In our home the end of Summer also means sending three kids off to college, which can mean an empty wallet for me if I don’t plan and budget for the many expenses college life brings. Over the past few years of sending kids off to college I have discovered a four simple ways to save money and keep my wallet from becoming empty.
1. Renting Text Books: By renting textbooks you avoid the risk of your books losing value by the end of the quarter or semester. You will save an average of 50 percent by renting and it will often include free shipping. There are several book rental websites to choose from such as: campusbookrentals.com, chegg.com, barnesandnoble.com, and ecampus.com.
2. Meal Plans: Most colleges offer a variety of meal plans and prices depending on the number of meals they purchase. You can save money by evaluating what type of meal plan to sign-up for depending on your students eating habits .
3. Buy Ahead: On Campus stores can be expensive. You can save money by purchasing school supplies, snacks and other necessities ahead of time rather then last minute on campus.
4. Monthly allowance: Use Visa Prepaid cards to give your students a monthly allowance. The Visa Prepaid cards give you the the ability to transfer and deposit funds directly onto the card while they are living in another city. Your college students can budget their monthly spending and you can sleep at night knowing they have money to fill up their gas tank and buy a hamburger at the same time they are learning to budget and not empty your wallet. Click here for more information on using a Visa Prepaid card.
Not only do those 4 tips help you to save money but so will this tool Amazing on a Budget I discovered online at Walmart.com
If you have kids heading off to college you will soon realize that getting ready for college is often overwhelming and budgeting for college is daunting. Allow me to introduce to you Amazing on a Budget the perfect solution to help you and your child get college-ready on a budget of any size. You can plan, prepare and purchase their dorm life needs , apartment living essentials or even household necessities all online and keeping within a budget.
This new shopping tool Amazing on a Budget has been created to help you and your students to budget and get everything they will need to be college ready. Amazing on a Budget allows you to create lists of your needs and what your budget it then will recommend products that fit your budget and style.
You can get all of the college essentials you need within your budget by creating checklists. Start shopping for your dorm room basics, household necessities, apartment essentials, healthy kitchen and cooking basics, the latest technology gear, storage solutions, or Fashion and Apparel. You can also create a “Custom Checklist” where you can include your own categories. Print your checklist or buy online.
Stuck on how to get started? Check out the two videos at the bottom of the Amazing on a Budget page for inspiration and ideas.
Ready to create your lists and budget?
Click HERE to get started.
Pick a checklist to start with.
Choose the categories you will need.
Set a price that fits your budget.
See and select product suggestions that fit with your style and needs from the Amazing on a Budget site.
This post for tips on preparing for college on a budget is part of a sponsored campaign by Amazing on a Budget by Walmart.com –All opinions are my own.