How to save money without doing anything

The real answers to being ‘spending-savvy’ can probably be found in the pages of a personal finance book. But I know nothing about that. What I do know are easy tips to save a little and put a few bucks back into your pocket, while still doing the things you already do.

As a college student, every dollar counts, and saving money is pretty hard. On top of the cost of actually attending school, there are all kinds of costly temptations—going out to eat, buying snacks, needing new clothes for some event, weekend supplies—and they are hard to pass up on.

If you or your friends don’t have a car and end up Uber-ing everywhere, a $10 dinner out turns into a $20 pay-out and the costs just add up. However, there are a hundred ways that we can seriously cut back on spending. Changing your lifestyle and really cutting back on those non-necessities are obvious ways to saving big chunks of money.

Rewards programs

I can’t even tell you how many free iced coffees I’ve gotten from Dunkin Donuts. Yes, that does mean that I’ve spent an embarrassing amount at Dunks, but since I’m going to spend anyway, I might as well be getting a little something back.

And for all the programs I’m enrolled in, I get notified for discounts and sometimes get coupons. Plus, signing up is often free. So if you go somewhere all the time, why not make your spending work a little for you?

Look for deals every time you buy online

Every time you go shopping, look for coupons. This is especially easy for online shopping, and I do it every time I buy something on the Internet.

Stores themselves don’t always have advertised discounts, but all you have to do is Google “(X store) coupons” and 9 times out of 10 you will be able to find something just by clicking on the first link that pops up (common ones are retailmenot and groupon).

The coupon may just be for free shipping or 10-25% off, but like I said, every dollar counts, and saving a few is as easy as copy-and-pasting a code.

Know where there are student discounts

Not everywhere has them, but it’s as easy as asking when you are standing in front of the cash register. From movie theaters to fast food restaurants to stores, you can easily save a little just for flashing your ID.

Even if you’re through with college, hold on to that card. They usually can’t tell.

There are also some great student discounts for services like Spotify and Amazon Prime. I am always shocked when I talk to someone who pays the full price of $9.99/month for Spotify, because they don’t know about the discount—it’s only $4.99/month for students!

Utilize free trials

They allow you to test something out before you drop money on it.

And if it’s something you need, but not for an extended period of time (maybe watching a show that’s only available on a certain expensive streaming site), you can use your free week to binge-watch without actually paying for it (beware of forgetting to cancel on day 7).

Some places, like the aforementioned Amazon Prime Student, allows for extended free trials (theirs is two months as opposed to the regular Prime trial, which is just one) so you can really think about whether you want to purchase or not.

Check out money-saving/-rewards apps

If you are interested in your finances, there are certainly some easy-to-use apps out there, but I have not personally tried them.

I have, however, used many apps that have coupons or rewards. One that I would definitely recommend is Shopkick. It kind of has a similar concept to a rewards program, in that it rewards you for doing something, except you don’t even have to spend money to reap the benefits.

For just walking into certain stores, like Walmart, CVS, or Target you get “kicks” (like points) towards a reward of your choosing. I’m working towards a Starbucks gift card at the moment, and while it will take a while, all I have to do is have my phone with me while I run errands. It also notifies me of current deals in the app, so if I’m going to a store it’s easy to check out what’s on sale.

Sell unused things

For this one you actually do have to do something, but it’s still pretty easy. If you don’t donate your old stuff, and you need a few extra dollars, websites like eBay, Craigslist, and Poshmark are the places to go to put your unused stuff on the market.

I know I have a ton of old clothes that were left behind when I went to school, just sitting in my closet. Poshmark is perfect for that, and it’s pretty easy to use – it does involve a little effort – but you’d be surprised at how many people out there are willing to give you money for something that would otherwise be collecting dust in your closet.

It’s also good for buying, because it’s cheaper than buying retail and you can find some really good stuff from your favorite stores/designers/brands.

Get a reusable water bottle

They are environmentally- and wallet-friendly. It’s a one-time purchase, and you don’t need to keep buying plastic water bottles or even other drinks like juices, sodas, or milk because that’s what the dining hall is for.

You can fill your water bottle up with water from a water fountain or drink machine, and take it with you. Forget spending $2.50 on Gatorade ever again!

Don’t get too caught up in buying cheap

It may feel great buying $3 flip flops or getting a really cute pair of jeans for just $20, but it won’t be so great when the quality turns out to match the price.

I definitely used to do this when trying to save money, but I finally realized that skimping on something you use/wear a lot will result in purchase after replacement-purchase, and oftentimes splurging on quality is worth it in the long-run.