How to Trim a College Budget

We know money can be tight, here are some tips to control the costs that we don't always think about: 
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1 | Banking: Avoid unnecessary ATM fees by seeing which banks are local. Banks that have a branch at home and at school are always a great choice.

2 | Books: Who says you have to buy new books? You can find used ones at bargain prices and some companies offer textbook rentals. Look online for these renters and resellers before hitting the campus bookstore. Some of our favorites include Amazon, Chegg.com, and BigWords.com. One of the best places to find book is on the Terry Facebook Group.

• You can Google "ttu illiad" and sign up to use the Interlibrary Loan system that Tech offers. It's a free service that has saved me tons of money on books. If another library in the system has the book you'll need, they'll loan it to you free.
•  It can also be worth your while to rent an ebook (I usually look on Amazon first since I have a Kindle.) I saved a whole lot of money that way, and the instant download has saved me some face. And then when your rental period end, it just expires so you don't have to worry about dealing with a physical rental return. (Or worse, keeping a useless book you looked at once.)

3 | Food: Carefully review meal plans and eat in dining halls, rather than in places that will cost extra money. Even the commuter plan can lead to some big savings. Also, invest in a coffee pot to avoid daily trips to the barista. Five bucks for coffee four times a week over eight months adds up to $640 worth of joe.

4 | Entertainment: Expanded basic cable television service is provided in each residence hall room at no additional cost. Subscription to premium services or digital cable radio may be requested for a monthly fee. However, services such as Netflix and Hulu are inexpensive, and other programming can be found online for free. And don't forget that your college ID means discounts at businesses of all kinds.

5 | Laptop: Students will probably need a laptop, but they won't need one with all the bells and whistles. Ask your advisor, upperclassmen in your major, and review cheaper models and avoid the fancy-pants ones, if it's not necessary. Remember there are ATLC Computing Labs in the hall too

6 | Supplies: New school supplies can be fun, but they may not be a necessity. Wait for your syllabus to indicate what's really required.

7 | Needs vs. wants: We love to sport clothes with the Double T logo, but these things can be pricey. Better for your student to ask for them as presents for birthdays and holidays, or to request gift cards to favorite stores. Welcome Week is one of the best times of year to get FREE Tech t-shirts. They even have a trade in event for transfers. If you bring them an old shirt from your former school, they will give you a new Tech shirt for FREE. Watch Techannounce for details.

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