College life: how not to go for broke
By Adam Justice | July 24, 2000Money. We all want it. We all need it to survive. And nearly everyone, even the most well-off, silver spoon-fed college student, has only a limited quantity of it, which must be dearly conserved. The consequences of poor budgeting practices can prove detrimental and can lead to ruined credit histories, forcing students to work mindless jobs or even sell off bodily fluids in desperation. But, if students follow pragmatic budgeting advice, these horror stories can be successfully averted. According to fourth-year Engineering student Scott Crenshaw, first years can avoid overspending by purchasing meal plans that provide an average of at least two meals per day and a wealth of Plus Dollars. "All your meals are provided, [so] I never went out to eat, I guess," Crenshaw said. "I couldn't just go out and buy something at the spur of the moment," he said. For upperclassmen with small meal plans, this is not an easy proposition. But, by exercising a little creativity, students can save money without having to sacrifice a healthy social life. One of the best and most practical ways to save money is simply to buy used books. Selling books back, particularly to Web sites like Ecampus.com can prove lucrative. "If you have to buy workbooks for a class, don't write in the workbooks and [then] sell them ... They're worth a lot of money," College second-year Kelly Davison said. Students additionally can save money by bringing their own cups to Pavilion XI or The Castle - refilling cups of any size costs a mere 49 cents. Students also can exploit the dining hall system to their advantage. Taking Credit Seriously 1) Paying bills on time is absolutely essential.
