7 ways to save money or make some extraIf your find yourself in the thick of grad school or preparing to start. Money is on your mind especially during these times of the crazy markets caused by Covid 19. These simple easy ideas are ways to keep the money in your pockets and economize during the lean times of income during grad school. 1. Cut out Eating OutI get it sometimes at the end of the day it is just easier to grab something on the way home. While it might be quick solution it is also something that is expensive. Truely. Cut it out and Save. Pack a lunch and take it to work and campus. You can't afford to eat out.
2. Shop SmartBy switching phone carriers we went from a bill of over $80 a month to a bill of $36 a month and actually got more data to share between us (yes you don't need the fancy plan). Shop around for good rates/prices on car insurance, cellphone companies, even for work shirts to wear etc. Do the research it is worth the cost in savings. Buy groceries at a store that gives you points towards money off gasoline. You are buying the groceries anyway, so do it a way that helps you in other areas as well. 50 cents off gas it a huge help when filling up that tank. There are 21 grocery stores across the united states that offer programs like this. Penny Horder Has a great article about it for reading. Shop the sales: Yes even in covid 19 limitations and shortages there are still sales for items. Cereal on sale this week stock up on a few extra boxes to last the month. Sale on fresh strawberries? Prefect French Toast with Strawberries for dinner it is. Which brings me to my next point....menu plan. Shop in that grocery store with a plan. Sale on beans won't help if you dont' have a plan to use them. 3. Honest Needs vs Wants EvaluationMaybe this means taking the bus instead of driving and paying for that campus parking pass. Or carpooling with others. Maybe that means not having an amazon account or netfilx or the latest phone. Not buying extended family christmas presents and birthday gifts. Turning down the heater to 70 instead of 75 degrees. Buying the off brand cereal instead of the name brand stuff. YES! All these things really do add up. Think out side the box. Making sacrifices is part of the deal and your future self will thank you. Wants can wait until your out of debt. 4. Find Used Books or Share Cheapest option always. Finding the digital verizons even better especially for your back as it is less to carry. We found that more than often professors didn't even use the books for assignments. They were more or less a suggested reading list. Ask other grad students what books they actually used and focus on finding the cheapeast option for those. 5. Finding that Teacher Assistant Job or On Campus JobA TA is just that—an assistant to a teacher. TAs perform many tasks, and these tasks depend solely on what their instructors want them to do. This is a great way to earn money while in school to at least pay for the food you eat each month or maybe cover some ultities. The great things about on Campus jobs is your don't have to make an extra trip and they usually have schedules that accommodate students and their class schedules. I am sure that there are a million other jobs that you can find while in school and that don't take much planning or thought. I only mentioned these because we have experience with them. 6. Keep on TrackFaling to complete an assignment or not showing up to class doesn't help you. You paid money to take the class. Not participating in a class is a waste of money. Stay on top of things. 7. Survey Money to pay for Holiday gifts I used Pinecone Research company. It is 100% free to sign up. There are no monthly membership fees or other costs of any kind. Each survey that you interact with generates points about 3 dollars worth in your Pinecone Research account. Once you earn enough points, you’ll have the option to redeem them for an things like walmart ,amazon, and even food restaurant gift cards. Gift cards I then used to buy gifts for our kids for Christmas. (no pinecone research aren't sponsorting this post, just sharing my own experience)
Survey Junkie, Inbox Dollars, Swagbucks and mypoints are a few others but I have like the simplicity of Pinecone Research and didn't like swagbucks. Try different platforms are see which one fits you. It does take about all year long to generate about $100 or more. It isn't a regular thing. Not a source of income for sure, but it does help save up for those Christmas gifts at the end of the year.
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Hello, I'm LindseyA wife to hubby pursing higher education, a mother to three energetic kids, obsessed with all things farmhouse vintage and believer that food always taste better when it is shared. Categories
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