Easy Ways To Make And Save Money: Five Fast Frugal Facts
Courtesy of foxsports.com
Frugal- entailing little expense; requiring few resources.
So you want easy ways to make and save money, huh? Well, you’ve come to the right place! College students across the nation know what it’s like to feel the pure bliss of getting a free shirt on campus, or when a school club gives you free food. Why do these small acts seem as if they were gifts from the heavens? Because they’re saving you money!
Living a frugal life entails finding every “lifehack” there is when it comes to saving money. Personally, I have to admit, I am in no way the Founding Father of Frugality, but I have learned a few tips through experience of ways to save (and make) a little extra money, all of which are tailored specifically to the average college student.
Here are five fast frugal facts (alliteration intended) for you to keep your wallet full and your bank account happy:
Tip #1 – Amazon Prime & Spotify Student Discounts: Arguably two of the most-used services by college students, Amazon and Spotify offer pretty nice discounts for those of us enrolled in college. Both of these offers feature a 50 percent discount, which adds up to roughly $110 in savings per year if you’re subscribed to them simultaneously. The sign-up process is very simple and only requires that you have an email address provided by your school.
Spotify for students is only $5 a month, and Amazon Student is only $50 a year (includes two-day shipping, music and movie streaming, discounts, etc.). Links to both discount services can be found below:
Sign-up for Amazon Student (link provides $5 in credit)
Tip #2 – Cashback Grocery Apps & In-Store Discounts
There seems to be a stigma that coupons aren’t “cool.” As a cashier (and a good one, at that), coupons can certainly be a pain for both myself and the customer. Regardless, those small cutouts can wind up saving you a good chunk of change if you play your cards right. But, what if I told you there was an even BETTER way to save money when buying groceries?
There are several “cashback grocery apps” that, well, give you cash back when you buy groceries! Many include coupon and discount offers that can be used directly from the phone, while others allow you to link a store membership card to the app to simplify using it.
Regardless, these apps are basically giving you a bit of money back for things that you needed to buy in the first place! Like previously stated, there is a good range of programs to choose from for both Android and iOS, so I would recommend reading the brief descriptions in the article found below and deciding which you would prefer.
Additionally, if there is a grocery store located in your college’s town, there’s a very high chance that they have ways to hook you up. For example, Harris Teeter and Kroger locations offer students a five percent discount on all purchases, and Bi-Lo has a very beneficial “fuel perk” system for groceries and gas.
Use this in conjunction with a cashback app and you could find yourself rolling around in extra $5 bills that you’ve saved!
Harris Teeter Student Discount
Tip #3 – Slidejoy (Earn Money by … Using Your Phone?)
You read that right! But, what is Slidejoy?
Courtesy of getslidejoy.com
Slidejoy is an app that replaces the lock screen on your phone with a page that shows an ad. The ad can either be swiped one way to be opened and viewed, or swiped the other to close and allow access to your phone. While the Slidejoy phone app is currently only available on Android, the company has long promised that a version for the iPhone is in the works.
Okay, but why install it? Because every time you swipe on an ad (no matter which direction), you earn one penny in the form of a “carat.” While that doesn’t seem like much, try to put into perspective how often you unlock your phone. Personally, I earn 500-800 carats per month, which can be exchanged for gift cards or Paypal payments. You can also download other apps and take surveys promoted by Slidejoy to earn more carats.
There’s even a “Hero Mode” that allows all the money you earn to be donated directly to a charity of your choosing! Using this app for a full year will provide about $60 (assuming you earn only the minimal $5 a month). And just to reinforce: you are getting paid to use your phone. I’ve noticed no negative impact on my phone’s battery life, and rarely do I experience any type of glitch or freezing. I would highly recommend installing Slidejoy.
Get Slidejoy (link provides small bonus to starting carats)
Tip #4 – UNiDAYS
If you’re addicted to shopping for clothes, UNiDAYS is the site for you. Requiring only a school-provided email address, this service provides exclusive discounts to stores like Pacsun, Urban Outfitters, American Apparel, and many others. If you prefer going to stores in person, UNiDAYS still has you covered by offering most of the same deals in-store.
Fortunately for someone like me that only buys clothes when they are “stupid” and “immature” (according to my mother), UNiDAYS has deals with non-clothing companies too. Brands like Panasonic, Apple, HBO, and Monster are just a few of the deals UNiDAYS offers.
Some online retailers will even offer free shipping with no minimum purchase, as long as you have a UNiDAYS account. And I would know. The Urban Outfitters discount comes in clutch when buying stuff for my girlfriend.
Tip #5 – Google Is Your Friend
About to order a pizza online? Maybe a new game for your PS4? Before you hit that “confirm” button, there is one thing you should always do: “Google it.” You’d be surprised how many times you can save yourself some money just be searching something like “Papa John’s discount” or “Etsy coupon.”
Websites like RetailMeNot and GoodSearch keep a catalog of coupons submitted by other users, ranging from free items to steep discounts. Sometimes you’ll strike out and find nothing, but most of the time, you’ll hit a grand slam and walk away with that pizza you were going to buy either way, PLUS cinnamon sticks, all for half the price!
Even if you’re purchasing something off of a smaller website, searching the right keywords on Google will wind up saving you some money. The point is, with the high possibility of finding offers to save yourself a few bucks, you should always be willing to postpone the commencing of Domino’s Pizza Tracker (the heavy metal theme is my favorite) by searching for discounts and coupons.
Other Tips That Would Have Ruined the Title’s Alliteration If They Were Numbered:
•Always Ask: if you’re stopping at a fast food restaurant or maybe a movie theater, it never hurts to ask your cashier if they offer student discounts! Oftentimes, companies do in fact have deals in place for college students but choose not to advertise them widely because, well, it costs them a little bit of money.
There is no shame in asking about discounts for a McPick 2 for $5 and don’t you ever let anyone tell you otherwise.
•Check Your Mailbox: At the beginning of the semester, my on-campus mailbox is filled with coupon books that can be used all over town. I know plenty of people that have never even opened their mailbox, let alone know which one is theirs. This tip has a theme similar to #5: it never hurts to check.
•Keep The Change: This one is by no means revolutionary, but it is one that is often overlooked. Whenever you get change back for any reason, just put it in a jar. Additionally, imagine how much money you’d have if you had picked up every single penny you have ever seen on the ground throughout your entire life. Okay, sure, you may be looking at a hot $3, but that’s a hot $3 you didn’t have before! The point is, particularly for those of us that still use cash fairly often, just keep your change somewhere safe and then add it all up at the end of the year.
I would also advise against using them as ammunition against your roommate. I’ve seen what happens when the guys down the hall throw quarters at each other like baseballs. I’ve also seen, coincidentally, how many more quarters I’ve added to my laundry stash. Strange how that happened …
Will any of these tips make you rich? No. Will any of these tips keep you from going broke? Definitely. Of course, these are not essential to smart spending, but they make it much easier. Similar to dieting and exercise, both on their own are great, but combining the two provides incredible results. If you have any frugal tips you use personally, leave a comment on this article down below and maybe there will be a “Five Fast Frugal Facts, Furthermore” follow up.
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