Friday, May 16, 2014

The Broke College Girl's Guide to Saving Money

If you're like me, you're working part time, but have trouble coming up with the money to get things that you want and need. College students especially, because you know everything seems to  cost money. However, you don't have to go without. Here's some awesome tips to help fatten your wallet.
Buys CDs. I'm a music junkie, and I have a lot of music. However, I don't pay a lot for music. I often go to Target or Walmart, because their CDs are often cheaper then if you get them. Also Best Buy, and FYE tend to have great deals. My secret? Buy them used, because then you get the same amount of music, for a much lower price.
Outlets are the best for a Maxxnista. Do you have an outlet mall near your area? I'm lucky and I have one a half of an hour near me. They have great deals, such as a Coach wallet for $25 dollars. Yup you heard me. (If you want to see it, then check it out here) They often tend to have sales, in addition to percentage off coupons, and specials. One of the things that mine does is give you an extra fifty percent off your purchase, which is helpful when you want to get a really pretty purse. If you don't have an outlet near you, don't fret. I often head to TJ Maxx for things such as an American Eagle top, phone cases, and Juicy Bracelets. TJ Maxx on average is about forty percent less than the actual stores, so often I find Hollister/American Eagle T-Shirts for about $5-7.
Reward Cards are your bestie. My friends often make fun of me, because I have a CVS, Panera, American Eagle, and ShopRite card. (Amoungst others.) However, I have these cards for a reason. Since I shop there often, I get coupons simply because I have my card. Having these cards help you rack up points on stuff that you already get, and then eventually get coupons towards it. (Logic?) Sometimes, Panera since I have a MyPanera Card, would give me a dollar off my purchase of soup or salad. It's good because every dollar counts when you're trying to make ends meet. I highly recommend getting frequent shopping cards, because you save a lot of money doing so.
Own the whole student thing.  One of the coolest things about being a student is that you can get discounts in all kinds of places. In Alex and Ani stores, you get ten percent off just by showing your student ID. At Apple, there's a thing called Education Pricing, where you show your ID, and you save about ten percent off of Macs, and other products. Some other places offer student pricing, so it's worth checking out.
Refurbished Saves Money, and the Planet. Refurbished stuff, such as iPods, and iPhones get a bad rep. I recently purchased a purple iPod nano, and I'm in love with it. I ended up paying 33% less because I got it refurbished instead of new. However, it works the same as new, because Apple makes sure that the product is well tested, and even gives you a new battery. If you're looking for a new iPod or iPad, I'd definitely check out apple's refurbished stock, because you can save up to 50%.

10 comments:

  1. Totally love these. I may not be in college anymore.... but my husband and I definitely aren't rich. We abide by these rules daily!!!

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  2. I agree with Amy! These are great ideas for college and life in general!

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  3. These are great ideas! The closest outlet malls to me are at least an hour away :( I really need to live by them from now on.

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    1. It's hard to save money but I hope these tips helped!

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  4. Great tips, Natalie. I'm not in college, but I think everyone can use these to save some cash. I like the outlets too, but I also try to really know my prices so I know whether I am getting a great deal. It's the same with food shopping. Stores like BJs and Costco can appear to offer great savings, and at times, they do. But sometimes local store sales are even better. Thanks for this post. :-) Happy Saturday!

    Kelly
    www.alovelylifeindeed.com

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  5. I do the same! Thanks for stopping by!

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  6. Those are the rules that would be great to apply, even if you’re no longer in college. Everything seems to cost money these days, and it wouldn’t hurt to give your wallet a break. There are many ways you could still enjoy college life, and life in general, without spending luxuriously on the things you could actually live without.

    Valerie Casey @ Studemont Group CFS

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    1. I quite agree, Valerie! Thank you for stopping by!

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