I’ve always been aware of sustainability and found a few easy ways to save money – even while being a poor college student.
The best part? These tricks helped me save the planet a little, too. Last semester alone, I saved hundreds of dollars just by using a reusable water bottle!
Now that the semester is in full swing, I’m sharing my sustainable & cash-saving secrets with you.
7 quick and easy tips to save money as a sustainable student
- Buy the digital versions of your textbooks if they’re available. eTextbooks are less expensive than traditional textbooks and have much more to offer like helpful search functions, copying, pasting and highlighting. Chegg has great deals on eTextbooks that also come with a Homework Help function.
- Take notes on Google Docs (download Google Drive for free here). Programs like Evernote or a simple word doc on your laptop instead of using notebook paper is less expensive than buying new notebooks each semester. (If you prefer to handwrite your notes, use recycled paper and write on both sides of each page.)
- Bring your reusable water bottle with you around campus instead of buying plastic water bottles. This will reduce plastic water bottle waste as well as save a few bucks. Order your BPA free, reusable Nalgene water bottle or stainless steel Klean Kanteen.
- Make sure to bring your reusable coffee mug with you to reduce paper or (even worse) Styrofoam coffee cup waste. Coffeeshops like Starbucks also offer a 10-cent discount to customers who bring their own reusable coffee mugs!
- Dining halls are now offering local, organic and antibiotic-free meal options. Temple University just opened a student-run food cooperative called The Rad Dish Co-op Cafe (just off campus) that offers local, organic and sustainable food and drink options. Choose these options to not only eating healthier, but give back to your community and strengthen your local economy as well.
- Engage in “Meatless Mondays” by cutting meat out of your diet just once a week. Meat consumption has one of the worst impacts on the environment because of the pollution that its production causes to surrounding air and water and overuse of antibiotics according to The Simple Dollar. By choosing healthier options like rice, lentils or vegetables, both your wallet and the planet will be thanking you!
- Walk or ride your bike across campus and take public transportation, like busses or trains, when traveling locally. If you prefer to drive, carpool with others. These transportation methods will reduce carbon dioxide emissions as well as save on gas.
Readers, what do you do to save money? Share your tips on how to be a sustainable student on a budget in the comments below!
