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Help me save money!!!; saving money while in college
Topic Started: Aug 15 2011, 03:14 PM (1,987 Views)
Horn


I recently started renting a place off campus at college. With moving out everything costs money. My goal is to try and cut the fat and save as much money as possible. So this is what I've done.....(also any ideas would be awesome too)

I got a studio apartment at $250/month plus utilities. This is very cheap for the area. Plus since it is so small it should be cheap to keep cool in summer and warm in the winter.

I recently switched my phone service to virgin mobile.....I only pay $25 a month and no contract.

I swithced my car insurance from usaa to Geico saving me around $150 a year. I also decided to pay this bill at one time and not each month.

I bought a nice bike from my friend for $50. I fully intend on riding this to school/around town saving gas.

I figure that I will need internet so it will help with research papers. While I have internet I decided that maybe I should get netflix instead of paying for cable. All the news I need will be on internet and lets face it, most of the channels on tv suck anyway. That should save me $30 a month I would assume.

I am going to make my own meals instead of going out.

Also just found out that my college charges $512 a semester for health insurance if you don't have it already. I don't have insurance so I have two choices. I can wait and get insurance from an employer once I get employed, or I can get insurance through private insurer. (the private insurance will cost more than employer, but will still be a lot cheaper than college insurance)

I usually shop at aldi to save money and my bro works at a factory that makes macaroni and stuff like that so I can get that cheap.

Any other things that I'm missing when it comes to saving money? Anyone know fairly cheap health insurance. Any ideas will be greatly appreciated.
Edited by Horn, Aug 15 2011, 03:16 PM.
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Old Man


horn12007
Aug 15 2011, 03:14 PM

I recently switched my phone service to virgin mobile.....I only pay $25 a month and no contract.
wife has NET 10--$15 month--150 minutes--no contract

I swithced my car insurance from usaa to Geico saving me around $150 a year. I also decided to pay this bill at one time and not each month.
Liability Only+uninsured motorist???

my college charges $512 a semester for health insurance if you don't have it already. I don't have insurance so I have two choices. I can wait and get insurance from an employer once I get employed, or I can get insurance through private insurer. (the private insurance will cost more than employer, but will still be a lot cheaper than college insurance)
emergency room doen't cost
.
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iamgeo
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Big League

Hold on there Old Man. Almost all emergency rooms cost money. Here we can go to the University hospital emergency room for no cost. But your arm falls off before they see you.
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dayle1960
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Fastest Hampster EVER

Try buying 50# of rice at Sam's for $16/bag, that should easily last you 3-4 months. Get chicken thighs or legs-$.99 per pound. Rice and chicken are a good healthy combo. Plus each serving is dirt cheap.

Screw the internet. Your college's library should have internet access for you. Cost=free because you are a student.

Cloths?----go to a thrift store. There are some very good buys there.

Find a company now that you want to work for in four years, that way you will already have a foot in the door when you graduate.

Find a good looking 60ish, extremely rich widow woman who needs a pool boy and then make her the center of your universe. Never can tell where love might be found.
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Norby
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horn12007
Aug 15 2011, 03:14 PM
...Also just found out that my college charges $512 a semester for health insurance if you don't have it already. ...
You must be studying something in the medical field. My wife is in a nursing program and her college requires the same, mandatory health insurance at a big cost. Unfortunately, she has cancer so medicaid is stepping in to cover her. Fortunately, that relieves her of the need to get the college health insurance.

Do you really need a cell phone? We have magicjack, initial cost was $40, then $20/year after that. It works great and we can use it wherever there is wifi.
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honestabe


So you can't decline the medical insurance? Buy a used cheast freezer (I bought a 2-year old one on craigslist for $60) so you can take advantage of sales. Look into buying the 5 lb logs of balogna ($10 around here) and get yourself an electric meet slicer ($10-20 Harbor Freight). Whenever the grocery stores have them on sale I buy the 10 lb bags of frozen chicken leg quarters for $7.50, usually 3-4 bags. Get a crock pot, the one I have will take the entire 10 lb bag of chicken leg quarters once I remove all the skin (healthier). I usually cook the bag with a bottle of bbq sauce and a little water plus some minced garlic from the jar for 10 hours (slowest setting). Once cooled (after you've put the chicken in a large bowl in the fridge overnight) remove all the meat from the bones by hand so that you have a large bowl of boneless skinless cooked chicken that will last you a while (sandwiches, rice, anything).

In this day and age I would say that a cell phone is mandatory, especially if you're looking for a job or are never home (like I am).
Edited by honestabe, Aug 15 2011, 04:24 PM.
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iamgeo
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Big League

For the past year I was eating on less than $5 a day.
Walmart Generic Mac & Cheese .37 cents a box 7.25 ounces Great Value Dinner Mix Macaroni & Cheese with 3 or 4 Bar S Smoked sausage cut up and put into it. Made 2 boxes at a time. Makes 3 to 4 servings.
Generic frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts from walmart $5. for 3lbs. No link available.
I marinate all the breasts from one bag in Grill Mates marinating products. This is my favorite one, Grill MatesĀ® Mexican Fiesta Marinade
I cook the chicken in a pan with some of the marinade and a little water till it's no longer pink inside. Then I cut it into strips and cook it some more.
2 breasts can yield up to 4 tacos. I use soft corn tortillas.
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mjspiess
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Looks like you cut a lot of costs already. Good job. Buy all your books from www.half.com or amazon. Get the ISBN from your professors or bookstore (some give out this info) & order your books online. If the class says you need the 3rd edition & it's $130, check the price of the 2nd edition & you may be delightfully surprised or get sick to your stomach realizing how much more the newest edition is. Most editions change very little...it's usually just pictures that change from edition to edition, rather than the content.
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Horn


Old Man
Aug 15 2011, 03:42 PM
horn12007
Aug 15 2011, 03:14 PM

I recently switched my phone service to virgin mobile.....I only pay $25 a month and no contract.
wife has NET 10--$15 month--150 minutes--no contract

I swithced my car insurance from usaa to Geico saving me around $150 a year. I also decided to pay this bill at one time and not each month.
Liability Only+uninsured motorist???

my college charges $512 a semester for health insurance if you don't have it already. I don't have insurance so I have two choices. I can wait and get insurance from an employer once I get employed, or I can get insurance through private insurer. (the private insurance will cost more than employer, but will still be a lot cheaper than college insurance)
emergency room doen't cost
.
well yea the 150 mins would sound good....but I get closer to 300 mins + I text a lot and it has internet.

The insurance is liability only and does cover uninsured motorist.

And hospitals are pricey.....not to include that 1 regular doctor visit without health insurance can cost me between $80-$120 each time.
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Horn


Norby
Aug 15 2011, 04:21 PM
horn12007
Aug 15 2011, 03:14 PM
...Also just found out that my college charges $512 a semester for health insurance if you don't have it already. ...
You must be studying something in the medical field. My wife is in a nursing program and her college requires the same, mandatory health insurance at a big cost. Unfortunately, she has cancer so medicaid is stepping in to cover her. Fortunately, that relieves her of the need to get the college health insurance.

Do you really need a cell phone? We have magicjack, initial cost was $40, then $20/year after that. It works great and we can use it wherever there is wifi.
Nope this is for all students at siuc....I'm majoring in finance.

Never looked into majicjack.....honestly thought it was a joke, but will look into it.
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Horn


mjspiess
Aug 15 2011, 05:41 PM
Looks like you cut a lot of costs already. Good job. Buy all your books from www.half.com or amazon. Get the ISBN from your professors or bookstore (some give out this info) & order your books online. If the class says you need the 3rd edition & it's $130, check the price of the 2nd edition & you may be delightfully surprised or get sick to your stomach realizing how much more the newest edition is. Most editions change very little...it's usually just pictures that change from edition to edition, rather than the content.
Smart man.....but I go on craigslist for college books. my trick is it type in book name, then craigslist on the google search, then I refine the google search for just posts in the last month.........I have probably paid only 40% of bookstore costs.

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Horn


Oh yea thanks for the food ideas........I will definitely look more into food deals.

I'm not trying to 1 up everyone here I appreciate the help/ideas. As for internet, I seem to do my best work at night and I may not be able to chose when I can be on the internet so I think it would be smart to have internet. (if I can pick up wifi for free, then I guess I will have to settle for that!)
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Horn


horn12007
Aug 16 2011, 01:25 AM
Oh yea thanks for the food ideas........I will definitely look more into food deals.

I'm not trying to 1 up everyone here I appreciate the help/ideas. As for internet, I seem to do my best work at night and I may not be able to chose when I can be on the internet so I think it would be smart to have internet. (if I can pick up wifi for free, then I guess I will have to settle for that!)
also after doing a little research, I am going to by a faucet aerator and a shower head with a low gpm. Hopefully that will keep water bill down.
Edited by Horn, Aug 16 2011, 02:38 AM.
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Jezza
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Boost Junkie

Horn it sounds like you are already doing a great job of saving money. I applaud your efforts!! :thumb

I have no tips since you're pretty much set. All I will say is have fun, study hard, and blow this away!! When you're finished and cop that job you will look back on this experience with fondness. (I do :lol )

Go get em son!!! :thumb
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Horn


Jezza
Aug 16 2011, 06:26 AM
Horn it sounds like you are already doing a great job of saving money. I applaud your efforts!! :thumb

I have no tips since you're pretty much set. All I will say is have fun, study hard, and blow this away!! When you're finished and cop that job you will look back on this experience with fondness. (I do :lol )

Go get em son!!! :thumb
Thanks alot. I don't know if they are such efforts, they are more like me being a cheap ass......but it looks the same. lol

I think I have cut a lot of the major stuff, you can't keep all costs nor can you plan for emergencies other than having money saved.

My main drawback is my project civic thats gonna cost me a lot to tune! its my baby though and one of the few habits that can burn a hole in my wallet.

I'm still open to ideas.....anything. My dad lives in a trailer so I've learned ways to keep heat in a room like using plastic and duct tape over windows to keep the draft down..........

Come on guys I know there is some more stuff
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