1.Check eBay a few weeks after the semester starts for textbooks.

Last year, I was taking an Intro To Theatre course (highly recommended, by the way) and I had to get a textbook for the class. Now, like many other students, I checked Barnes And Noble, and Amazon, and all the RIT-recommended eBook sites, but it would be at least a 60 dollar investment. But I thought about maybe checking eBay, and quickly found multiple 30 dollar listings. Within a week, I had my new textbook, and for cheap!

2. Find your campus foodshare.

A lot of college campuses have a food donation program that lets students donate unused nonperishable foods to cook. The RIT foodshare’s Facebook page provides important updates, and lets has certainly helped me out many times. In addition to this, there is an unofficial page where students post opportunities for free food on campus, such as left-over pizza from meetings and such.

3. Use ShopGoodwill for furniture and some appliances.

Everybody knows that they can go to Goodwill for furniture and for some basic appliances. But not a lot of people know that some Goodwill stores post items on ShopGoodwill. ShopGoodwill is like eBay for Goodwill stores, and you can find anything from laptops, gaming consoles, furniture, clothing, and appliances in working condition for cheap! For example, I have bought a Playstation 2, an older MacBook and some flash drives from ShopGoodwill for a total of less than 100 dollars. I really can’t recommend this site enough.

4. Make some extra cash with various opportunities.

Most college campuses have an on-campus Free And For Sale Facebook page, where you can buy and sell items to and from other students, which is very useful for appliances, textbooks, furniture, and pretty much anything you could need! It’s also a great way to make some extra cash from items you don’t need anymore. Another good way to make some money is through sites like fiverr. On fiverr, you can offer services for five dollars or more. For example, do you know how to draw? On fiverr, you can offer a quick sketch for five dollars, a more detailed one for fifteen, an ink drawing for fifty, a full color commission for seventy-five, and whatever else you could offer. It’s an interesting site, and provides some great opportunities!

So, in the end, there are many ways to save money or make a little extra on the side, and any frugal college student should take advantage of these services.