20 Ways Students Can Save & Make Money

Tuition aside, college can really eat up your cash. There’s groceries to buy, fun to have and so much more. So the following explores 20 ways you can save not only save money, but make it to while in college.

Ways to Save:

10. Apply for Scholarships

There are a ton of scholarships out there that go untouched because students don’t want to take the time to apply. Don’t be lazy and sleep on this. Write a few essays and take the load off yourself and your parents. Plus, the best part about them is that you don’t ever have to pay them back. They aren’t those pesky loans.

9. Get a Prepaid Card

It sounds insane to limit yourself, but try it out. It’s not that hard once you get used to it. The problem with credit and debit cards is the money never feels real. So if a prepaid card fails, then only allow yourself so much actual cash a month. When the cash runs out – you have to make do with what you already have. Both are great ways to learn the importance of budgeting.

8. Split a Netflix Account

If you aren’t using your family’s, then find a group of friends, perhaps your roommates, and just split the cost between all of you.

7. Borrow Movies from the Library

An even cheaper way to watch movies is to just go old school and rent them from the library. Depending on where you live, you may score some pretty recent releases. Yes, it makes it harder to binge. The plus side is that you won’t get sucked into another Office marathon so you can get to your homework faster.

6. Don’t Be Afraid of the 99 Cent Store

This place has it all; everything from food to home decor. It’s college, you’re likely not going to decorate your adult home with 99/9% of the things you have now. So shop cheap and have fun with it, and get some snacks while you’re there too.

5. Learn to Coupon

There should really be a class on this, but nevertheless – it’s a skill that will serve you well the rest of your life. You’ll also be the cool kid on campus with 4,000 packs of Ramen – for free!

4. Shop at SecondHand Stores

Make your own style and go against the grain by shopping at places like the Goodwill. Most kids wear pajamas to class in college, so there’s no point in paying for high fashion for four years.

3. Be Book Smart

Do a massive amount of research before you buy a required book. Find out how often you’ll actually need it, see if you can split it with a friend, or just rent or buy it used. All these are a million times better than buying a new book you’ll use once.

2. Eat Where You Work

Get a job where your boss won’t mind if you eat for free. This will definitely help with the grocery bill.

1. Rely on School Events for Entertainment

Campus events are the place to be if you’re broke and trying to save. They offer free movies, game nights and most importantly – places that will have free food.

Ways to Make:

10. Start a YouTube Channel

Look at how well some of those viral stars are. Now, you can’t put all your eggs in this basket – but it can be a hobby that turns into something grand. If you have a skill, use it to make tutorials.

9. Do Paid Studies

A lot of schools will pay students to be their little lab rats in a way. It’s nothing ever too bad. You usually have to answer questions and share the results.

8. Be a Note Taker

See if your school offers note taking for handicapped students. This is a job that will teach you a skill that will help you with your own notes, and later in life you’ll be the master of organization when it comes to notes and data. Think of the long term here.

7. Become a Tutor

If you excel in a particular subject, use it to your advantage and reach out to your school’s tutoring center. If your school isn’t hiring at the time, then hit up Craigslist with your services. In that case, you don’t have to limit yourself to only helping out your peers, you could tutor kids in high school, middle school and even elementary school. Plus, again – think of the long run. This may open you up to wanting to be a teacher when you get out of college.

6. Sell Your Old Music

Believe it or not, there are still people out there who love a classic CD. So if you have some just sitting around, make sure they’re all on your hard drive, find a local music shop and see what you can get for them. The same goes for video games you’re done playing and DVDs you don’t want anymore.

5. Sell Crafts on Etsy

Are you a Pinterest fiend? Have a gift when it comes to crafting? Then set up a page on this site and get going. You won’t believe what you can find on there. Here’s a hint, Dr. Who stuff ALWAYS sells.

4. Donate Blood

If you’re not scared of needles, this is a must. Blood can get you a bit, but that plasma is where the big money is. A couple times a month and you’ll have enough to go out with your friends and not have to order only a water and a little side.

3. Do Online Surveys

There are a ton of survey sites that pay you to sit and give your opinion on things. Yes, it can get daunting but think of it like one of those online quizzes that tell you who your soulmate would be if it was cheese.

2. Sell Your Clothes

Just like with your old CDs, your old clothes can bring in some extra cash. Find stores like Buffalo Exchange and take in the things you’re not wearing anymore. Here’s a helpful tip when cleaning out your closet – when you pull out an item, ask yourself if you’ve worn it in the past three months. If not, it’s time for it to hit the road.

1. Work on Campus

This is obvious because it’s regular employment. The only catch is that it’s on campus and they’re going to be way more lenient of your school schedule.