Finance

Practical Ideas for Students Who Want to Save Money

One of the best things you can do for your future is to build healthy habits now—in all areas of your life. From physical to emotional to mental to financial, starting as early as possible gives you a world of good because your choices now will determine your destiny. Whether in high school or college, building money-saving habits’s never too early. Here are some practical tips to help you save during this chapter of your life.

Save Money

Choose a savings account that offers high-earning interests

Can you believe you can grow your savings, even by a small amount, even when it’s just sitting in a savings account? Many online banks offer savings accounts that exist for this purpose. The annual percentage yield (APY) is the total interest you can get on your savings over a single year.

Opt for a certified member of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC) because this is how you can ensure that you will earn a higher interest rate and help you rest assured that your savings will remain protected and secure at all times.

Take loans only for essential things.

If you must take out personal loans, make sure it’s always for essentials. Here are some examples of expenses that are worth taking out a loan for:

Don’t take out a loan for vacations or things that fall on the “want” side—like hobbies, fine dining, and other more expensive or luxurious items. These things can wait. A little delayed gratification now will be most advantageous for your financial future.

Get organized and stay on top of your financial life

Structure entails building a routine that helps you keep track of your finances and accounting. By being thorough with your record-keeping and updating your expenses and what’s left in your account for the rest of the month, you will have a vivid picture of your financial situation and how you can improve it.

There are plenty of free apps that can help you monitor your progress. You can make use of a Google spreadsheet or even a traditional notebook. Find out what works for you and consistently monitor your expenses and savings.

Be strategic with your groceries.

Here are some practical tips for being innovative and strategic with the way you handle your groceries:

  • Do not go grocery shopping when you’re hungry. This is when you’re tempted to get excessive amounts of food you don’t need, and worse, you decide what to buy based on your cravings and not what is good for you.
  • Create a budget and schedule, and stick to both as much as possible. Consider learning how to do meal planning. It will save you a lot of time since you can work on all your meals for one day and choose yummy but still healthy ingredients and recipes. It will also help you control how much you spend on food instead of opting for delivery every day.

Rent or buy your textbooks.

Not only is buying brand-new books unhealthy for your wallet, but it’s also not the best for the environment. Ask for help from your upperclassmen friends to see if they still have their old textbooks, or visit used bookstores and libraries to see if you can legally make copies yourself. If you must buy brand new copies of books, ensure it’s only for those with new editions and no older copies in circulation.

Cut back where you can

You’d be surprised by how much unnecessary spending we do every day. This includes music, streaming, paid apps, subscriptions, and other monthly expenses that do nothing to build our wealth. Check every device you own and your online financial accounts to see how much of your money goes to these monthly expenses, and cut as many of them as possible. You don’t need to pay for music; you can listen to your favorite songs for free through YouTube.

Fight for discipline and control.

And lastly, remember discipline will go a long way in helping you save. Build healthy habits as early as now—you will thank yourself as a grown-up.

Jeremy D. Mena
Alcohol geek. Future teen idol. Web practitioner. Problem solver. Certified bacon guru. Spent 2002-2009 researching plush toys in Miami, FL. Won several awards for exporting tar in Libya. Uniquely-equipped for managing human growth hormone in Libya. Spent a weekend implementing fried chicken on the black market. Spoke at an international conference about working on carnival rides in Miami, FL. Developed several new methods for donating jack-in-the-boxes in Edison, NJ.