Students are always looking for ways to save money. Some turn to part-time jobs while others resort to reducing their expenditure. This is a sample essay on how to save money that could inspire you to write a masterpiece on this issue.
The life of a college student is not as rosy as most people imagine it to be. Well, there are amazing parties and all sorts of fun things to do when in college, but that’s just it. Students have societal expectations to deal with. They have assignments and projects to deliver and exams to ace. This is no easy task since some of the courses in college are tough and ever-absent professors don’t make things easier as well. There is also the issue of student finances to deal with. Without a steady income, college students are forced to rely on student loans and funds from their parents to see out a semester. These funds, however, are not always enough and students are forced to turn to unorthodox means to make sure they have enough for their education. Students are forced to reduce their spending on certain items, and this usually comes with harsh consequences.
In an attempt to save more, students would resort to cheap meals or even skip some of them altogether. These cheap meals are usually very unhealthy, and the students miss out on the vital nutrients that are needed for healthy growth and development. Some of the cheap meals that students turn to in an attempt to save money include fast foods such as French fries and burgers. These meals are unhealthy, and their regular consumption has a bad impact on people’s health.
Cutting out on entertainment is another ‘luxury’ that students do away with to save money. Movies and music concerts cost money and students avoid them so as to save as much as they can. Some even avoid going out with their friends and spend most of their time in their rooms. Entertainment, however, is very important for the emotional development of a human being, and students are advised to take time for entertainment. A lack of entertainment among college students may cause depression and other emotional issues since all that the students will be thinking about is books and their academic assignments.
Students also turn to free software and applications so as to save money. These non-premium versions, however, come with a lot of bugs and students are at risk of virus attacks to the minimum.
Some would even terminate their gym membership to save money. Most colleges have gyms on campus, but they are usually in a poor state and that is why students visit gyms that are off campus. When times get tough, most students would terminate their membership so as to save as much as they can. Without working out, students get unhealthy, and this brings a lot of challenges.
Tough times call for tough measures. Students resort to the above-mentioned activities to save money, but these methods have some harsh consequences attached to them.
References:
- Boatman, A., Evans, B., & Soliz, A. (2014). Applying the lessons of behavioral economics to improve the federal student loan programs: Six policy recommendations. Policy report written for the Lumina Foundation.
- Buckley, A., Soilemetzidis, I., & Hillman, N. (2015). The 2015 student academic experience survey. The Higher Education Policy Institute and Higher Education Academy.
- Duclos, R., & Khamitov, M. (2016). Is Cash Almighty? Effects of Hard vs. Soft Money on Saving/Investment Behavior.
- Fagerstrøm, A., & Hantula, D. A. (2013). Buy it now and pay for it later: An experimental study of student credit card use. The Psychological Record, 63(2), 323.
- Garbinsky, E. N., Klesse, A. K., & Aaker, J. (2014). Money in the bank: Feeling powerful increases saving. Journal of Consumer Research, 41(3), 610-623.
- Karlan, D., & Linden, L. L. (2014). Loose knots: strong versus weak commitments to save for education in Uganda (No. w19863). National Bureau of Economic Research.
- Thompson, S., Cross, W., Rigling, L., & Vickery, J. (2017). Data-informed open education advocacy: A new approach to saving students money and backaches. Journal of Access Services, 14(3), 118-125.
