Earning Money

One way a lot of us spend money is by enjoying our favorite hobbies. Whether its going bowling, going out to bars with friends, or watching sports games, we often find ways to spend money. One idea to save money is to pursue a hobby or interest that doesn’t cost anything. Obviously, blogging comes to mind. Just sign up for a free Blogger account and get going! Blogging isn’t for everyone. Some of us are more into self improvement. A lot of us try to learn an extra language in our free time, something which can take a lot of time and money. Just a simple Google search though can bring up a ton of websites that can help you learn for free. For example, if you are an immigrant or someone else that doesn’t speak English well, you can better your English with this free English course.Other ideas for self improvement involve reading classics. Instead of shelling out $20 to read the latest novel, check out an older, famous novel whose copyright has expired. Project Guttenberg has over a thousand such books available online.

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      I made the personal, horrible mistake of not taking my finances seriously during college. Some college students live off of their parents’ money…I was one of them. But my spending money was up to me to obtain. So I went through a series of having on-campus jobs that barely paid me anything because I convinced myself that this was the only way to obtain money with a class load at the same time.  

Don’t fall into that trap. 

      If you feel led to have an on=campus job so that you are a part of your university and contribute in some way, then that’s fine! Just keep in mind, on-campus jobs will pay you next to nothing because they don’t feel that they own you anything more than the education they provide. Keep your options open for getting off-campus jobs as well. But most college students run into another problem there, as well…part-time food industry. People under the age of 21 always feel that their only method of obtaining money without having to put forth much effort is through the food industry. This also is not true. There are plenty of opportunities (especially for bilingual Americans) to get a part-time, decent paying job helping out with translating or assisting a translator at places such as a hospital, health clinic, day cares, churches, etc.  

      If you decide to fall into the barely-paying, food industry trap, your money will be very limited and you will have to spend it wisely….aka, not spend it ever. If you want to work in food industry, try serving at a decent end restaurant where you can make tips. Usually places like common, college town restaurants are understanding and flexible of your class schedule. 

      So here are a few things to avoid if you are trying manage and save money as a college student:

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  1. Don’t spend the money on getting wasted five nights a week. There are cheaper ways to have fun with your friends. For example: outdoor activities, funny (maybe even sexual) group games like Suckatash, or any game involving several people shouting at once.
  2. Don’t eat out all the time. The stereotype is that college students are poor…so live like it! Eating Ramen for dinner every night for a while won’t kill you, and it will definitely help save a few bucks each day. Shop at cheap grocery stores like Aldi’s or “Save-A-Lot” type stores. You may not find your favorite name brand items there, but it is a small sacrifice so that you can eventually buy a car when you’re a Junior (…..or whatever).
  3. Don’t take your significant other out on expensive dates. You are most likely both college kids and you should both understand that money doesn’t grow on trees in your situation. Instead of going out to a movie and paying $8 per person after eating a $50 meal and getting a few drinks after the movie…consider a dollar movie theatre and some $1 per scoop ice cream afterwards….you get the picture.

 
So saving money can be really hard as a college student that just wants to have fun. But you HAVE to think of the future, even one or two years down the road…having a few hundred bucks stashed away definitely wouldn’t hurt. 

- Chelsy Albertson

Ball State University, Senior

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