For many college students budgeting money remains a difficult and frustrating task. But why does budgeting money pose such an issue for college freshmen in particular? The University of Georgia offers a plethora of options ranging from joining Greek life to starting a club or a business, just to name a few. But unfortunately, like most things in life, these options cost money. Those expenses accumulate for a student on top of the every day essentials of food, drinks, or school supplies. In a recent survey conducted at the University of Georgia’s Russell Hall, 37 out of 40 freshmen students surveyed admitted to having budget problems and not knowing how to “stretch their dollar” ("Russell Hall Student Budgeting Survey.”). This problem affects most freshmen, and learning the right tools can help lead first year students to an optimistic start.“Stretching a Dollar”, or attempting to get the most out of money spent, is a technique commonly used by people of all walks of life and something that University of Georgia students may take advantage of as well.
Eating[]
With four award winning dining halls located on campus, freshman at University of Georgia will seldom go hungry. Meal plans can act as an essential component to stretching a dollar. The four dining halls include: Bolton, Snelling, East Campus Village, and Oglethorpe. Conveniently located right beside the freshmen high rise Creswell, the Bolton dining hall provides a quick and easy option for freshmen coming to and from their dorm rooms. With the choice of a five day or seven day meal plan, costing $3,590 and $3,792 for the academic year, respectively (McGee), students should attempt to eat out as little as possible. According to the University of Georgia Food Services website, the average “cost per day of the 7 day plan is $14.70” (Floyd). That cost covers all three meals of the day; students will not likely find all three meals off campus for that price. The dining halls constantly change their menu with an array of different options. Eating in the dining halls remains the less costly alternative to eating meals out.
With Athens’ abundant restaurant choices, eating out every once in a while may seem inevitable. Making smart decisions while eating out can make all the difference in stretching your dollar. In a personal interview, UGA freshman Amanda Satsky notes, “exploring student mail like The Passportis a good way to stretch your dollar because they give great coupons and bonuses at local restaurants” (Satsky). With this coupon book, students going out can be cognizant of promotions or discounts. In addition, students can look for restaurants that are covered by Bulldog Bucks. Bulldog Bucks, “an online account-based debit card program for the campus community” (McGee), also provides a cheaper option for students dining off campus. In a personal interview, UGA freshman Nathan Neufield mentions, “usually parents place a certain amount of money on Bulldog Buckseach month for expenses on and around campus” (Neufield). In this case, students should seek out the over 150 vending machines that take Bulldog Bucks, along with the retail and food stores (McGee). If this is not the case, students can load specific amounts of money on Bulldog Bucks to give themselves a monthly budget.Along with Bulldog Bucks, UGA offers a variety of great programs, including Bulldawg Food, that will pick up and deliver meals. These are very convenient services, but students need to look out for convenience fees and delivery fees that could jack up the price of a meal.
Shopping[]
Regardless of what students need to buy, they can always stretch their dollar in the local supermarket. Students can make regular visits to their local Kroger (located only a mere 2 miles up the road from the freshmen dorms) to purchase snacks and essentials for their room. Frequent shopper cards, such as “Kroger Cards”, are available at local supermarkets and let students cash in on discounts and price cuts at every purchase. When planning a trip to the local supermarket, student should try to “make a list and stick to it” (“Homelife”) so they wont find themselves making random splurges, leading to unnecessary purchases.
In addition to food shopping, many students will also shop retail. For every good restaurant in Athens, there lies a great store or boutique as well. While enjoyable, window-shopping often ends up with the student in the store, ready to purchase something that caught their eye. To prepare for this moment, students should try to get on the email lists at local boutiques, which alerts students of discounts. In a personal interview, Ali Mallen, a UGA freshman states, “I am on the email lists for 5 different boutiques in Athens and I get notifications about promotions and sales every week. I usually wait to shop until then” (Mallen). Holding out on a purchase until the items are discounted with a sale or promotion serves as another great way to stretch your dollar.
School Expenses[]
Some savvy students may able to fight the urge of purchasing unnecessary items; unfortunately, all students must pay for costly school related items. When a group of 40 UGA freshmen were polled, over 62% percent of students said their books cost between $300 and $500 dollars for one semester alone (“Russell Hall Student Budgeting Survey.”). While purchasing books proves inevitable, there are ways around paying full price. For the most part, students should look to avoid the campus bookstore, because going to the bookstore will likely end up in the purchase of a full or over priced book. Opportunely located off campus, “used” bookstores such as Baxter Street Book Store or Off Campus Book Store (“Dawg Wear”) sell used books for a fraction of the retail price. Certain bookstores even allow students to rent books instead of buying them. Providing a book’s availability, students can rent and take home a book for a fraction of the price and must simply return it when the semester ends. Not renting? If students choose not to rent, selling back used or new books is a good way to make a little extra cash after using them. Students also have the opportunity to purchase or sell back their books through Athens’ local bookstores or online at sites like ebay.com or amazon.com.
Once the books are purchased, the burden of the class itself begins. When a challenging topic or subject arises, look to a tutor for help. Professional tutoring services could cost close to $75 an hour, and on a freshman's budget that can add up. Luckily, there are many different services through UGA that tutors for free . For example, "Milledge Academy Center offers free tutoring to all students" (“Division of Academic Enhancement”). Such tutors are available by appointment for a variety of different subjects. In a personal interview, Kate Reynolds, a UGA freshman states, "there is no reason to fall behind on your work, or not understand a subject area. Free tutoring is helpful and is located all around campus- including the freshman dorms” (Reynolds). Stretching your dollar proves easy when students can hire a free tutor on campus.
"Ways to Stretch Your Dollar." Homelife. News Magazines Corp, 2011. Web. 6 Nov 2011. <http://www.homelife.com.au/life ideas/money finance/how to stretch your dollar further,3514>.
**photo obtained from Wikimedia Commons - Merzperson grants anyone the right to use this work for any purpose, without any conditions
