Page 317 - Keys To Community College Success

KEY 11.4 Look for ways to spend less.

■ Share living space.
■ Rent movies or borrow them from friends or the library.
■ Cook at home more often.
■ Use grocery and restaurant coupons from the paper or online.
■ Take advantage of sales, buy store brands, and buy in bulk.
■ Walk, bike, carpool, or use public transport.
■ Bring lunch from home.
■ Shop in secondhand or consignment stores or swap clothing with friends.
■ Communicate via email or snail mail rather than calling or texting (minutes and texts can add up fast).
■ Ask a relative to help with childcare, or create a babysitting co-op.
■ Reduce electricity costs by turning off lights when you leave a room, cut back on air conditioning, and
switch to compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs) in your lamps.

Comparison shop. Again, think before you buy. If you are in the market for an
expensive item such as a cell phone, a computer, or a car, research prices at stores and
online. Use websites such as ShopLocal, NexTag, and Woot to compare prices. Con-
sider purchasing used items.

Show your student ID. Your student identification card is your ticket to savings for
a variety of items such as movies, shows, concerts, restaurant meals and take out, book
and clothing stores, travel services, electronics, and much more.

Finally, work to save money on a day-to-day basis. The effort of saving small amounts
regularly can eventually bring significant reward. Key 11.4 has some suggestions.
Call on your dominant multiple intelligences when planning your budget. For
example, logical-mathematical learners may choose a classic detail-oriented budgeting
plan, visual learners may want to create a budget chart, and bodily-kinesthetic learners
may want to make budgeting more tangible by dumping receipts into a big jar and tal- Managing Money
lying them at the end of the month. Personal finance software can accommodate differ-
ent types of learners with features such as written reports (verbal-linguistic,
logical-mathematical) and graphical reports (visual). Consider using online tools such
as Mint.com or PocketGuard.com. See the Multiple Intelligence Strategies for Financial
Management (page 280) for more MI-based ideas on how to manage your money.

HOW CAN YOU INCREASE INCOME
through work and financial aid?

If you reduce your spending and still come up short, you may need to look at ways to
increase your income. The rising cost of education leads most students to seek addi-
tional dollars through work, financial aid, or both.
■ According to a 2007 survey, nearly 50% of college freshmen add a job to their
scheduled weekly responsibilities to earn money for tuition. 5
■ Statistics from the U.S. Department of Education show that in 2007–2008, fully
two-thirds of undergraduates received some type of financial aid. 6
Read on to find ways to get as much help as possible from these income sources.

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