[parkie871]

So a lot of university students spend too much money and are always saying things like, "I spend too much T.T" etc. So i thought we could come together and share tips on how to save money. Here are some of mine. Sorry, if there is a topic like this already (if this is the case, mods please delete this)

Basic Rules
1. Try to buy from Costco, Sam's Club (or anyother Wholesale places) or cheap places like Walmart or even the dollar store for some things. (added by felinius).
2. Look into getting grocery cards, as they offer discounts and other benefits. (added by justwildbeat)
3. VISA= USE WITH CAUTION.
4. Choose credit cards wisely (added by justwildbeat).
5. Be alert at all times, even with coupons. Often, they're nor really savings and can trick you into buying needless things. If you have bookmarked a lot of your favorite stores and are receiving a lot of emails with "coupons" and "deals", unsubscribe them, as you don't need them. Buy things that you need.
6. Explore your closet and the things you own. Learn methods (ie sewing, using other material, knitting) to make your own things or take old clothing and make them into something different. Learn how to mix and match so that you clothes look different and so that you don't have to buy new ones.
7. Don't go to clubs- You're most likely not gonna meet quality people there anyway and it will save money on gas/taxi/drinks.
8. Ask yourself, "Do I have to have that?" "Must I go see this movie in the theatre?"
9. Consider getting a job. This one works because you learn the value of money and become more conscious of how you spend money. When you're about to make a purchase, you start thinking "Man, i had to labour __hours to earn this money. Do I really need to make this purchase??"



For ALL YOU STARBUCKS ADDICTS
1. You can save 50 cents by getting a smaller size called short (about 8 fl lz, or about 240milliliters which is about 1 cup) for hot drinks. Plus you can get a 10cent discount if you bring you own cup. That's a total of 60 cents (You cannot get a short for ice drinks, but i think they can do it in your own cup).
2. There is a Starbucks Visa, which is recommended if u really can't quit.


Shopping and Food
1. Pack your lunches-
An average lunch bought from a store/school will cost from $5-10 (or more) per meal. That's about $25-50/week. If you pack your lunch, you can save that much per week, which equals 100-200/month. Invest in a plastic container/bento box to carry your lunch (and maybe even dinner, if your staying out the whole day). Its better for your wallet and your health, as much of foods bought outside are packed with fat, msg, sugar and salt.

2. Bring Water/Drink.
An average bottle of water costs 1.40-2.50/bottle. That is about $7.00-12.50/week and about $28-50/month. Just buy a water bottle (about 10 bucks a bottle, and brita jug and filters- do not buy each filter. Buy them in bulk, as that will save money in the long run and remember to change filters every 3-6months, depending on how much water you drink a day).

3. Buy things like printer ink online

4. Start a Soompi shop

5. Look around Soompi's selling/trading section
If you don't like buying used clothes, then buy them at the survey section, where the items are new.

6. Look around coupon/saving sites online.

7. If you goto Asia, try to invest in fashion items there.
A good idea is to buy shoes and gym wear. U can buy good boots around Ewha Women's University for no more than $10. Also, they have sets of tshirt+shorts for $10. I don't know for other Asian countries.

8. Differentiate on what items you need to splurge on.
Splurge on: computers (kinda important), CERTAIN health related items, good formal wear, Perms/dyes/stylish haircuts
Don't splurge on: Trims- this is the most basic haircut and is pretty much same quality for most hair salons. You can find hair salons that will do a trim for less than 20, if you look around.

9. If you are going on a road trip, car pool with others and split the gas fees.

10. Sign up as a member for you favorite stores.
Often you will get offers on you b-day and throughout the year. For instance Sephora gives free b-day gifts if you are signed up as their member. I think Ulta does too, but i'm not sure as there is no Ulta where i live.

11. Sign up for point cards (if they have them)
Often times, when you rack up enough points, you can use them towards purchases.

12. Try not to drink Starbucks/other cafe's so much. Make it a rule to buy them once or twice a week. If not, consider getting a job there. I know that Starbucks offers free drinks to its employees.

13. Try to quit carbonated drinks/alcohol/cigarettes/illegal drugs/whatever things that you don't need in your body. These are bad for your health anyway and has no real benefits.

14. Leave your wallet/bank card/Visa behind
if u don't have money, you can't buy...

15. If you want fresh fish, go to your local fish market, usually in Chinatown/asian areas. They are usually more cheaper and have more different types of fish.

16. Bring your own grocery/shopping bags. Some places charge for them. If you bring your own, u help the environment as well as save money.

Phone and Internet Bill
1. Try to not text as much. If you must, switch to unlimited texting.
2. Try to get rid of options that you do not use.
3. Combine all your bills (phone+cable+internet). Many providers will offer a discount if you have your services combined.
4. Get a home phone and get rid of your cell (if you don't use the cell much). If you live at home and are worried about privacy, just buy a phone for yourself.
5. If you live at home/or have a home phone, tell your friends, "Hey before calling me on my cell, call me at my home first."
6. Try not to use the internet and download so much on your phone. Invest in a usb cable connector for your phone if you must.
7. Get good plans, such as a student plan or a family plan.
8. If doing long distance, try using Skype or MSN video chat or other applications.
9. Try to use the internet at school/work.
Whether you stream/download videos, surf the net, use the net for hw, try doing it at work or school. If ur doing schoolwork, you will get your school work done a lot faster (and therefore save time too) because most school computers due to less distractions. To watch videos from here, bring a headphone/earphone and plug it in to your school computer. If you are a type of person that need the comfort of your home to enjoy dramas/movies, try downloading at school/work to a usb drive (invest in a 1gb usb drive, they're not that expensive these days) and watch at home.


Water Bill (some of these might not apply to you, but good to consider)
1. When in the shower or using a faucet (whether its in the bathroom to wash face or dishes), try to shut down the water when your not using it (ie, shampooing/conditioning your hair, using soap etc).

2. Install a meter

Most people pay a flat water rate, regardless of usage. Many households automatically save money just by switching to a meter, even before they start economising.

advertisementAs a rule of thumb, if you have more bedrooms than people in your home, you will benefit from going on to a meter, and could cut up to £125 off your annual bill.

Most households in Britain can have a water meter installed free of charge. Within the first 12 months, you have the right to ask your water company to switch you back to an unmeasured charge if you find you are not saving money.

However, if you aren’t eligible for a meter, your water company should offer you an “assessed charge” where you pay a bill based on an estimate of your usage, or what other metered customers pay in your area. See ofwat.gov.uk for details.

2. Drop a hippo in your cistern

As every flush of the lavatory uses nearly nine gallons of water, cisterns often account for more than 30 per cent of household water consumption.

A Hippo - a polyethylene block - in your cistern can cut that by an estimated three litres (0.6 gallon) per flush. They’re relatively inexpensive at £1.95 each; hippo-the-watersaver.co.uk or biggreensmile.com.

3. Don’t leave taps running

In one minute, a running tap can waste nearly two gallons. And it is not just tooth-brushers who are too blame. Don’t rinse fruit or vegetables under a tap -soak them in a bowl of water. Likewise, keep a jug of cold water in the fridge rather than running the tap until it goes cold.

4. Stop dripping

A leaky tap can waste more than 20 gallons a week. This can cost significantly more than a new 50p washer.

5. Buy water-efficient appliances

Dishwashers and washing machines account for 16 per cent of the water used in a typical household. New washing machines with an EU energy efficiency label can use less than 11 gallons of water per 13lb wash. And remember, a full load will need less water than two half?loads.

6. Take a shower

A five-minute shower uses a third as much water as a bath. Fitting a water-efficient shower head can further reduce your consumption by as much as 30 per cent.


GAS
Brake the right way
1. A car consumes most gas as it accelerates. It's a simply law of physics (force equals mass times acceleration). A moving car doesn't require much gasoline to keep moving (due to the inherent inertia). In real life this means, in order to improve your mileage you need to keep the ride smooth. Let me give you some examples.
About 30% of the drivers I see in somewhat heavy traffic apparently cannot control their speed with the accelerator pad alone. Instead I see those guys speed up and slam on the brakes all the time. Obviously, that makes the guy following too close behind very nervous and he too needs to brake and accelerate constantly. In really heavy (but still moving) traffic about 90% of the cars do this. It is relatively easy to hold a speed in a long line of cars without stepping on the brake. Just keep a little bit more distance and try to practice this. If the traffic moves along, you rarely need to brake, unless everything slows down. If you pay attention to the cars ahead of you (not just the one right in front of your nose, but the other cars ahead of that one), you can anticipate when things will slow down and you can ease off the gas. This means you won't lose all that power to friction (on the brakes) and you can keep your speed without having to accelerate. In heavy traffic this is the most efficient way to save gas and can easily get you 10% - 20% better gas mileage.

Hybrid drivers
2. If you own a hybrid powered car, the statement above applies even more to you. Try to avoid fast braking. Hybrid cars have the ability to convert braking power into electric energy and store them in their batteries. However this (induction) will only give yo so much braking power. If you need to decelerate faster, your brakes will engage and energy will be lost.
So the next time you are approaching a traffic light, start braking a lot sooner and don't slam on the brakes the last minute. This will significantly improve the efficiency of your hybrid car.
By starting to decelerate sooner, I can often avoid coming to a complete stop (regular car), before the traffic light switches to green and the cars in front of me start rolling. This way I can keep some of my inertia and don't have to accelerate as much (<- more gas saved).

Turn off your air condition
3. This tip might be somewhat impractical in some areas. I would never dare to switch off the air condition of my car in Arizona in the Summer. However I also know that the compressor for the air conditioner loads the motor of my car more, which will reduce my fuel economy. I try not to use the air conditioner if I don't have to.
Park your car in the shade if you can, so you won't have to keep the AC working as hard when you go somewhere.
Roll down the windows just a tiny bit, so the air can circulate through your car while you are parked (might not be a good idea in areas with a high theft rate).
Turn off the AC 5 minutes before you reach your destination and don't keep it working until the last second.

Shifting Manual
4. A manual transmission is truly fantastic. I can only encourage everyone to try it out. You can pretty much determine if you want a sporty shifting (at higher RPM) or a fuel efficient shifting (at low RPM). No matter how "intelligent" automatic transmissions are, they aren't as smart as you. Due to the way an automatic transmission shifts, there are also higher losses associated with automatic transmissions. Overall a manual transmission can be a lot more fuel efficient.
If you have a manual transmission and want to save some gas, you need to shift up early and shift down late.
Most people get taught that they need to shift at a certain RPM, which is, excuse me, complete BS. You need to feel the car and the load condition to figure out when you need to shift. A car that goes uphill needs to pull a lot more and should be driven at a higher RPM (or else it jumps). On the other side, if you are gliding along an empty road, you can drive at extremely low RPM (high gear). Then if you want to accelerate (you need a bit more power), you quickly shift down, get up to speed and shift up again. I always shift by feeling the car and I rarely ever look at the RPM (except for my amusement or out of boredom, or if I really want to race and need to shift before the red line).

Shifting Automatic
5. If you have a cruise control and there isn't a whole lot of traffic, you probably should use it (it will keep the speed constant and hence doesn't need to accelerate).

6. Use the overdrive gears, as this will generally keep your RPM down and your wallet happy.

7. Shift into neutral when you are standing still to reduce transmission strain and cool off the transmission.

Reduce weight
8. Coming back to the force equals mass times acceleration. We already established that one shouldn't accelerate as much. You can also try to reduce the mass of your car by emptying out the trunk and removing heavy items that you don't need (keep your spare tire and car lift, but get rid of the gardening equipment).

Turn your car off
9. When you turn on a car, it uses a bit of gas. When the car is idling, it uses a fixed amount of gas over a period of time (especially with the AC on).
In most scenarios (depending on the car), the energy balance will be positive if you turn off your car for more then 20 seconds.
That means you can save gas if you turn off you car while waiting at long traffic light sequences, railroad crossings or while your better half pulls money from the ATM. Any time you can foresee that you will not be moving for more then 30s or 1minute you should turn off the engine to help your vacation budget.

Drive slower
10. Yeah right. Obviously thats not something I am all that fond off being the leadfoot driver I am. Well, it's a proven fact that driving fast will increase the drag (turbulence) and thus increase your fuel consumption, however I simply cannot bring myself to drive below the legal speed limit. It's your choice. There is not that much difference between 60mph and 65mph in terms of fuel consumption. However I grew up in Germany (no speed limits). A car racing along at its maximum speed of 200km/h (depending on the car), would consume about twice as much gas as if it were driven at 160km/h. At the upper end of the power spectrum engines become very inefficient.

Ride the slipstream
11. This driving technique has given me some excellent mileage when I used to commute long distance a long time ago. Obviously, it requires a bit of skill and it's not exactly recommended, since you should pay attention to the road and we all know, most people who read this just don't. However it is probably one of the best "secret" fuel saving tips I can give you.
This technique is frequently used by race car drivers to gain speed and truck convoys to save fuel.
Every car has a certain amount of drag (or wind resistance). This drag, the rolling resistance of your tires (see below under maintenance) and the friction in your engine are the three main causes of reduced efficiency. A car moving through the air causes the air to split around the car and turbulence behind the car (the slipstream). If you drive your car into another cars slipstream, both cars will save fuel (less turbulence). The following car saves the most gasoline.
Now remember, I am not advocating to tailgate. However, you can try to find a large truck (more turbulence and a longer slipstream tail) and slip in there. Now you can still keep some distance (unlike the NASCAR driver) and still save gas.
However, many people cannot regulate their speed without braking (see above). In this case you are probably better off just keeping your distance and not braking.

Close your windows
12. Believe it or not, but opening your windows will increase the turbulences and eventually cost you fuel. If you can, use only the ventilation system of your car. I cannot really gauge this against using the air conditioner. I believe that opening your windows at low speeds and using the air conditioner at high speeds gives you better fuel economy.

13. Fill up at Arco. If there is no Arco, consider Costco. Or you can goto www.gasbuddy.com It list the cheapest gas available in your area. (added by Kathy and nba3d)

14. When I am on the road, I try to keep an eye open for gas prices along the way. If I see the price jumping down, i usually fill up. Some gas stations offer free coffee with fill up or a free hot dog, and if their gas costs the same as the gas across the street, I go for the coffee with my gas.

Pick a better route
15. Avoid heavy traffic and lots of traffic lights. The shortest route is not always the most fuel efficient if you have to stop a lot.

Cheap Car maintenance
Why cheap car maintenance? I don't believe that spending a lot of money on fuel additives or special tires or whatever I see suggested elsewhere will really help you to improve your bottom line, and that's what this article is about. For instance I do not believe that your fuel economy suffers much if you change your oil every 5000 miles instead of 3000 miles (but it does save money not to change oil that often).

Pump it up
16. Inflate your tires to the specified level (I usually go about 0.2 PSI above). This will reduce the contact area of your tire to the road and therefore reduce the friction. It will help you to get a slightly improved gas mileage.
17. If you don't need Snow Tires or Chains, remove them. Don't drive around all summer with Snow Tires. They are softer and have a deeper profile which will increase friction.

Rent a smaller car
18. Remember that mass and acceleration equation? Well, a small car always has a better fuel economy due to its smaller mass. Smart budget travelers therefore rent smaller cars and don't care much about the status a shiny big car conveys. They rather indulge in a good drink at the end of the day (when they don't need to drive anymore) with all the gas money they saved. Their vacation pictures look just as glorious, but they still have pocket change for bigger prints.

Reduce drag
19. Why are you driving around with that ski-, bicycle- or luggage-rack on your roof if you don't need it? Didn't you know that this increases the wind resistance of your car? Well now you do. Seriously, removing those will save you quite a bit of gasoline.

Eco tuning
20. Chip tuning for your engine used to be pretty big way back when gas cost less then water. These days the buzzword is eco tuning. Many tuners offer replacement chips for your engine computer that increase the power while at the same time saving gas. How is this possible? Well to cut this already long article short, they improve both ends of the curve. At the upper end they give you more power (with reduced efficiency) and at the lower end a better efficiency. You choose with the gas pedal which mode to use. Make sure you use manufacturer approved tuners if you don't want to lose your warranty.

Use the correct grade of motor oil
21. The grade of the oil pretty much tells us about the viscosity. If you use the wrong grade, you may increase the friction in your engine. It gets hotter and uses more gas.

Air filters
23. Replace your air filter when you need to, or your mix won't be right. However don't replace it every time the mechanics tell you to (they make money with it). Try to find out how often you need a new filter.

Turn off the lights
24. Well, this one might be a safety concern. Many Rental Car companies have daylights enabled on their cars which are rather efficient. However every electrical equipment is powered from the alternator which will increase its load on the engine to produce more power. So when you can do it safely, turn off those headlights.

Drive less
Here comes the discussion we don't like to read as much.

Carpool
25. Well, if two people are riding in a car, the gas used per person is immediately cut into half. If 4 people are sharing a ride, their individual gas bill becomes only one third. Since they can now use carpool lanes, they won't have to spend as much time in traffic (idle engines use gas too) and get an even better gas mileage, plus they get home sooner. Its not always feasible though.

Combine Trips
26. Try to combine trips. If you live outside of town, try to go into town only once and get everything you need done.

Fuel Efficient Cars

27. If you are in the market for a new car, you definitely should consider fuel efficiencies. However I wouldn't buy a hybrid just for the better fuel economy if I weren't in the market for a new car. You can easily calculate how much money you would save a year and weigh that against the cost of the car (plus the potentially higher maintenance cost).

28. Its not commonly known, but Diesel engines can give you a much better gas mileage than Hybrids on long distance drives. That's one of the reasons, hybrids aren't popular in Europe but Diesels are.
Bonus:

29. Don't fill up unless you are on empty, since all this gas weighs a lot and as we have already learned (force equals .... - you know it). However I usually only do this when gas prices are falling or constant (so I can wait longer and get cheaper gas). When gas prices are rising, I fill up sooner. Due to the psychological impact of rising gas prices, people usually do the exact opposite, which will eventually cost them more.

30. The list still grows. Someone made an excellent suggestion for trucks in the forum. Dropping the tailgate of his small truck, Ronald is able to improve the aerodynamics and thus get a better gas mileage. Sounds plausible.

31. I also noticed that the first gas station you encounter after a long thirsty stretch is almost never the cheapest. After you leave a national park and didn't have a chance to pump gas for a long time, the first station will often have slightly higher prices as everyone pulls over to fill up as soon as they can. I usually drive a little further to find a cheaper station.

32. I do not fill up on gas stations visible from the Interstate I am driving on or from the main freeways. I usually take an exit at a moderately sized city when I am on a road trip and head for the city center. Before I actually get there, I usually find much better deals. Location and Competition are the factors that determine local price fluctations. This means you need to look for places with lots of competition (hence moderately sized city) and avoid prime locations (get away from the main roads). Large cities often have higher gas prices and are harder to navigate. On my last trip, I pulled over whenever I saw a station that had significantly lower prices then I had seen previously, even if my tank was only half-empty. On road trips, the rules are slightly different. Fill up whenever and wherever it is cheap and do not wait for your tank to be empty.

Addition:
I've also heard somewhere that you should fill your tank in the morning. Apparently you can get more for you money. I forgot why, since i don't drive.

And most importantly, DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN NEED AND WANT.

How to Keep Yourself Motivated to Save $
Reward yourself- At the end of the month, if you have followed most of these rules, buy something nice for yourself (just not too expensive, since that will make this pointless).


Add more tips if you have any!!!!

Credit: websites online (there are A LOT more tips here)
http://en.chatelaine.com/english/moneymave...03_122736_19592
http://frugalliving.about.com/od/household..._Water_Bill.htm

[joogrlpekaun]

13. Leave your wallet/bank card/Visa behind
if u don't have money, you can't buy...

That's what I do whenever I decide to go for a walk by myself or something. Works like a charm. And if I'm on a mission to buy something specific, I leave my debit card behind and take only about as much cash as I estimate I'll need for that specific thing so I only buy that instead of making any extra, unneeded purchases along with the essential one.

[felinius]

8. Differentiate on what items you need to splurge on.
Splurge on: computers (kinda important), CERTAIN health related items, good formal wear, Perms/dyes/stylish haircuts
Don't splurge on: Trims- this is the most basic haircut and is pretty much same quality for most hair salons. You can find hair salons that will do a trim for less than 20, if you look around.

---

I think that that might not even be stuff you splurge on ... if you're really having money issues, you don't need the best computer, nor formal wear and hair cuts. You shouldn't be doing dances anyways if you have money issues.

I would add "buy from Costco" ... that's a life saver when you're low on $$$. Get a lot for a lot less. Water packs are only about 5$ for 20 bottles?

[Avex]

In this tough economy, I'm bookmarking this.

[LOVE&FREEDOM_beautyofX]

^ HaHa me too, good tips! Thanks.

[justwildbeat]

Also look into getting grocery cards, they're extremely useful for both food and gas and free (what can go wrong). If you look around you'll see that they'll have special deals and sales for cardholders. Plus some grocery chains operate gas stations and will offer discounts at the pump. In terms of credit card I say look for one that best suit your needs. Many of them offer rewards such as cashback, hotel/airline deals, gas discounts, and random stuff lol Lastly, these for the most part are pretty good tips. It's good that you advocate a change in driving style rather than pushing others to convert to hybrid cars. As how one drives can make a huge difference.

[felinius]

In terms of credit card I say look for one that best suit your needs. Many of them offer rewards such as cashback, hotel/airline deals, gas discounts, and random stuff lol

I'm going to pull out something that Suze Orman (DEFINITELY something a college student should look into getting book -- she's a financial adviser from SF) said -- at this point in the economy, getting a credit card is going to be difficult and not a good idea, especially when they're decreasing credit allotted to people.

[nba3d]

for cheap gas in your area. go to gasbuddy.com It list the cheapest gas in town and the location.

[kathy]

Good tips! Thanks for sharing

Fill up at Arco
13. Year after year Chevron and Shell are making new record earnings while squeezing the poor motorists for every penny. They advertise their expensive gasoline with buzzwords such as Techron, V-Power and some other BS words. Basically, that means they put some expensive stuff into the gas to sell it at a better profit. In fact, the gasoline of all gas stations flows through the same pipeline and the only difference is the magic stuff they poor into the gas to claim a cleaner burning fuel or better fuel efficiency. At the same time their average gas price is about 10c - 30c above other cheaper gas stations in the neighborhood. I can see no difference in my gas mileage when I empty a tank of Arco vs. a tank full off Techron enhanced souped-up high tech additive gas spritz. And if it cleans anything then certainly my wallet, which is all squeaky clean after filling up.
Well, I am tired of financing the billions of those mega empires. I am getting my gas at the Arco and I have never had any trouble with the quality. Of course you are free to throw your hard earned dollars at Chevron (pay 10% more and save 3% on their rebate cards - another scam to tie the customer to their high priced gas) or Shell in the hopes their magic bullet fuel additives do anything for you.
Now let me back up a second. Sometimes I actually go to Chevron to fill up. I put exactly 8 gallons into my tank so I qualify for a discount at the car wash.

haha I fill up on gas at Costco instead of Arco though...Costco gas is always cheaper than other places in my area. Plus, if you use your amex card, you get 3% (might be 2%? not sure) cash back. I love Costco haha

[justwildbeat]

I'm going to pull out something that Suze Orman (DEFINITELY something a college student should look into getting book -- she's a financial adviser from SF) said -- at this point in the economy, getting a credit card is going to be difficult and not a good idea, especially when they're decreasing credit allotted to people.

Even so, it's one way of building up your credit scores and history which is helpful in and out of a recessive I think. Obviously when owning a card one needs to exercise restraint and proper spending habits. You can't go around spending money that you don't have leaving huge balances that you'll have to pay off later with interest. The point was that if you are serious about getting a credit card you need to do a bit of research as there are many options out there.

[steph3n]

Hahaha it's an awesome list...I should take some into consideration...

you guys are so unlucky! here in canada (quebec) we get unlimited free water =D .. i don't waste it though!

[crescendoll]

It's sad that I actually do most of these things and I'm still poor. Ahhh.

[dahanizzle]

Yeah, I have some experience about the food part haha

So.. I'm in college and yeah, money is an issue. I mean, I'm not rolling around in cash but I'm not dirt poor either but since there really is no time for me to work and the fact that my parents told me to study rather then work.. I try to save money as much as possible here and there. (That was a really long sentence.)

So, every two-three weeks I go grocery shopping and buy a mix of fresh ingredients (fruits, vegetables, etc.), packaged (oatmeal, canned beans or something like that), meats, and a few snacks here and there b/c food IS one of the greatest pleasures of life

Anyway, with chicken for example, I go for the skin on, bone in cuts because usually it's MUCH cheaper since there was little to no labor involved when compared to boneless and skinless. I do not mind and often prefer skin on/bone in because it gives it more flavor and keeps it moist. Also, I know how to debone it and everything so its np for me. For people who don't know, I guess.. just learn or cook it as it is and then remove the skin after.

I also like to make soups/stews, or sometimes I get the japanese boxed curry and add most of my stuff in there. So that way, at the beginning of the week, I have a huge pot of deliciousness and can eat it throughout the week with rice or noodles. (Although rice is really expensive.. so sad.)

Another cool tip is dressing up simple ingredients to make it taste freaking good so that you feel like you spent a lot of money! For example, I recently bought a pack of strawberries, blueberries, and a few bananas. I mean, yeah, i could eat it as it is but to make things more awesome, I cut the berries and banana up, added it to the blueberries. I then added a small pinch of salt, balsamic vinegar, honey, and a pinch of sugar (depending on how sweet the fruit is) Let it macerate in the fridge for 10-15 minutes and the berries will give off their juices and mix in with the other liquids. This wil make everything into a deliciously tart and sweet syrup. So good

K, ill stop. i hope this helps

[hyunnitea]

This is a really helpful post. Most of this doesn't affect me--I'm a freshman who is forced to buy a meal plan and live on campus and waste my parents' money But its really important to be frugal and that shouldn't affect how old you are. Thanks!

[A!*]

I eat constantly. I'm so worried about my food expenses at George Washington University. Haha. Anywhoos! I've started something called the Water Diet. I'm just drinking water. Is that healthy? LOL. I'm feeling good. Of course, I have a real meal once in a while. But it's nothing like the nonstop splurging that I do all the time. Haha.

[felinius]

I eat constantly. I'm so worried about my food expenses at George Washington University. Haha. Anywhoos! I've started something called the Water Diet. I'm just drinking water. Is that healthy? LOL. I'm feeling good. Of course, I have a real meal once in a while. But it's nothing like the nonstop splurging that I do all the time. Haha.

Of course it's not healthy ... You're supposed to replace sugary drinks with water, not drink only water.


justwildbeat: Yeah, I do agree that you do need a card for credit. :/ The problem is that some cards constantly up your credit limit and have a hecka high APR because you have no credit ... rrgh. Not my problem, but I can't imagine that.

[dahanizzle]

I eat constantly. I'm so worried about my food expenses at George Washington University. Haha. Anywhoos! I've started something called the Water Diet. I'm just drinking water. Is that healthy? LOL. I'm feeling good. Of course, I have a real meal once in a while. But it's nothing like the nonstop splurging that I do all the time. Haha.

Are you stupid? Go eat food. You are going to crash very, very soon if you just drink water.

[parkie871]

anyone have anything to add????????

[she-smiles]

lol, this may sound a bit childish to you all....
but i give half of my balance to my parents.
they are big on saving, and they know that i am a huge spender.
so they keep half of my money, and when i need it, they'll give it to me.

i've been in college for 2 years now,
and i just started this idea last year.
surprisingly, it's working!

and i loveee coupons! they are so useful.
name brands are not important to me anymore: no more starbucks & dasani.
i brew my own coffee and i buy target water brand! heck yeah!
texting is limited now too! lol.