Winter break is a much-needed respite from the rigors of college academic life, but it can be a real strain on your wallet if you’re not careful. We put together eight ways you can avoid the stress of going broke while trying to enjoy your time between college semesters.
Take a deep dive into your available funds and what you’ll need to pay for over winter break. For example, even if you’re visiting your hometown for a month, or traveling, you still need to pay rent at your apartment off campus. Build a realistic budget and check in with it weekly while you’re on break so you stay on track to meet your goals.
Whether it’s a browser plug-in or a website, there are a ton of tools online to help you find discounts for your online purchases. Some sites give you a discount just for signing up for their emails! Take advantage of every discount you can find and the savings can really add up.
If you celebrate a holiday over winter break, it’s likely that you’re going to receive a few gift cards. Put them to work! Use them to buy groceries, clothes, school supplies, and gas, or to enjoy a night out with friends. Spending your gift card money first will help prevent you from tapping into your limited funds.
Most colleges and universities have their own student discount programs. They might partner with local businesses to offer student patrons a certain percentage off or a free item. Now’s the time to cash in on those partnerships. Additionally, many retailers offer a blanket discount or lower rate for students, so be sure to bring your student ID with you everywhere you head on winter break.
Whether for groceries, gas, sporting goods, or clothes, make sure you sign up for any free shopper rewards programs. These programs usually tally rewards points based on your spending and then offer you discounts on future purchases.
This tactic might not hit your bank account immediately but can pay off in the long run. Use some of the downtime you have over winter break to research and apply for additional scholarships. Even a few hundred extra dollars can have a positive long-term impact on your wallet (and your student loan balances).
Winter break presents plenty of time to visit with friends and family, and you totally should! Try to avoid dining out frequently, though. Suggest something fun you could do together at a friend’s house like a cookie bake-off. Make dinner together instead of heading to a restaurant. Skip the expensive coffee and set up a coffee bar at home. These little changes can add up to big savings.
Work over winter break? Sure! One way to make sure you don’t go broke between semesters is to earn some cold hard cash. Check to see if your college or university offers winter internships – many will offer a stipend or hourly wage. Heading home for the break? Businesses usually hire seasonal help over the holidays, especially in the retail world. You could also make some money babysitting, housesitting, or petsitting. And, for some really passive income, you could sell your lightly worn clothing, shoes, and accessories on sites like Poshmark and Thread Up, or take them into a consignment store to be sold.
Whether you’re looking for tips on how to avoid a bank account meltdown or you’re more generally interested in how to build financial wellness, PSECU has you covered. Visit psecu.com/learn to see everything we offer from our blog and videos to tutorials and podcast episodes. Check them out and get – and keep - yourself in tip-top financial shape over winter break and all year round.