We want to thank Melinda Carter, a recent graduate for making a guest appearance on our blog!

As winter break approaches on most campuses, many freshmen are just now getting acclimated to the financial rigors that can come along with the first semester away from home. Money is often an issue in college, with student loans and not much money putting a limit on overall spending. Luckily, tons of first time students have waivered the waters of money problems in college by taking advantage of money saving tactics.

One of the first areas to key in on saving is housing. This could start when looking for sophomore housing arrangements during your second semester of school. Luckily, there are some great resources that promote affordable and quality student living are continuing to grow. For example, in the Western New York area, Roc Rooms is a great source for local students looking to find Rochester apartments that have good locations, prices and quality living spaces.

Many students adapt to saving money buy eating small meals such as ramen or macaroni and cheese that can be bought in bulk. Saving money on food can be done without having to eat snack type meals such as those previously mentioned. At the grocery store, you can sign up for programs which give discounts and points for frequent shoppers. Also, the natural route of coupons is a big assist to students looking to get a bang for their buck.

Another thing to remember as a student is to simply take advantage of being in school. Many restaurants and stores near universities often hand out discounts when a student id is shown. Most movie theaters also have discounted rates of a dollar or two for students as cinema tickets continue to drive up prices.

Staying away from a credit card is usually a pretty solid suggestion. While it’s hard not to use credit during college years with the difficulty of financial requirements, building debt up is unacceptable. Having one credit card to build up your score during college is probably okay, however you should look to avoid carrying more than one. Stay on top of your finances by making a budget complete with spending allowance and expenses, which will help keep you on top of your finances.

Certainly there are other ways students can save money during college, but acclimating to a few suggestions can definitely help the process for freshmen. In the end, saving money on items such as groceries and choosing to stay away from multiple credit cards can not only allow for less stress right now, but it can also keep away future burdens such as credit card debt.

-Brett