I was thinking about things that you spend money on, and there are definitely some things you can’t avoid– like rent, tuition, cell phone bill, that really sick pair of shoes from west 49 (kidding!!) But seriously thinking about the things that you can get FREE but you’re paying for:
Bottled water – if you want to save a few shekels, you really should invest 10 bucks in a reusable water bottle and refill it – it will pay for itself in like, 3 days. Oh, and never mind the double moccahchino – buy your own coffee and throw it in a thermos – you’ll save a ton of money!
Movies – by the time you pay for your movie (and your date’s!) and some snacks to share, you’re shelling out $30 bucks! Instead, go to the theatre on ‘cheap night” I know that on Tuesday’s at the Pen and Niagara Square, you can get your tickets and refreshments half price – but go early as the lines can get ugly! Better yet, stop by your neighbourhood video store and pick up a few older movies for a few bucks, or check out iTunes for the new releases!
Gym membership – use exercise dvds or on-campus facilities instead of buying an off-campus gym membership. Brock and Niagara will let you pay for your membership as part of your tuition – for a heck of a lot less than your neighbourhood gym – and you don’t have to travel! If you’re in high school, most of them have gyms that offer low annual fee like $30 bucks or they’re free!
Need a haircut or a manicure? Forget about the neighbourhood salon and check out local aesthetician and hairstyling schools. These students learn and practice on clients for the fraction of the price. Check out Niagara College’s “Niagara Waters Spa” located at the Glendale Campus, or Cappa School of Hairstyling at 56 St. Paul Street West in St. Catharines and Professional Academy of Hair Design at 76 West Main Street in Welland.
Clothing – Check out the amazing discount and second hand stores across Niagara. Liquidation world, Goodwill and Value Village are great spots to find jeans for like 5 bucks. If you like retro and vintage stuff, check out “out of the past” in downtown St. Catharines or “Down by the River” in Chippewa where they sell clothes, records and books!
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Redeemed Goods 298 Crowland, Ave. Phone: 905-735-8624 |
Food – be sure to use your meal plan your momma bought ya instead of going out or ordering in. Everytime you eat out instead of using your meal plan, you’re paying twice for that meal! Shop for snacks and other groceries at a grocery store instead of a convenience store where prices are higher. Check out Giant Tiger and Liquidation World for cheap basics.
Tunes and books – what student can afford to buy cd’s these days? You can get most new albums off of iTunes for around $10, or just download individual songs. You can also download whichever songs you like from the album off of Amazon. Niagara has some great used book and cd stores –check out Hannelore Headley on Queen Street and A Novel Idea on St. Paul Street in St. Catharines; Page One Books on Main Street in the Falls and Alphabet Book Shop in Port Colborne.
Credit Card Fees – first off, make sure you don’t get rooked into getting that Toronto Maple Leaf themed MasterCard with no interest for six months, and then find out they jacked your interest up to 20% in the seventh month! Be sure to set up automatic bill payment so you’re getting your bills paid on time and not building up a bunch of interest. Better yet, sign up for a Sprowt Low Fee Student MasterCard and you can check your balances and set up automatic payment through our on-line banking.
Bank Fees – This is an easy one. Get a Sprowt NO FEE Student Banking account by applying online or dropping by a PenFinancial Credit Union branch near you. There’s a branch right across the street from Brock and on Main Street in Welland – right in your neighbourhood! Unlike other banks and credit union’s, Sprowt is FREE all around, so you’ve got nothing to worry about there.
