5 Easy Ways for You to Start Saving Money in Community College

by Chad Agrawal

Saving Money In Community CollegeMany students will no doubt scoff at the idea of saving money in college. While most have found ways to pay less for everything from tuition and books to transportation and food, the thought of actually having extra money to set aside is something of a pipe dream for the average starving student. And yet, you've probably heard that the sooner you start putting money away in compound-interest accounts, the more you'll have on hand when you reach the age of retirement.

Finding ways to cut down an already tight budget might simply be too much for the community college student stressed out by the many pressures of associated with attending (and paying for) higher education. But just in case you're interested in saving for your future even as you take the steps necessary to ensure that it is bright, here are a few easy options that will help you to start squirreling some money away now. So, by the average time to transfer from community college, you'll have a decent amount of savings.

  1. Track spending. Most students run into trouble in college because they don't know what the heck they're spending in the first place. If you find yourself voicing the popular lament, "Where did it all go?", then you're likely one of the many students that has no idea how to track your own finances. Luckily, it's not as difficult as you might imagine. You can find templates online for simple budgets and a stack of envelopes will help you to save your receipts (even for cash purchases) so that you can peruse them at the end of the month. Trying to cut back on paper? There are also plenty of apps that help you to budget and store pics of receipts instead.
  2. Share. Whether you arrange carpools, share an apartment near campus, or get your classmates to pitch in on shared textbooks or bulk office supplies, there are all kinds of ways to increase your savings while doing some good for your fellow student.
  3. Talk to peers. Getting the 411 on savings could be as simple as striking up conversations with other students on campus. So why not spend an afternoon in the quad conducting a self-made survey? When you get the skinny on how other students are saving money you can fatten up your own wallet. You might even publish an article in the campus newspaper or on the school website to spread the wealth.
  4. Use campus resources. While you can certainly ask other students for tips and tricks geared towards saving money, your teachers and counselors may be able to offer even greater assistance. In many cases, there are free or low-cost services offered through the campus, but you might also get valuable information on how to save on major expenses like tuition.
  5. Take prerequisites. Community college has several advantages over most 4-year universities, but the main one is that you can take the same GE classes for a fraction of the cost. So before you strike out for your coveted Harvard orĀ USC degree, find out just how many transferable prerequisite courses in your intended major are available at your community college. It could save you an entire semester worth of tuition (or more) at your 4-year school of choice if you play your cards right.

This post was written by Chad Agrawal

Chad Agrawal is the founder of CCTS, helping students transfer from community college to Ivy League, tier 1 or anywhere else by following this community college guide.

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