include some of their guilty pleasures to show you really get them. Shot glasses or a lifetime supply of beer is always good too.

The Girlfriend

Gents, welcome to the wonderful (and treacherous) world of buying gifts for girlfriends. While some girls are pleasant and are mystified that you even realized it was Christmas, others will cut off your balls if they get another gift card or flower delivery. Do something that involves time together, like a special dinner or two tickets to a concert. These don’t have to be expensive, it should be about the memories you are sharing. Trust me, fellas…time is money. Flowers are great to go with these events, but they definitely shouldn’t be the main event. If you feel like splurging, an overnight to somewhere secluded like a mountain cabin or beach cottage are also perfect, but they need to happen around Christmas time, not after you’ve come back from spring break.

These suggestions are for serious couples, fyi. If you’re just starting to hook up, condoms or dirty limericks are fun.

The Best Friend

Best friends are the ones who are always there for you no matter what. Show them how much you care by giving them something like a photo scrapbook. Keep it simple and use only pictures that have both of your bright shining faces. Joke gifts are always a hoot too. We’ll never forget the time we got our friend a vibrator a few weeks after she got dumped, but she really appreciated the fact we knew she needed to get laid.

The Gay Best Friend

Everyone in college has them (even straight guys) and most of the time, you owe them. Whether it’s because they showed you how awful your boyfriend was or hooked you up with the hottest girl on campus, gay best friends are always there to help you out. Sometimes, however, the divide between gay and straight can be alienating. Get them something that will make them feel that it doesn’t matter what their orientation is, proving you love them for who they are, not what they do. Stereotypical gifts are always good (Christina’s newest album, a day trip to the spa) but the best ones show you know them better than they realize. A Christmas ornament from a place traveled together, a trip to a museum featuring their favorite artist or even a surprise movie night with just the two of you is perfect.

Roommate

These people aren’t always your best friends, but it’s always good to show the person you share a living space with that you care. Things like a board game (Apples to Apples or Trivial Pursuit make a good choice), a box of their favorite foods or an item of clothing with your school’s logo are all good choices.

While these gifts are great for certain people, we have some ideas that will work for everyone, including family so if you’re not completely sure what to get someone, stick to basics and they’ll love you just as much come New Year’s.

Cheesy coupons like “This entitles (name) to a free happy hour” are always great because it encourages spending time together and it’s free booze. Everyone loves free booze. Don’t be stupid and give this to someone under 21 years old, it will just make them feel awful.

Homemade goods are not only good gifts, they’re fun to make! Bake a batch of cookies or make a friendship bracelet to give people and they’ll be so glad you even thought of them. Be careful of allergies, though, no one will send you a thank you card if you put peanuts in cookies and they wind up in the hospital.

Cheap gifts are everywhere, what really matters is how much thought you put into the present that counts.

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10 Ways to Drink For Cheap

Posted in After Hours, Campus Life, Living on a Budget on 10/6/10 by .

Drinking beer instead of cocktails will help save money while drinking.Drinking is probably the most popular college activity for students looking for a party but it's also one of the most expensive. Here are some ways to cut down on costs so you can drink more or save up to do something other than make out with random frat boys at the local towny bar.

1. Coupons

With the age of the Internet turning into the age of social media, bars are offering coupons via Twitter and Facebook. Usually college-oriented bars offer a deal every night of the week (Margarita Mondays, $2 Pint Tuesdays, etc) so take advantage.

2. Cute Guys

Talk up some cute guy at the bar and he'll keep buying you drinks so long as you keep the conversation flowing and actually seem interested. Good topic points include: sex, his manly charm and sports. Avoid: whining about how it's nice to finally meet a good-natured guy, school (unless bashing a mutual professor) and lady problems. Oh, and roofies.

3. Beer and Wine

Beer and wine may have a lower alcohol volume percentage than hard liquor, but they're usually cheaper and prevent from anyone getting too wild.

4. Happy Hour

Happy Hour is your BFFL, don't ever forget that.

5. Trader Joe's

Have you ever heard of Trader Joe's? They have their own brand of wine, at least we think it's theirs…we can't find it anywhere else. The bottles costs only $1.99-$3.99. And it's good, like really, really good.

6. Pregame

Drink what you own before you go out so you don't go spending a lot in clubs or bars. That way, you won't come home with an empty wallet and wake up with a hazy memory and a "what the hell happened to all my money!?" moment.

7. Day Drinking

Fans of day-drinking should find bottomless mimosas in bars that are open for brunch over the weekends.

8. Designated Driver

Not drinking is completely free…be the designated driver for a night and watch your friends act silly, it's like a free show too! Make them pay for gas since you are the one driving them around.

9. Pitchers

Buying large pitchers of drinks to split with friends also reduces the cost – it's like Costco, buying in bulk always saves money in the long run.

10. Parents

Ask your parents for "food money." Cash needs no receipts or credit history and how can parents deny you "food?" 

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Spring Break on A Budget

Posted in Living on a Budget on 9/15/10 by .

Save cash while on spring break 2011 and see a showWorrying about your finances during spring break is no fun. Planning ahead with a budget, however, can save you some serious dough on your spring break 2011.

Follow our advice and make your spring break in Mexico or wherever you choose to go thrifty and fun!

While You’re There

Grocery store

One of the best ways to save money is to buy your food from the grocery store. Head to the local market every morning and buy food for sandwiches or salads that you can keep in a cooler. That way you save money normally spent on restaurants and eat whenever you get hungry, instead of waiting to be served.

Coupons

Ask the front desk for coupons or free events that might be happening throughout the week. Cancun spring break and the like have massive parties but many of them cost money to get into, try to spend some time looking for the less expensive events or entry coupons if you’re looking to keep costs to a minimum.

Cheap fun can also be found by simply staying around your hotel’s pool or lying out on the beach all day. The warm weather comes with the vacation, so take advantage! Remember your sunscreen though, no one wants to be stuck inside because of a sunburn!

Pay cash

Try to avoid using credit cards. Friends can conveniently forget to have extra cash and then you get stuck with the bill. Make sure you say “no” to the first person who asks to get covered so others don’t ask later on in the week.

Stay domestic

Florida spring break is usually cheaper than going international, so consider Panama City Beach for fun in the sun! Flights are cheaper but the weather, parties and activities is exactly the same as places in the Caribbean.

Public transportation

If you plan on frolicking around the city you’re in, use public transportation! Taxis are expensive and have been known to rip you off in tourist areas by charging a fee in addition to your fare. Public transportation may not be stylish, but neither is spending all your money on getting around.

Bicycle

Rent a bicycle during your Jamaica spring break to escape the party zone and go on an adventure. Your hotel should have maps to explore the surrounding area. Jamaica is an eco-paradise with waterfalls, beautiful greenery and secluded beaches.

Self-control!

Self-control can avoid the biggest potential cost of all: bail. Do not get wasted. Seriously. The chances of you getting arrested and your friends having to bail you out is high. Cops patrol spring break area heavily and there is no get out of jail free card. Some country’s laws force non-citizens to be deported upon any arrest. Not only will you lose out on your vacation, but you’ll be charged thousands of dollars. Be smart and responsible, always.

Before You Go

Planning

Planning a realistic budget ahead of time can help tremendously. Make sure you really know the status of your finances before you travel. We recommend adding an additional 10% to your expected costs. It will give you a safety blanket in case there is an emergency or you accidentally overspend.

Insurance

An important thing about travel is health insurance. Some companies will not cover you internationally so make sure to check what is included! Medical visits are supposed to be avoided during spring break and more likely than not, college students will not be able to afford proper care without coverage. Know before you go! Don’t call your parents at midnight from the hospital to find out if you’re covered. It’s embarrassing and you will frighten them into thinking you can’t handle traveling alone, which means they’re less likely to help out if you need some extra cash!

Buy the expensive stuff at home

EHow.com says travelers should pack toiletries that can be expensive in tourist spots. Sunscreen, disposable cameras, sandals, etc. should be bought at home and taken with you. These things will likely cost double at your spring break destination.

Go in groups

Consider traveling in big groups to get discounts on fun activities. Attractions, restaurants, clubs offer slashed prices for groups larget than four. However, be sure that everyone is on the same page. There’s no point in bringing a large group to cut down costs if everyone wants to do seperate things.

These tips should help any college student looking to avoid major spending in March. Saving money during spring break is easy as long as you put in the effort. By being responsible, doing some research and planning ahead, college students can have the best spring break ever!

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College Dorms Can Be Cheap If You’re In the Know

Posted in Living on a Budget on 9/2/10 by .

Move-in day doesn't have to be a burdenCollege move-in day can be a strain on your back…and your wallet.

Luckily, there are ways to save when it comes to dorm necessities.

Max Levitte of Cheapism.com blogged on the Washington Post recently about the numerous ways to cut costs on furniture, shipping and other fees that can add up.

Dormbuys.com offers cheap furniture and even has a blog for decorating ideas. Amazon Student offers a free membership to any student with a current .edu e-mail address. Shipping costs will be the same as normal delivery but packages arrive in two days instead of the usual week-long wait.

“Now’s the moment to start pulling together everything you’ll need to make your room feel cozy and look smart,” says Levitte.

If students plan ahead they can make move-in day easy and stress-free.

Powertochange.com offers some good advice on how to save space in a cramped dorm for cheap. For example, lofts create space under your bed for plastic containers that can be filled with food, books, even clothes.

Another great way to find ideas is to talk with older students. They’ve been there before and should have brilliant ideas for saving money and space.

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