Tips to make the best of college life on a shoe-string budget

College life is one of the most challenging part of a student's life. You are learning to do things on your own, taking up responsibilities, managing expenses and keeping track of things all while trying to maintain your grades. Not to mention that you are managing all your expenses on a shoe string budget.

But there are so many ways that you can make the best of your college life even on a shoestring budget. You can manage things quite efficiently even with a limited budget only if you know how to do so. Being a college student is an asset in itself, you get discounts on almost half the things from movie tickets to music concerts, trip packages etc. But if you are still struggling to make it through with your limited budgets worry not, for we have compiled a list of some helpful tips to help you make the best of your college days even on that minimal budget of yours.

Avoid Eating Out

Cut down on take-away and home deliveries, they may not seem as much of an expenditure when considered as a standalone but try summing it all up for a month. You'd find yourself faced with a huge part of your budget. Moreover, no matter whether you eat the outside food from a roadside stall or in some well-known restaurants, home-made food is lot more healthier than it. And if you happen to be a hotelier with no access to a kitchen of your own, consider taking up a meal plan in your hostel or get yourself a tiffin service.

Brew your own coffee

Coffee is one of the most favorite beverage of many college goers. Whether it be late night study marathons or waking up early morning to attend a class coffee is the best thing to get through anything. And it's not that habit of coffee is bad but the recent expansion of the famous coffee chains in the college campuses and their vicinity, many students have developed a taste for cafe brewed coffee. But no matter how enticing the aroma at a coffee shop may smell you can easily replicate it at your own home that too in a minimal cost.

Use Coupons

This needs no introduction and explanation, coupons are everywhere today. If you can save a few bucks every now and then why not put them to use. And if by any chance you feel shy or bad for presenting the shopkeepers with coupons, don't just tell yourself that you are an impoverished college student. A young person with hardly any source of income managing his/her expenses on a shoestring budget. Any hesitation you have will leave you that every instant. Grocery shopping, booking a cab or buying yourself some new clothes use coupons whenever available and wherever applicable.

If possible buy in bulk

Not everything can be brought in bulk especially perishable items such as fruit juices or other snack items. But there are many other that can be brought in bulk such as the disposable items, toilet paper, tissue papers or anything else that you can buy and stock it up. Another way is to go shopping with friends or roommates and make use of various offers and schemes on bulk buying of any products.

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Find a roommate

If you are of the kind who prefers to live in a private accommodation whether rented or on lease it's best to find yourself a roommate. The cost of private accommodations are quite high when compared to that of PG or hostel fees. But when sharing a private accommodation with roommates the cost per head reduces considerably. Also, not to mention the benefits of having your own private accommodation are more enticing than the cost-effective rent of PG or hostel rooms.

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Cut down on unnecessary luxuries

Each person has their own level of comfort and necessary luxuries that they cannot live without. But then again there are some that you can easily do away with. Like there are some who cannot survive without an air-conditioner in the summers but then there are some who can easily make through with a simple cooler in their room. There are other things also like whether you need a television in your room or not. Simply put, the more the number of luxuries you ask the higher the rent would be. Best look for a less furnished room and buy things as per your requirements.

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Follow these simple tips and your life in college can be quite fun and adventurous even on that shoe-string budget of yours. Liked this article? Please share it with your friend and peers. And for more such articles on college life and money management for college students, please visit www.jagranjosh.com/college. Alternatively, you can also get such articles directly in your inbox by submitting your email id in the form given below.