So you’ve moved away from home, and doing the whole “being independent” thing. Perhaps you go to the store by yourself for the first time, and you realize how expensive avocados are, and you wonder how you’re going to get by. Well, here are some tips from our student office assistants.
- Thrift/Buy Used
- Portland has so many amazing opportunities for thrifting. There’s even a goodwill on Lombard, pretty close to UP, where you can find some cool stuff. If you happen to need furniture type items, buying them used can be a great deal. I recently discovered the app LetGo, and have been able to buy a lot of stuff that I otherwise wouldn’t have been able to afford.
- Student Discounts
- Sometimes places will have student discounts, and you won’t even realize! It’s doesn’t hurt to ask when you’re checking out if there is one. A few places where I’ve used a student discount: Eddie Bauer, movie theaters, Apple, Madewell, and others. If you search online “student discounts” a plethora of lists show up. Even if it’s only 10%, it all adds up.
- Take advantage of your meal points
- As a freshman living on campus, you will most likely have a meal plan. I know it’s temping to order some Postmates or a pizza, but using your meal points on campus can help save money.
- Make a Budget
- I know, I know, this is what everyone says, but can it actually help? YES! Knowing what your money is going towards can be incredibly helpful. There are a lot of free online tools that can help you create a budget as well. I use the Nerd Wallet website so I can see exactly what I’m spending my money on, but there are plenty out there to choose from.
- Points Systems!
- I oftentimes shop at Fred Meyer, where they have a shoppers card (free to sign up), where you earn points for gas if you have a car, and also get discounts in store. The Fred Meyer app has coupons that you can load onto your card as well! Many stores have something similar to this, and it’s generally free to sign up.
- Free Activities
- There are many fantastic things to do in Portland that are completely free! Hiking is a great option, along with going to the park, or playing some Frisbee. There’s also a lot of great opportunities to do things at UP. ASUP has varied events throughout the year that are either free, or fairly cheap to participate in. There are also plenty of clubs to get involved with.
- You can even volunteer around Portland! I’ve participated in a few environmentally focused volunteer opportunities, and they’ve been both extremely fulfilling and lots of fun.
- Textbook Hunting
- Check out our other post about textbooks to get some ideas! The gist is that you don’t have to just buy a brand new textbook. You can rent, buy used, get a digital copy, and explore a bunch of different options of where to purchase textbooks.