It's bad enough paying college tuition, but all those extra expenses - textbooks, lab fees, food and yes, even snacks - add up very quickly. Now is a good time to review the high cost of textbooks, daily lattes and pizza nights with your college student and suggest some alternatives. Here are some ideas for budget-conscious families.
1. College Textbook Savings
Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images
You may have gotten used to the number of zeros on the college tuition bill, but college textbook bills, which can run $900 or more a year, always take parents by surprise. Instead, try renting books, buying used, sharing with dorm mates or some of the other ideas from this list of textbook budget tips.
2. Trimming the Computer Budget
Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
The laptop may be unavoidable - although most colleges libraries have computers available for student use. But many computer companies, including Apple, offer student discounts. And there's no reason to buy a printer. These days, most professors want essays turned in electronically, typically through plagiarism-detection sites, and the few papers that require hard copies can be printed at the library for a nominal charge. Instead of spending $200 on a printer, spend $10 on a thumb drive.
3. Eliminating the Daily Mocha
Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images
Little things do add up, particularly when they're $4 frothy coffee drinks. Encourage your child to avoid those daily Starbucks runs. Instead, invest in a single cup coffee maker, add a carton of milk to your child's dorm fridge and add a bottle of Starbucks mocha syrup or Ghirardelli powdered mocha ... or have him pour cafeteria coffee in a travel cup, add a slosh of milk and a squirt of mocha syrup for a fast DIY mocha that should save fancy caffeine-addicts $210 per semester.
4. Saving on Dorm Meal Plans
Photo courtesy of Keith Syvinski, Stock.Xchng Photos
There are so many details when your child goes off to college, but choosing an appropriate dorm meal plan is key to saving cash in the long run. Pick too large a meal plan, and you could end up paying hundreds of extra dollars in missed meals and grab-and-go food. Tailor your child's meal plan to what's realistic for him, using this quiz to help you decide.
