College students are constantly trying to figure out ways to save money and make things cheaper. It's mostly because they spend all of what they do have on getting drunk during a night out, then waking themselves up from their hangover with caffeine the next day. They're also at a very difficult point in their lives, where simple tasks like "adulting" (going grocery shopping, paying the wifi bill, washing dishes, doing laundry) can seem like a lot on top of all the essays, midterms, internships and work-study jobs.
College students often tend to push off the bare necessities at the expense of school work or having a social life. I find myself attending career expos because they pass out free food afterwards. In my house, toilet paper has become a drug. We are all too cheap to buy the next pack of toilet paper, so I find myself getting creative in all sorts of ways. Whether it's smuggling a roll from the on-campus bar's bathroom, washing in the bathtub after we pee or using ripped pieces of cardboard from the leftover Tampax box near the sink, my roommates and I will do anything to not buy toilet paper. When it's rumored that one of us is stashing a secret roll, my other roommates and I will bribe that girl in whatever way we can imagine. I've traded chocolates, groceries, my dignity and even edited my roommate's essay just to get a "piece of that paper."
Even during times when college students try to adult successfully and commit to spending money on basic necessities, things still go wrong. A couple weeks ago on my way home from work, I decided I’d stop at Ralph’s and get groceries. Everything was going great, and I loaded up all the food in the trunk of my 1995 Saturn, except for a massive watermelon, which I planned to put in front. I slammed my trunk closed, leaving just my watermelon and me outside of my car. I was feeling proud until I realized I’d just absentmindedly locked my keys in the trunk with the food, and the thing about a 1995 Saturn is that you can’t open the trunk without the key. I had left my phone in the car to charge, so my only companion was my watermelon. That wasn't just any watermelon, that was a $6 watermelon, and trust me, I wasn't in the best part of town. I was not about to risk getting my $6 watermelon (and meal for the next couple days) stolen. With no other choice, I had to make the trek home to get my spare key, which involved walking several miles down Manchester and Lincoln carrying this massive watermelon. I especially appreciated the guy who yelled “nice melon!” out of his car window at me. At least I really did have a nice melon, and he wasn't sexually harassing me.
While at times these minimal struggles seem harrowing, they make for some very entertaining stories after the fact. More than anything, they help college students grow. I've learned to be resourceful and think on my feet. I've learned to appreciate simple things like a plush roll of Charmin toilet paper or a shitty car that gets me places. Appreciating the simple things has made me a much happier person. When you do make enough money or save a paycheck up to add guacamole at Chipotle, you feel pride in knowing that it was you and not your parents that just paid for that meal. You feel like an independent, accomplished person who might actually become a boring, successful adult who doesn't understand their children's social media outlets or the latest hashtags. Or, I mean, you could always just listen to Walter White!
