5 Ways to Cut Corners on a College Budget

Whether you’re heading off to college for the first time or taking a victory lap, we’ve got some great tips for living on a budget that you probably haven’t thought of before.

Free Stuff
Everyone wants freebies and these days it feels like everyone's giving them out. But how do you know if it’s just a scam or if it’s a legit freebie? Check out these tips to avoid spam and get the free goods!

Online Grocery Guide
Have you ever been standing in the grocery store aisle, deciding whether or not to buy a product, and wished you knew if you could get it cheaper at another store? With this grocery guide, you can search businesses in your area and get a comprehensive list of products and their costs compared to other local businesses. It even allows you to send the list to your phone so you can use it on the go. Still not cheap enough? You can also search coupons for the product you’re looking for.

Love that Ramen!
Nothing says college student like Ramen noodles. But if you get burned out on plain old Chicken and Beef flavored soup, check out these dirt cheap Ramen recipes for everything from Chicken Diablo Ramen to Three-Bean Ramen Salad. And if you’re feeling adventurous, you can try out one of these unique recipes, like Chocolate Ramen Cake!

Keep a budget
Of course, the best way to pinch your pennies is to keep a budget. But this is often difficult for college students who are just now having to start thinking about where their money is going. In order to make things easier, you can check out this college budget worksheet to keep track of your money and figure out how you can improve your spending habits in the future. The best way to do this, though, is to go paperless with an easy-to-use program like QuickBooks or Quicken.

You gotta save to spend!
After you figure out how much you should be spending per month, the only way you can increase that number without putting yourself into debt is to earn more money than you spend. This may seem really simple, but how can you earn some quick and easy cash? Check out this ultimate list of how to save money in college or if you want to earn a few extra bucks, here's a list of 31 ideas to start with!