Many tip lists out there will advise you on how to budget your money during college, when you are more than likely still dependent on your parents’ monthly allowance. Budgeting is a difficult art to learn, and there will inevitably be times during your undergraduate career when the parental coffers run dry and your folks are unwilling to provide you more before the next month. This is when you are left up to your own devices. Now you can either wait it out and live on cereal till the first of the month, or you can put your entrepreneurial skills to task by making a nice mound of cash yourself for these desperate times, so you’ll never be short on spending money again. Between procrastinating with that term paper and watching entire seasons of your favorite TV show, you can certainly mete out some time that’ll help you help yourself. Here are a few ways to make extra cash quick when the going gets tough.

1. Tutor other students.

There’s no better way to learn a set of concepts well than by teaching others. Whatever subject is your strongest, offer fellow students some tutoring sessions for a small fee. This way, you’ll still be engaging in academic activity, sharpening your own communication skills as you do so. Tutoring can range from helping students with homework sets to editing English papers. Send out a Facebook invite to advertise yourself, or post a notice on your dorm’s announcements board.

2. Participate in studies.

Giving yourself up as a guinea pig for scientific studies is a great way to earn extra cash fast. Especially if your institution is a research university, it’s very likely that different research departments will require volunteers, who can earn up $50 dollars or more for an hour or two of questionnaire-answering and game-playing. I once earned $100 for an hour of getting my brain scanned in an MRI machine while playing a video game.

3. Look for work on campus

Working on-campus is so much easier than working off, simply because your potential employer is used to working with students and understands that you have a hectic, uneven schedule. One of the best on-campus jobs I had was working at the university library. It was easy, didn’t take up too much of my time, and I could study and work simultaneously.

4. Sell your unnecessary belongings.

Whether it’s books from last semester, or a piece of furniture you don’t really use, take stock of your personal items and access which ones you can do without. Then, using Craigslist, Ebay, or Facebook Marketplace, get rid of all these items at relatively low prices. It’s a great way to clear your cluttered dorm room while getting some quick and easy cash.

These are just a few ways to make some money while in college. No matter how budget-conscious you are, you’ll more than likely overspend, especially during freshman year, when you’re living on your own for the first time. By making some extra money every now and then, you’ll skip that embarrassing phone call to your parents telling them how you’ve wasted their money mid-way through the month.

This guest post was written by Hajera Blagg

It’s often hard to keep up with the expenses that come with being in college. From tuition to car maintenance to rent, it’s often stressful to even think about money. However, it’s possible to get a handle on your finances while you’re in college. To avoid falling into the trap of the “poor college student” and to gain some financial stability, here are five tips.

1. Avoid credit card debt.
Credit cards can be useful to build your credit score and for major purchases, but it’s easy to get sucked into a vicious cycle if you aren’t responsible with your credit card. There are two good rules to follow when using your credit card. First, charge only what you can afford to pay for. Second, pay your balance in full each month. Both of these ideas sound
simple, but they are the main reasons that people find themselves slipping further and further into credit card debt. If you can avoid credit card debt in college, you’ll be in better shape to manage your finances in the future.

2. Learn to budget.
Budgeting can seem unnecessary in a world of online banking, but budgeting is more than just making sure your balance is what it ought to be. Budgeting includes taking a look at your income and your normal expenditures and making a plan to ensure that your income is covering your necessary expenses. Budgeting can help you visualize where your money is actually going and help you decide if you need to make financial changes. A budgeting worksheet is a great place to start.

3. Find deals on textbooks and school supplies.
Textbooks are a necessity for college students, but often textbooks can be very expensive. Look for deals when purchasing textbooks, like buying used textbooks, or even trading textbooks with other students. Be sure to compare textbook pricing between your campus bookstore and other retailers. Also, many stores and restaurants offer student discounts, so be sure to ask.

4. Start a savings account.
You can start to save money, even if you start from nothing. When you are budgeting your income, make sure to include a place for savings. When you make saving a priority in your budget, it’s more likely to happen, even if it is just a little bit of money. Having savings will help you feel much more stable in your finances.

5. Make small changes in your lifestyle.
Do you eat out for lunch everyday? Do you buy a new water bottle when yours runs out? By making small changes in your lifestyle and spending less, you’ll save yourself more money and improve your financial standing. Bring a homemade lunch and save the money you would normally spend buying it. Use an eco-friendly reusable water bottle. When you notice how much you save, you’ll be motivated to make more changes in your life to save money.

This guest post was written by Diane Johnson

Diane Johnson graduated from the University of Utah with a degree in political science. When she’s not traveling she enjoys writing articles about pell grants.

College is an expensive time, and for some students it’s the first time they’ve really had to fend for themselves financially. The household bills that Mom or Dad paid are suddenly down to you, and you may also need to buy your own food (and cook it, but that’s another topic!) and an endless array of other day-to-day things that you probably haven’t even thought of.
 
Unless your parents are really rich and generous, it’s not advisable to take out a credit card. Although they can come in handy for students who manage to get a part-time job between lectures, the majority should really try to manage without. A quick look on any credit card comparison service shows you the average APR of available credit cards – to put it in some kind of perspective, a 26.9% APR on a balance of $800 would mean a regular payment of around $68 per month…could you afford that on top of everything else? And that’s if you pay off the whole amount spent each month…if you don’t, the repayments get higher.
 
If you feel like you need a bit of plastic (for instance, if your campus isn’t the kind of place you want to carry cash around on), then there is an alternative – a prepaid card. Sometimes called prepaid credit cards, these work like a cellphone top-up card; you go into a store, hand over the card and some cash, and the store loads the cash onto the card for you. You can then use the card in place of any other credit or debit card, but you know you won’t be at risk of getting into plastic debt.
 
Keeping away from credit can be as simple as setting )and sticking to) a budget for each semester. If you manage to get a part-time job, great; it will give you regular income and allow you to cover surprise expenses that might crop up. If you aren’t working, then you’ll probably have to stretch your student loan quite a lot. There are thousands of money-saving tips out there so I won’t go into them here, but one I’ve always lived by is the 48-hour rule; if you want to (rather than NEED to) buy something, wait for 48 hours before buying it. You’ll probably find that after that time, you don’t want it after all.
 
You may already have a credit card by the time you get to college; in which case, think about transferring the balance onto another card with more favorable terms. Cashback and other reward credit cards are a good way to get some of your money back as they either pay out a percentage of your repayments back to you, or grant you grocery vouchers and other rewards. Shop around, there’s bound to be a card out there which can help you if you feel you need to keep your existing credit.
 
This guest post was written by Louise Tillotson
 
Louise Tillotson remembers her student days all too well! Fortunately, they stood her in good stead and she is now a regular author on a number of financial websites and blogs. Follow her on Twitter @louisetillotson.