|
1. How can college students become more
independent?
Hey, Mom, Can you check
my homework? Called the
“baby on board” generation,
are today’s college students
afraid to let go – or is it
their parents? On campus,
you’ll see students chatting
on their cell phones,
texting, tweeting, or
emailing with mom or dad.
A University of Florida
study found more than 65% of
the 8,000 students said they
talked to their parents on a
regular basis about their
social lives. They average
1½ times a day with parents.
Psychology professor
Barbara Hofer learned 20% of
students have e-mailed
papers home for their
parents to review. Students
were in touch with parents –
using e-mail and cell phones
– 13 times a week.
Students are reluctant –
if not incapable – of
picking their classes
without first checking in
with Mom or Dad. Nor is it
uncommon for a student to
send a quick text home to
ask a parent to Google the
location of a campus
building.
|
2. How can college students save money on food?
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the average American
family of four spends $8,513 per year on groceries -- that's $709 per
month! We also blow our budgets on restaurant meals that average $4,108!
McDonalds costs $6, but a sack lunch usually runs about $2.
Making bigger shopping trips less often will cut down on your impulse
buys. In fact, almost half of all shoppers go to the store three or four
times per week. Shoppers making a "quick trip" to the store usually
purchase 54% more than they planned, according to a study published by
the Marketing Science Institute.
If you go to the store three times a week and spend $10 on impulse buys
each trip, that adds up to $120 extra per month. But if you go only once
a week, you'll spend $40 per month on impulse buys. That saves you $80
per month, or $960 per year.
Spending just $2 a day on a home-made lunch versus $6 a day on the
sandwich shop next to the office will save you about $80 a month and
$960 each year. In fact, there are many ways to save on the food budget. |
3. How can college students save money on
entertainment?
Many theaters, museums, galleries, zoos and parks offer special discount
days, such as standing room only or pay-what-you-can nights. Some even
offer free admission on certain days of the month.
As any parent knows, a good chunk of any entertainment budget can be
eaten up just paying the babysitter. Join forces with a relative,
neighbor or friend and trade off watching each other's kids,
instead. For example, you watch their kids one Saturday evening and they
watch yours the following weekend.
If you spent $10 to $20 a week on a babysitter, you could save $560 to
$1,120 per year with your co-op.
Forget the $40-a-month gym membership that'll cost
you almost $500 a year. Instead, check out community centers in your
area. Some may be free or charge a minimal fee, such as $100 a year.
Or buy a good pair of running shoes, or dust off that bike and work out
the old-fashioned way. |