Going to college and making enough money to support yourself at the same time is no small feat, but there are a lot of ways to take a load off your shoulders. Saving money while attending school is not as difficult as many people think.
Buckle down and get ready to do some number crunching. Take a look at what you spend money on every month and isolate your most important expenses, which should include shelter, food, utilities, and transportation. Okay, okay, factor in a little entertainment, since you will probably go stir crazy without it. Determine how much you spend on these things every month at a bare minimum and this is your starting budget. What? You have no money left over? You do not have enough to pay all of those bills? Time to downsize.
Lower your utilities by becoming conscious of the energy that you use every day. Keep the lights off when you are not using them and this also applies to the television. If you are the only person in the house and you are going to take a bath, turn the TV off. You can also cut down your use of the air conditioner and heating. Most people can get by with putting on more clothes during the winter, so this is where you can save the most money. If you can take the heat during the summer, though, you can save a lot here, too.
Spending a lot of money on food? Cut out the fast food and learn to take advantage of coupons and sales at the grocery store. Learn to cook, as well. You can save a lot of money by learning to cook full meals and dividing them into portions that you can freeze. Something else you can do is get rid of the visits to places like Starbucks or at least minimize them.
Using credit and debit cards can also cost you more money than you intend. Debit cards these days will typically still be accepted, even if you do not have enough funds in your checking account to cover the transaction. You will be charged an overdraft fee for this convenience. This works much the same way that credit cards to, since credit cards may also still be accepted, even though you have gone over your credit limit. So, when using these cards, try to make sure you are within your limits at all times. When in doubt, use cash.
Saving Money In College Made Easy For Anyone
Give Your Readers a Sample
Manufacturers of food products are masters at marketing. When they launch a new product, they hire crews of merchandisers to pass out samples and coupons during peak grocery shopping times. The result – a large percentage of shoppers become first-time buyers after receiving their free sample and an incentive to buy. Many of those buyers will end up loyal customers.
Self-publishers need to think like Frito-Lay. Realize that you, as a self-publishing and (probably) relatively unknown author, need to give your potential customers a reason to buy your book, and offering your readers free samples may be just the sales boost you need. The great part about your particular craft is that you don't have to hire merchandisers or deplete your resources; free sampling for writers is cheap or free, thanks to the Internet and current printing technology.
If you have your own web page (something I recommend), offer your readers a chapter or book synopsis as a free download. Your manuscript is probably already in .pdf format if you've worked with any of the subsidy houses. Extract your table of contents, the promotional copy from your back cover and the first chapter of your book, and create a link to them on your site. Be sure to back-link to your sales page, or the area on Amazon, Alibris, or other site offering your book for sale.
If you've written non-fiction and want to establish yourself as both an excellent writer and an expert in your field, submit short articles for use by other websites or ezines covering your area of expertise. You may want to use a synopsis of one of your chapters as the article, so your readers have a glimpse of the topic(s) your book covers. There are several websites which actively seek short, well-written articles covering a number of topics; some of the most popular are: home improvement, family and relationships, law, business (traditional and internet), financial management and investing, and religion (from a practical perspective, rather than theoretical – homiletically discussions.) Be sure to include the name of your book with a link to your sales site in the "Author's Biography" area.
If you are a poet or have written a screenplay, offer free performances of your work. In Indianapolis, one Starbuck's offers musicians and performers the chance to give renditions one night a week. Libraries, community playhouses, and even some restaurants may be open to this suggestion.
Finally, if you already have a book in print and it is selling, consider adding the first chapter of your other book, along with sales information or a prepublication purchase discount, as an "extra added attraction" at your second (and subsequent) printings. If your reader liked your first book, they're sure to love your second one.
Giving Back
It doesn't matter if it's related to your business or personal life. Take Oprah Winfrey for example. At a live event a few years ago, she mentioned how she loves to purchase makeup whenever it's "Clinique Bonus Time" as she gets a gift.
Here we have a woman worth over a billion dollars who she loves receiving the cheap little makeup bag with free blush and lipstick, in colors she will never wear, just because they are FREE.
Free gifts, particularly those that are unexpected and just "show up" go a long way in reminding your clients that you are thinking of them - even when they're not paying you to!
I recently spent two weeks in Hawaii. While there, I picked up a t-shirt for a special client and also got one for her 2 ½ year-old-son. It didn't cost much, it didn't weigh anything (I even mailed it from Maui so I wouldn't have to think about it), but it was unexpected and meant a lot to my client (and to her son).
With the holiday season fast approaching (sorry, but it's true), think about what you can send your clients as a "thank you".
This year, I'll be sending Thanksgiving Day cards to all my clients as a "thank you" for being my client - can you think of a better time to say "thanks"? While I'll also be sending holiday cards, I fully expect them to get buried with the onslaught of holiday cards that tends to arrive each December.
If you sell widgets, you can send a coupon for a free item with a $50 purchase. If you sell services, you can send something related to what you offer.
Are you stuck?
Send a gift card: Starbucks, book stores and Dunkin Donuts (in the Northeast) are all good choices. Plus, with so many shopping online these days, an Amazon.com (or any online retailer) gift card is a great option.
Still stuck?
You can always find something at either Harry and David (www.harryanddavid.com) or Dale & Thomas (www.daleandthomas.com).
Don't think it needs to be expensive or unique. It's amazing how you can change someone's day just by giving them the unexpected. I even get happy when receiving the sample pens that arrive every few months - it's a pleasure to receive something other than a bill or solicitation in my mailbox!
Need to send several things without breaking the bank? Check out Oriental Trading Company (www.orientaltrading.com) for inexpensive goodies that you can send out to everyone on your list.
Gifts and goodies are an inexpensive way to help with client and customer retention - remember it's much less expensive to keep an existing customer than it is to get a new one. This is a great and simple way to stay at the forefront of your customers' minds.