1.Sell your old gadgets. If you have a deceased smartphone like an iPhone 3G, desktop computer or laptop, sell your electronic gadgets online for some cash. Online companies will take your electronics whether they work or not, mail you a check or funds via your PayPal account and then recycle your electronics.
2.Hold off on the iPhone 3G, Blackberry or smartphone. It may not be worth getting a nifty iPhone 3G. I have known friends and colleagues who broke their delicate iPhone in a careless moment. With a disheartening crack, the iPhone meets the floor or cement and the advanced iPhone 3G is a worthless bit of plastic. If you're replacing your phone or just drooling over an iPhone 3G or Blackberry, consider purchasing a basic phone until you've graduated. Getting the cheapest (sometimes free) phone instead of an iPhone or Blackberry with a two-year contract can save a student up to $199 in upfront costs. Think about getting a phone with only a local coverage area or a pre-paid phone that you use only for emergencies or finding your classmates to get that group project done.
3.Pare down your text message usage. From personal experience, I know it's easy to get carried away when text messaging. Almost 80 percent of college students use text messages with the average student sending and receiving 115 messages each month, according to Campus Media Group. If you're obligated to a cell phone service contract, then save a chunk of money by limiting your text messages or eliminating your text message package altogether. Assuming that you pay $10 per month for sending and receiving 75 messages, removing that expense from your budget could save you $120.00. The alternative to text messaging leads us to our next point.
4.Stay in touch with your friends by using social networks more often. So you're limiting your text messages, what now? Get on MySpace, Twitter, Facebook or the social media network of your choice whenever you pass by the school library or computer lab. Students can still keep in touch in real time through these sites without having to pay 20 cents per text message.
5.Break up with Cable TV. In the last 13 years, cable rates have increased 122 percent to a current average of $49.65 per month, according to a January 2009 report by the Federal Communications Commission. Cancel your cable services and legally watch cable TV shows, like South Park, on the Internet for free on sites like . Stop paying those monthly cable fees by viewing your must-watch shows on your computer and save an average of $560 per year.
Assuming you're already living off of Ramen noodles and celery sticks, look for other ways to make or save money with the electronics you have. Your iPhone, Blackberry, laptop and game consoles can help you with your finances. Sell the stuff you don?t need and choose free over paid services to save some cash for college expenses.
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