Once you leave home for college, you will start noticing that simple, every-day items are no longer as cheap as they used to be. Two of the biggest budget-busters are phone bills and textbooks.
For example: You will no longer be able to make an infinite number of long-distance calls, despite the fact that all your friends may now be in different states. Telephone charges can add up very quickly at school, and if you're like the majority of your peers, you are probably paying for a percentage- if not all- of your telephone bill.
Furthermore, you will likely be shocked by the cost of textbooks. While most high-schools tend provide their students with books at minimal, if any, cost to the students, colleges textbooks ordinarily cost between $20 to $100 per book!
However, before you start frantically re-working your budget-let's look at some simple ways to save.
Phone Bills
We can start with the age- old college tricks. They include:
- Calling everyone collect
- Forcing friends and family members to call you all the time
- Only calling people when you know you will reach their machine
While these may work for the first month or so, these are probably not your smartest options if you actually desire to maintain relationships with these people. What is an intelligent move, though, is talking to your family about buying a cell phone. With the so many of offers currently available, you can obtain a reasonable mobile plan that will provide you with a set amount of minutes each month.
HerTip: Be sensible about the amount of minutes you need each month, but do not sell yourself short. By being forced to resort to pay-per-minute plans, you'll end up paying even more than the ordinary dorm-phone rates. Spend time deciding how much you need, and then do the research to insure that you are getting the very best deal currently available.
If your parents aren't exactly sold on buying you a cell phone, you can still avoid paying a high phone bill. Calling cards are a great option, because you can often purchase cards with a low rate and little-to-no additional surcharges. Because you are not charged for 800-numbers on most telephone plans, you can end up saving a bundle by using the card in your dorm room.
HerTip: Some calling cards might advertise fantastic rates-per-minute, but if you look a little closer you will find that the rate is practically doubled once all additional charges have been added. Read the fine print carefully on the cards!
Textbooks
Did you know that, on average, it appears that each class will have five books —ultimately costing you approximately $500 a class! Luckily, there are some ways you can cut back on this enormous cost. These possibilities include:
- Most bookstores will have a used textbook section. The majority of these books have only been used for one to two semesters and are in fairly good condition. Plus, you can occasionally get the added bonus of some diligent student having already done the highlighting for you!
- Go directly to friends and other students whom you know have already taken a particular course. The odds are that they still have the textbooks and would be willing to give them to you at little-to-no charge (plus, you might even be able to get them to "throw in" their notes at no additional cost).
- Many Websites have been springing up as of late, offering textbooks at significantly reduced prices. Two of the more reputable sites include Varsitybooks.com and Textbooks.com.
There are a couple of important points to keep in mind:- If you opt to buy a used book, make sure you carefully examine the book to be sure it is in good condition. The early you go to the bookstore, the better your chances of finding a used book in practically perfect condition.
- When using a web site to buy your book, it is important to cautiously investigate the shipping time and costs. You do not want to get a great deal on a textbook only to have to pay a arm and a leg for shipping. Plus you do not want to have to be sitting in class without a book because it has not yet arrived!
- Shop early, and prudently, to avoid high costs and delayed arrivals.
Continue to: Part VII: Part-Time Work
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