If you’re interested in finding new ways of adding the amount of cash you have at your disposal, you’re not alone. Living on campus can be quite pricy if you’re not mindful of your spending habits. Meal plans at school can totally drain a budget, especially if you occasional miss a meal. For instance, Yale offers a few meal plans that can cost upwards to $2,817 which has its benefits, but if you don’t eat
every
meal it can end up being sort of a waste. Other items like books, gadgets and clothing can also rack up your daily expenditures. You really have to decide what’s best for you in each situation. Yet in some cases, trial and error is the only way to know what’s best. If you want to live economically while in college without being
too
frugal, a good practice to start is by searching for cashback rewards through certain companies. Spending is inevitable, but smart spending is a choice that can benefit you in the longrun. Here are a few cashback services you should check out:
Upromise – The Smart Way to Save for College
. Honestly, it really is. This website operates in a unique way by giving you back a percentage of everything you purchase through the company. Upromise.com has partnered with over 800 online stores (Target, BestBuy, Apple, etc) that people flock to everyday to buy items. If you register an account at Upromise.com and shop through the site, you’ll be able to receive between 1%-25% back to be used for offset high tuition costs. You can have the money deposited into a 529 College Savings Account (for parents) or take it in cash to decrease the cost of college living (for students). A few other cards include the Discovery Student Card which will earn you 5% cashback on general items that change every so often but up to 20% back if you shop exclusively at their online shopping mall, and the Bank of America Add it Up Card which offers the same 20% cashback rate.
MrRebates.com – This Is Another Great Site that gives you cashback on purchases, up to 30%, and pays you back via Paypal. As an incentive, they give you a 5$ registration bonus which is more than what other rebate sites offer. You can browse the categories listed on the website to see the available brands and how much of a rebate you can expect. If you love doing your shopping online, before heading to Amazon, check out Mr. Rebates. Also, for those who love shopping around, Ebates is another cashback site that you could use to search for even more deals.
CollegeBudget.com – The Internet Offers A Wealth of Information , as we all know, and new ways of distributing that info keep popping up almost daily. CollegeBudget.com offers a platform for college students to share news on discounts, earn five bucks for referring friends and sends emails of mega discounts, ranging from between 50 and 90% off, to college students on their mailing list. The people behind this site were also creators of CampusBuddy which was mentioned on Bloomberg Businessweek when they won America’s Best Young Entrepreneurs .
Keeping an eye on your budget is great, but it’s also important to maintain a certain quality of life which requires spending. Getting all you can get out of the college experience while at the same time being financially responsible can often times come to a head. It’s expected that each one will have its victory every once in awhile. There are many more ways to save money in college that include student discounts, living off campus with a few friends and splitting the rent and scrounging around for coupons, but one of the easiest, less demanding methods is by using these simple cashback services which will allow you to be responsible without being restricted.
