Cash-Saving Tips, Bozeman Style
Over half of
all recent MSU graduates hold a student-loan debt of $24,000 dollars or more.
To put things into perspective, that’s 3,000 hours of working at a minimum-wage job, one-tenth the cost of an average home, or 48,000 tacos. Put another
way: twenty-four grand is a shit-ton of cash.
College
should be a fun and rewarding experience, not a time to worry about falling into
crippling debt—so start pinching pennies now instead of taking out more loans.
Here’s a list of practical and
creative methods to save some cash.
Get Books for Cheap
Remember
that you’re in college to learn (we hope). Inevitably you’ll have to spend more
money on books than you want to. Besides giving yourself time to shop around
for the best prices, try a few of these tricks:
· Ask if a friend owns the book you’re looking for.
Bribe that friend with a case of beer, wash his or her car, etc. Do whatever
you need to do.
·
Check out the library. Most professors will
place a copy of your textbook on reserve. Read it there, take notes, or make
a few photo copies to take home.
·
Make friends the first few days of class and
split the costs of a single textbook. Take turns with the book or hold group
study sessions.
·
Wing it like Maverick and Goose on Top Gun. Legend speaks of a chosen few
who have made it through class without a book. It’s not easy, and we’re not
advocating this to just anyone, but it can be done.
Stop Paying for Gas
A car is a blessing and a curse. The Bozeman area has dozens of places
to visit by vehicle, so you can find out why Montana is called “the last best
place.” But with gas, insurance, and maintenance, road trips can rapidly move
down the priority list.
Biking, on the other hand, is a way of life for many
Bozemanites, as many ride to class year-round. What you lose in convenience,
you’ll make up for in savings—the cost of maintaining a bike for a year averages
a paltry three hundred bucks, compared to eight grand for a car. Not to mention
that pesky MSU parking permit—$160 buys a lot of frozen burritos.
Try Bozeman’s awesome Streamline bus. As a free community service, these
big yellow beasts run year-round, offer late-night service, and have routes to
nearly every section of town. They’ve got racks for your bike and comfortable
seating, so when you’re pooped or the weather’s crappy, hop onboard and take a
break. For all you guys and gals who love to hit the powder, winter routes to
Bridger Bowl and Big Sky are available on weekends and MSU holidays.
Eating & Drinking on the Cheap
If you’re not careful with your money, it
will slowly sink into the quicksand of groceries, eating out, or even that
daily cup of coffee. Living like a monk is one solution to saving cash, but not
a fun one. Keep track of how much you spend, look for deals, and think about
these tips:
·
Use coupons. You can only eat PB&J twice a
day for so long, so enhance your intake with coups. In addition to the various
coupon books found around MSU and Bozeman, the
MSU
Pocket Guide has nearly
50 cash-saving coupons,
many of which let you eat like a king on
a pauper’s wage. Play “restaurant roulette” the next time you hit the town—flip
through your Pocket Guide, find a coupon, invite some friends, and live beyond
your means for a night.
·
The U.S. Department of Health notes that college
students spend about $5.5 billion per year on alcohol, mostly beer. If you find
yourself heading to the bar, bring only a predetermined amount of cash. Twenty
bucks should be enough for a decent evening, especially at the
Molly Brown,
the Haufbrau,
or
the Eagles (check
out the 2-for-1 drink coupon in this year’s Pocket Guide). It’s easy to get swept
up in the moment and buy a round for everyone, but while this may make you a
popular friend, it won’t do much for your wallet.
Be Creative with Your Leisure
Time
If you think weekends in this
town are a bust, you don’t know Bozeman. Music, art, outdoors; choose a topic
and chances are there’s at least one event to pique your interest. If you make smart
decisions and use a bit of creativity, you can have fun and save money at the
same time. Try planning a picnic at the M, go window-shopping downtown, throw a
disk in Rose Park, or check out a cheap concert at Reynold’s Hall. Any of these
activities less than the movies and can be a lot more fun.
For additional money-saving tips,
check out the MSU Pocket Guide’s Twitter feed or Facebook
page for
daily updates on area events, or visit our parent publication, Outside Bozeman, for an in-depth list of activities
in the local area.
