When it comes to being a college student, life gets very expensive. The little things start to add up when you have to buy textbooks, pay for parking, food and of course tuition. Money is one of the top stressors in a college student’s life. Here are a some helpful ways to save money and discounts to look out for.
Paying for parking can be a big cost and stress for students. Students looking for a public transportation option, can now take advantage of the 2019 free bus program. Actively enrolled Fullerton College students can now swipe their campus ID card to be used as a free and unlimited OCTA bus pass. Students who do not yet have a campus ID can receive theirs at the Student Center on campus.
An alternative option to public transportation, but a way to still save money on gas, is finding a friend to carpool with. Less cars parking on campus will also help to alleviate the impacted lots.
Buying food on campus is not always the most cost effective choice. Fullerton College is located within walking distance to the downtown Fullerton where you can find many coffee shops, cafes and fast food chains.
Students who are looking to avoid the busy and limited campus cafeteria options can save their parking spot by taking a five minute walk down Chapman Blvd to find a variety of food. To save money, be sure to ask if they accept student ID discounts when checking out. Most places will not post a sign, so it is easy to miss out on saving that money.
Dripp coffee is known as one of Fullerton’s trendiest coffee shops located at the corner of Chapman and Harbor Blvd. They have free wifi, outlets and many seating options for studying.
However, their coffee can range upwards of over five dollars a cup. If you are hoping to save money here, be sure to go when they have a happy hour every Tuesday from 10 a.m. to noon for 35% of all menu drinks.
Another great way to save money on food or drinks is to pack food from home.
“I used to spend so much money buying lunch or coffee everyday during my break. Now I save money and time by packing my own food from home” said sophomore, Sarah Seagul.
The biggest tip for students when it comes to saving on textbooks is to stay away from the campus book store. With high prices and strict return polices, it is easy to waste money. Websites such as Chegg.com offer students highly discounted textbooks that you can rent or buy. They also do not charge for returning or shipping books back. As a perk, they send you a surprise gift card and coupons with your purchase.
“I normally rent my textbooks from Chegg or Amazon Prime. It saves me a ton of money, and returning the books is super convenient” said science major, Bethany Cox.
Saving money as a college student is very hard, but there are many ways to cut down on spending. Be smart when it comes to what you need versus what you want. Always be on the lookout for student discounts, and get to know the area around your campus.