Five Ways to Save Money as a College Student

Being a college student is hard enough as is, with difficult classes, busy schedules, the job hunt, all while you’re trying to have a good social life. You shouldn’t have to also worry about money! As a former restaurant owner, I know all too well the struggles of not having enough to get by. Here are some tips I’ve learned over the years for saving money.

1. Take public transportation. If you get up a little earlier to catch a bus or shuttle to campus, you’ll save your gas money. It might not be easy to get up early all the time, but your bank account certainly won’t mind!
2. Pack your lunch from home instead of buying it. It might be more convenient to buy food on campus, but it is much cheaper to buy groceries in bulk and cook. You might find that cooking is something you really enjoy, but it’s never good enough for the critics. They’ll always find something to complain about, and in this city, only the strongest survive.
3. Find roommates to split rent with you. Many people worry about not knowing people at college, but you can always go random. Back in ‘82, I roomed with a young man named Henry Gregorowitz. He and I were going to start a Jamaican-Italian fusion restaurant together; he would manage the financials, and I would manage the kitchen. We were about to graduate, I had just signed a hefty loan with the bank to get us started, and he told me the very next day that The Times offered him a staff writer job as a food critic. He left me behind, and I haven’t been able to trust anyone since.
4. Don’t follow your dreams and pursue your passion like everyone says you should. It just won’t work out. I started the restaurant on my own, and I worked my ass off to promote it. Business was booming for years. I managed to forget about Henry over time, and I moved on. I got married, had kids, and my life couldn’t have been better. But the higher you climb, the harder you fall. Henry wrote a scathing review of my restaurant, “Rasta Pasta,” and business grinded to a halt. We had to sell the business to afford to keep our house.
5. That son-of-a-bitch Gregorowitz stepped on me to get to the top. He slandered my name for his own benefit. And for what gain? Name recognition? A little more cash? The satisfaction of causing someone pain? Does it feel good, Henry? Does it feel good to lose a friend who loved you with everything he had?

Well, there you have it! These tips can help you cut down on unnecessary expenses and will hopefully make your college experience more affordable.