The one item college students never seem to have enough of is money. For some, they just hope their next paycheck arrives before they have to go fill up their gas tank. Others may want more money to buy more luxuries. Whether that be handbags or videogames, some people feel like they never have enough.

For young adults, the concept of saving is not the cool, hip way to go. The world is filled with advertisements in which companies try to stuff their catchy slogans down people’s throats and argue that this product is worth spending money on. A ‘You Only Live Once’ phenomenon has swept the nation and the thought of saving money just does not fit the notion.

For some people, it’s easy to save. Other people can be a bit more frivolous and will make impulse purchases, even when they don’t have the funds. For others, growing up and watching how their parents spent money can be a big indicator on how they choose to spend their money.

Self-proclaimed savers Lindsey Gaudioso and Chantelle Phillips, seniors at California Lutheran University, have been constantly saving throughout their college years to prepare themselves for the future.

“A good saver needs to be aware of their income in the sense of what they can and cannot afford,” Gaudioso said.

Tools like budget sheets have proven to be a helpful tool for Phillips.

“I make a weekly budget sheet and put all the things that I need in one column and all the things I want in the other column and the cost of each item. Then, I look at my income and decide what I can and can’t afford, keeping in mind that half of my income goes to my savings,” Phillips said.

Of course, when it comes to money, each person has his or her own unique situation. Saving money is about striking a balance that you feel comfortable with. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel, you just need clear goals and objectives and make sure you stick to those.

Everybody deserves to treat themselves every once in awhile. But, is it in your best interest to spend $5 every day purchasing a beverage from Starbucks? If you’re one of those people and decide to shut yourself off from Starbucks for one month, you will save $150 that could be invested in your future. It’s the little things that can add up to make a big difference.

As Gaudioso said, “you don’t always need to go out to dinner.”

Another easy way to save money is to sell back used textbooks to the CLU bookstore through their buyback program.

“Since the program is based on demand, the periods closest to the end of the term tend to deliver the highest value to students for materials,” said store manager Jeremy Levenberg in an email interview.

Some people may not buy their books from the bookstore and don’t realize that they can still sell their books back to them.

“You can sell books from any source as long as you provide your ID and they meet condition and edition requirements,” Levenberg said.

Students can put the money they earned from selling back their textbooks back into their savings. The hardest part about saving is getting started. When a system is set up and it becomes part of a routine, like going to Starbucks everyday, saving really isn’t that hard to do.

Joshua Dwyer
Staff Writer
Published April 30, 2014