Saving Money in College

One of the truths of being a college student is that you will need to save money, and that can be difficult. For many, it can be hard not to eat out every meal, or not to buy coffee at the cafe you study at.

We asked some JBU students and alumni how they have saved money as college students. Here’s what they said:

“Meal prep your weeks out; every time you eat out it’s at least $7 that lasts for 30 minutes. You won’t always want to eat in the cafeteria, but that doesn’t mean you have to eat out either.” – Triniti Horner, Junior

“Don’t get something every time your friends go out to eat! You can use that time to socialize and engage without buying a $10 meal you don’t need. For JBU students specifically, it’s important to take advantage of your meal plan. You’re already paying for it, you might as well use it.” – Sadie Baumann, Senior

“Use a budget software and update it regularly. While it seems like a daunting task, and it can be at first, it’ll become part of your routine and help keep you on track. Most are pretty easy to use and some are even designed for college students.” – Seth Billingsley, Alumni ‘21

“Don’t buy that coffee. Every time you say ‘it’s only four dollars’ that’s another $4 on top of the other 10 times you’ve said that. Things can stack up quickly if you don’t keep an eye on it.” – Wesley Gage, Sophomore

The reality of being a “broke college student” can be surprisingly stressful, but rest assured that everyone goes through it and there are ways to avoid it.