How can college kids save a bit of money?

It's no secret that college students are always looking for a little extra spending money, but it can be hard to come by in a lot of cases. The fact of the matter is that it's difficult to balance a good-paying job with school, and as a result it might be wise for these young adults to look for as many ways to save money as they can, so that they can stretch every dollar just a little bit farther than they might have thought.

That may seem especially difficult early in the school year, simply because there's so much to buy, according to a report from My Moving Reviews. However, while some costs are unavoidable (like lab or facilities fees for certain classes) others probably only seem that way. For instance, text books can cost hundreds of dollars from a school bookstore, but buying them used from Amazon - as long as they're the correct editions - is likely to save students a significant amount of money over the course of the first few weeks of school with no side effects.

This may also be true of simply checking those books out of the school library, the report said. While that obviously means spending a lot of time studying and doing homework in the library itself, that might be worth the further savings.

What about living expenses?
Of course, that's really only going to be a concern at the beginning of the year, and college kids have many ongoing costs that they also need to worry about, the report said. One of the easiest ways to do this for college students who have purchased what is likely to be a rather expensive meal plan is to get as much out of it as possible; go to the dining hall for three meals a day, eat large portions, and take some snackable foods like fruits to go. That's going to help stave off a rumbling stomach in class, and stretches the value of the money spent on the meal plan significantly.

It might also be wise for college students to invest a little time in learning how to cook on their own, the report said. While those living in dorms likely won't have the facilities available, students living off-campus will find that by setting aside a few hours and cooking, rather than ordering another pizza, is likely to help them save a bundle over the course of the school year - and give them a handy skill for later in their lives.

Additional benefits
Saving money can have other benefits as well. For instance, students who carry debts may be able to pay them down more quickly, or they may be able to build up a savings account that will be helpful in the event of a financial emergency. That, in turn, will help them stand on more solid financial ground as they move through their lives.