Share budget tips

[rainswolf]

I'm practicing my "Graduate school budget" and I keep going about $100 a month over...and I have to start it for real next month! What are some budget tips you've discovered? Of course, I'm going over in the "food" and the "miscellaneous" categories!

Comments

[etinterrapax]

How are you counting the food? It's easy to economize on groceries, but if you're counting by number of meals, you can probably subtract a few lunches for meetings and things. It varies by school, because this was not true of my MA department, but this past year I had two or three free lunches per month. But I did spend more than expected because I was not always home for lunch and got salads at the deli. Carrying a lunch is a very good way to save, as well as avoiding campus dining if yours is anything like mine--very senselessly expensive. Anywhere off-campus was cheaper.

[aneyi]

In the same vein, carry a water bottle and your own snacks. I was spending a lot more than I realized by hitting the soda or candy machine every day. If you have office space, stash some snacks and stuff in your desk. I try to keep granola bars, cereal or long lasting fruit around. If you have the resources and require fizz on a daily basis, it's cheaper to buy 12-packs of your own soda. I have access to a fridge and ice cubes, but I realize not everyone does.

Eat at home or bring your lunch/dinner whenever possible. My department goes out for free lunch/dinner as a group a couple of times a month, so I don't feel too deprived.

[iuniper]

Well, this may sound silly, but when I am really hurting for cash I usually cut out my "drinks" budget. That means no money on booze ($15/mo), soda at the restauraunt ($10 or so a month), coffee or soda in between classes ($15/mo) or juice/milk/soda from the grocers (various amounts). But then, maybe I am thinking wrong. Who knows?

[aetherson]

Man, you only spend $15 a month on booze?
You must not be a physicist.

[gerbache]

Hehe, I had the same thought, only about engineering.

[dithie]

or studying religion. :p

I should have a second doctorate in "cheap"

[fountaingirl]

Here's some of the secret squirrel tricks I figured out over the years. Please note that some require that you not be overly proud, and may make some folks say "yuck

Re: I should have a second doctorate in "cheap"

[jimotron]

Amen to all of the above and especially farmers markets!

Re: I should have a second doctorate in "cheap"

[max_j]

5. If you are a video addict, go for the month pass at Blockbuster or similar. I don't spend a lot here, but I have friends who do and it adds up to an alarming bill at the end of the month. The $25 for the month pass is a deal if you are coming home with four movies per week.
Or, you can do a monthly deal at Netflix.com for between $10-20/mo (depending on how many movies at a time you want), and they'll ship to your door. They have a two week free trial. They also ship fast and have a wonderful selection of movies.

Better living through creative bookkeeping

[aether8m]

Start booking the increase in your earning potential as revenue. ;)

[shamebear]

I put essentials like flat-rent, electricity and schoolbook-costs on a separate account. So if I ruin my budget on the other, I'll still hang around, albeit hungry.

With food, it helps to prepare your own lunch and bring it with you. Also a stepping stone to filling up your fridge without having it all go old and spoiled.