Advice on Keeping Debt Low

Veterinary Science Graduate Programs from U. of I.
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awaring1

awaring1

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  1. Veterinary Student
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So there have been a lot of conversations about how much vet school costs and how the profession seems to be pretty much caving in on itself. I know I personally have been on the phone with my mother crying because I am terrified about how much debt I may get into. (Dear family members: it is very easy to tell someone they will "figure it out" and the load will be "manageable" when you aren't the one going nearly $300,000 in debt...)

So anyway, these doom/gloom threads are very tough to read through, but I make myself do it. Why? I am looking for the silver lining. I am looking for someone to tell me it will all be okay. I am looking for someone with a solution.

Well, there isn't one.

All of us are going to be up to our eyeballs in debt and there is very little we can do to change that. However, there is one thing that we all have complete control over that will drastically impact our future and that is our living expenses. I have heard everything from people living on a cereal and pasta diet to people taking vacations on their loan money. I am very interested in some feedback from people about what they do to keep their cost of living low.

Maybe such things as:
"The extra $50/month to live closer to campus was so worth it..."
"I spent $xxxx on xxxx and never used it, waste of money..."
"I saved money on groceries by xxxxxxxx..."
"I live 10 miles from campus but save $100+/month on rent..."
"I swear by XXXXXXX, it saves me so much money..."
"I splurged on XXXXX and it was the best thing I did!"

(Please don't debate living alone vs. with people, there is a very long thread on that already.)
 
Transportation- Take the bus, walk, or ride a bike to school. You will save tons on gas money and parking fees!
Try to buy things in bulk and utilize your freezer! Try not to eat out at restaurants every weekend like I do.
May add more as I think of others.
 
I have no cable TV and no landline. A lot of people don't have a landline now anyway because of how common cell phones are. For some cable providers Internet and TV service can be separated, but you usually won't be told this unless you ask. My cable bill went from $100/month to about $50/month when I requested they drop the TV portion from my plan. I do still watch some shows (and movies), but on my computer instead of a television. Bonus: You can sell the TV/DVD player/etc. for extra cash. 😉

Caveat: Some services like home alarms are tied into a landline, so you may want to keep it just for that. However, it is now (usually) possible to have DSL Internet without a landline (but you generally have to find out how from your provider -- they don't typically advertise that!).

Currently I have no auto loan either, because when I got my most recent one, I bought as new as possible (to cut down on unexpected repair costs) that I could afford with the cash I had on hand. That's not a possibility for everyone, of course, but not having that payment/interest hanging over my head every month has been a huge relief! I also try to pay my auto insurance in full every renewal period to get the $100+ discount -- also not an option for all of us but something to consider if you can. I'd love to take the bus/ride a bike to school if I could, but my school is 35 miles from where I live, so... not feasible, sadly.

If you're furnishing a house/apartment, buy furniture on Craigslist or at garage/estate sales. I honestly can't ever recommend anyone ever buy furniture new -- the markups are ridiculous and the stuff depreciates dramatically as soon as you buy it. That $3000 sofa set is worth only a few hundred (if that!) at like-new resale. Even lower-priced stuff from Ikea or Walmart can be found for a fraction of the cost, and often in really good condition, if you buy it "pre-owned".

My last apartment I found through an apartment locater service, which was free for me and came with a free move (other than the tip for the movers, which they deserved after my 10+ boxes of books). 👍 http://www.feinberg.northwestern.edu/AWOME/current-students/student-housing/apstips.html

My last piece of advice:
Learn to love dried beans and rice. :laugh: They're cheaper and better for you than ramen noodles!
 
I live the next county over and pay $130 for lot rent vs. $375
 
I'm going to make good use of my crock pot. Stews and such are really cheap and easy to make in bulk, and then freeze. I'm probably going to invest in a chest freezer wherever we move. I'm sure it'll save money in the long run.

Also, if you can manage the storage, I HIGHLY recommend a Costco membership. The prices on necessities such as toilet paper, frozen veggies, dried goods, are AMAZING and totally worth the $50 membership. Or, split a membership with roommates! Someone has to have a car though, of course.
 
I think the biggest thing we've done to lower our expenses were not eating out more than once a week, and having a max grocery budget for each week and sticking too it, even if it means not buying quite as much food or leaving out some of the luxury foods(read: tomato and peppers for salad, spices, stuff like that).

It can also help if you are willing to work a part time job during school, but that will vary from person to person. I work 10-16 hours a week comfortably, but volunteering or doing a wet lab for 2 hours on the weekend kills some of my classmates. I would definitely recommend starting out thinking that you can work, and lower the amount of hours you work until you find a comfortable medium. The extra income has definitely helped alleviate the "oh, I want that shiny thing" moments, and I can feel like I'm spending my own hard earned money on it instead of squandering my student loan money on things I might not necessarily need.
 
Here are some things that I did during vet school to help with costs.

- Rode my bike to school so I didn't have to pay for a parking pass
- Set a weekly grocery budget and stuck to it (I ate a lot of baked potatoes, pita bread pizzas, and on-sale frozen dinners)
- Set a weekly "entertainment" budget of $20/wk, usually spent at vet school happy hours!
- Brought lunch to school every day
- All clothing and furniture was purchased from Goodwill and thrift stores
- No cable or landline
- Bought all books used on half.com (usually older editions - the info doesn't change much, but the older editions are MUCH cheaper than recent editions)
- Worked a PT job teaching GRE prep classes for The Princeton Review. Flexible schedule and paid well ($15-20/hr)
 
I've recently been more careful with my money to gear up for being even more careful in school.

I buy in large quantities at the store and freeze, cooking my meals at home. Leftovers become lunch/dinner. This is the major one since SO and I used to go out a lot. Now we go out on Friday night and then eat at home the other nights.

I bring my lunch and my drink (soda or vitamin water) every day. You'd be suprised how quickly even vending machine drinks will add up! I also have a lunch box and reuse my baggies so that I don't have to buy paper bags or baggies nearly as much.

When I go to the store, I only buy things that are on sale (2/$5, etc) unless its a necessity. I also will buy the cheap, non-brand stuff where possible. You don't REALLY need to pay more for the fancy brand when its literally the same.

Fortunately I'm not a big personal spender. I haven't bought new clothes in forever, I don't buy cool new toys every month. We don't go on expensive dates (even the movies are expensive now. Hello Netflix!) which is an important consideration for those of you with a SO. The little things do add up 🙂
 
Psorophoraferox said:
Learn to love dried beans and rice. :laugh: They're cheaper and better for you than ramen noodles!
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Add eggs and homemade bread to that list!

Carpool, bike or walk if possible. Get a reliable car and drive until it falls apart. My 98' Honda has 135k miles on it and is still going strong. :xf: $100+ maintenance fees with a good mechanic every year is cheaper than leasing or buying a new car.

I save grocery bills by joining a local CSA. Both farmers and your health benefit.

Avoid frequent eat out and Starbucks.

No smartphone with internet connection. Free wi-fi is everywhere nowadays, esp on campus. After 2-yr, you could fork out as much as 2k for your phone services. Absurd in my book. I have a blackberry for $50 and love the PDA functions. I specifically asked the vendor to turn off the internet option (not many ppl know it). Recently, I bought an Ipod touch and it works very well.

No cable or satellite. Love Netflix and Amazon (free shipping and no local taxes).

Skype.

Minimize credit card debts. If you have high interest rate card, negotiate with the issuer to lower the rate or transfer the balance to a lower rate card.

It's important to know your wants from your needs, but don't deprive yourself. Occasional splurge is healthy and rewarding.

Use library to study or borrow books/DVDs.

Set up a budget plan. Follow your expenses for a few months so you know where your money is going. Find alternatives to eliminate or reduce unnecessary spending.

Read about money management and investment. This might seem strange with the debts we are accumulating, but it's good to put away $25-$50 a month and invest wisely. The power of compounding is your best friend in the long run.
 
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If you have a car that you don't plan to keep past 4 years and it's fully functioning, you can probably skip many oil changes until you trade it in. I think I changed the oil in my old van about 4 times from '96 to '00. It won't last much after that, but it'll get you through.

Learn to ride a motorcycle and use that for transportation in nice weather. Invest in some good thermal protection for the cold days. Unless you are living in town - i.e. speed limit is not above 35, you could get away with one of those flimsy scooters. Please don't take them on major roads where you can't maintain the speed limit. I've almost killed a few of the *****s on those because they were doing 30 in a 60.

Become your dad. Turn off lights when leaving the room, and if the sun is out, use it. Open the windows in nice weather to let the breeze in. If you have double hung windows, you can crack the top and bottom and let the air circulate naturally. Unplug electronic equipment when you aren't using it - including DVD players, TV, microwaves, computers, etc.

Review your cell plan - do you need unlimited texting for more than you get the 200 free texts?

Keep an eye out for the cheap gas stations and plan your routine so you can fill up at them vs more expensive stations.
 
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  • - In terms of clothes, appliances, anything you're expecting to keep or re-use: Buy quality once, instead of buying crap 5 times. Spending the extra 10 bucks for something that will outlast the cheaper item is a better deal every time.
  • - Learn to cook. Never pay 10 dollars for a meal you could learn to make for 3.
  • - Make a realistic budget, including allowances for the stupid things, and the wasteful spending you'll inevitably do. Stick to it.
  • - If you're in any position to do so, don't rent. My rent used to be $800 a month, and I was essentially throwing money into the toilet. My mortgage is currently $530, and regardless of the housing market, I'll get some return on the investment.
 
Mmmm I already like this thread. I've always tried to live relatively frugally (mostly so I can support my shopping addiction, which will have to end soon)... I'm not in school yet, but I've still managed to live off very little for the past few years.

I've never paid for cable. I just have my very old crappy apex TV with rabbit ears+converter box (yes, I took advantage of the government coupon). I do have netflix and stream movies on my TV with my wii. Even though wii's are expensive (it's the only game console I have), they are nice because you don't have to pay for a "live" subscription to access the internet like the xbox. I never pay to go to movie theaters, I wait until it comes out on dvd and use netflix or redbox. Any one take advantage of gofobo? Check it out... free passes to movie screenings!

I always check out websites like groupon and crowdsavings. Spending money on optional things may not be a good way to save, but we've got to do something to stay sane over the next 4 years! Plus they offer half off dinners and stuff, so if you're going to eat out, you may as well pay half price!

I buy food in bulk and utilize my crockpot and rice cooker.

I don't really like to eat out because it is so expensive. I do enjoy the occasional night out in bars, but I do my best to find places that offer a happy hour. And ladies, (I know most of us on this forum are) there are always ladies' nights advertised at bars and restaurants. And instead of a cab ride home, I walk... if it's safe.
Or save money and don't drink. 🙂

I try to buy most of my body care products (soap, shampoo, toothpaste, etc.) in bulk, online from amazon. I try to use more natural products that get ridiculously marked up at places like whole foods, so this saves me money.

I cut my boyfriend's hair and I cut my own bangs when I need to.

I try to buy produce at farmer's markets in the summer.

If you like music and spend more than 15 dollars/month downloading or buying cd's (not sure how many people still do, but figured I'd mention it) get a subscription from rhapsody.com. Unlimited listening time to pretty much any artist for like 10 bucks a month.

I have a scooter. 90 miles/gallon, cheap insurance, 5$ every three years for registration. I also use my bike and the bus.

I've rambled for a while, and most if it is probably obvious, but hope it helps someone!
 
Sometimes you can save time, and sometimes money, but not usually both. Sometimes one thing is more important, sometimes the other. For example - commuting may save $$ but not time. This makes it a good decision sometimes, but not others.

Not in vet school now, but here's some stuff I will be trying.

1. Never buy anything new, or rather, never pay full price for anything.
2. Unsubscrube from all e-mail listing from retailers and toss retail catelogs without even looking at them.
3. bring food to school every day. Store nonperishables in my vehicle so I'm never tempted to buy food.
4. commute to school if the deal is good enough. My situation will be rent free, and I'll only be contributing ~$120-150/month in living expenses. Even with gas in a commuter car and the parking permit, I come out ahead.
5. Buy online, even if it's the same price and don't pay sales tax (although for the sake of disclosure, you *should* be reporting these items on your income taxes)
6. Anything you buy, make sure it's exactly what you want the first time. Even if it isn't the cheapest (but rule #1 still applies - never pay full price for anything).
7. Set aside a certain time to spend $$. Ie - grocery shopping and anything else requireing money is done on a friday. you don't buy anythign else on any other day except wednesdays.
8. Stop habits that cost you money. This could include smoking. This could include that coffee meet up with your friends. How about taking a walk or visiting a park with them instead? Set up regular activities that are fun, that don't cost anything.
9. Don't buy anything because you plan to start anything. You will be less likely to buy something that will only be used once or twice. For example - don't buy a new piece of exercise equipment unless you are already exercising reguarly.
10. No phone
11. No cable
12. Mooching off of an SO's internet he's not charging me for
13. A car that I'm pretty sure my younger brother wouldn't be caught dead in (and cheap to insure)
14. No working for free if I can possibly avoid it - even if the job is crappier.

But like I said, it's hard to save $$ and time. My SO and I have decided to get an irobot roomba for vacuuming. Yes, that means spending $$. BUT, we are trying to follow the other rules here, including not paying full price, borrowing my mom's to try out and make sure we like it, etc. In this case, it's better to spend a little money and save a lot of time - with 3 dogs and a cat in the house, plus the manure/dirt/hay I track in from the barn, PLUS my SO is severely allergic to dust and cats.....it all adds up to more vaccuming than either of us has time for - and so far our health and our sanity, we will be spending the $$. Make sense?
 
1. Especially if your school has a dress code... don't wear clothes that need to be dry cleaned! I have a lovely pair of gray slacks that I like to wear shadowing, but it gets expensive cleaning them. Machine washable is much cheaper.

2. Also, wait at least a week before "fun" purchases. If you really want that purple top next weekend, go get it! But you may just decide that the pink & red ones you already own will be sufficient.

3. Choose free/cheap hobbies. I used to be an avid horseback rider, but turned into a mediocre runner/triathlete. More adrenaline, much cheaper, and humbling (for me).

4. No need for the newest/best technology. My tablet is 3 yo, and I am planning on keeping it for at least 2-3 more years (warranty still good for another 1.5 years). Still get the free flip phone from Verizon.

5. No cable/landline. TV is free on the internet & cell phones work well!

6. Buy nice clothes that will last post-graduation. Plus, great motivation to work out if gaining weight = spending $$$ for new clothes.

7. Menu plan! I end up throwing out way too much food now b/c I don't plan ahead and end up with fresh food going bad. Wasteful, I know! I am also planning on doing the crockpot/freezer meals in vet school to save time/$.

8. Minimal amount of pets. 1 medium dog or 2 piggies or 2 cats is cheaper than a horse or several huge dogs. This one is almost blasphemous on this forum...
 
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Has anyone had experience with buying there own property in vet school then renting out the extra rooms? I have never bought property before but would this be a good thing to think about?

Is this worth it? or is the extra work not worth it....
 
CarpeDiem89 said:
Has anyone had experience with buying there own property in vet school then renting out the extra rooms? I have never bought property before but would this be a good thing to think about?

Is this worth it? or is the extra work not worth it....
Click to expand...

ArmyMutt had a great thread on this recently if you search through recent threads.

Conclusion: may be a good idea in certain situations. Very difficult unless you have the $$$ to purchase the house or put down a huge down payment. Compare your mortgage rate to the loan %.
 
CurrySpice said:
3. Choose free/cheap hobbies. I used to be an avid horseback rider, but turned into a mediocre runner/triathlete. More adrenaline, much cheaper, and humbling (for me).

8. Minimal amount of pets. 1 medium dog or 2 piggies or 2 cats is cheaper than a horse or several huge dogs. This one is almost blasphemous on this forum...
Click to expand...

However, you can always combine points 3. and 8. and run with your huge dogs, which keeps costs low while supporting personal safety!

And may I add point 9. which is that owning large dogs decreases the chances of falling victim to a home robbery, which also serves to cut costs in the long run 😀
 
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Dsmoody23 said:
  • - Make a realistic budget, including allowances for the stupid things, and the wasteful spending you'll inevitably do. Stick to it.
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Can't emphasize this one enough when trying to save money and cut down on costs (managed a financial advisory firm for a while). You know how dieticians always tell you to write down what you eat. Well I suggest writing down what you spend. You would be surprised at what you spend in one month.

When digging myself out of debt, and now while trying to save I keep track of every penny on a spread sheet. In the past I have also taken out cash for groceries, entertainment, clothes, etc. every month - and then put away the credit cards and debit cards. It is so easy to spend with a card. But if it is cash, you can only spend what is in your hand. So if you blow your month's grocery allowance in one week, you learn to be creative with what's left in the kitchen and spend more wisely the next month.

Plus, another great tip (and it makes a huge impact) is paying your debt bills twice a month. Once to make the required payment, and then depending on the type of debt, one towards the principle. This is great positive reinforcement too because you see the debt decreasing quicker.

But again, can't say these words enough: budget, budget, budget, and stick to it!!!
 
phaedraeos said:
And may I add point 9. which is that owning large dogs decreases the chances of falling victim to a home robbery, which also serves to cut costs in the long run 😀
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if you're living somewhere worth robbing, you're not living frugally enough😉.
 
Packen said:
I suggest writing down what you spend. You would be surprised at what you spend in one month.
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I don't personally use it, but a lot of my classmates swear by www.mint.com. it's a free tool to help you budget and keep track of spending, and it shows you (graphically) what you're spending your money on as a percentage of total expenditure. there are mobile apps as well, to help you keep on top of it.

my other contribution is www.freecycle.org, which sort of goes along the principle that one man's trash is another man's treasure... sometimes. it's basically just a local network of people giving stuff away for free. a lot of it IS truly trash (IMO), but once in awhile you'll get the people who are, for example, moving TOMORROW and need to get rid of their perfectly good couch and coffee table before then.
 
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Packen said:
Can't emphasize this one enough when trying to save money and cut down on costs (managed a financial advisory firm for a while). You know how dieticians always tell you to write down what you eat. Well I suggest writing down what you spend. You would be surprised at what you spend in one month.


But again, can't say these words enough: budget, budget, budget, and stick to it!!!
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Oh hey Packen... if I end up with yah at school (highly likely) I may or may not need you to seriously help me budget my life. This will be my first time being on my own completely, and also my first time in the UK. Recipe for disaster.

I have nothing helpful to say, for this I apologize...but hey if others did it before us, we can too! (That was me giving myself a pep talk).
 
CurrySpice said:
8. Minimal amount of pets. 1 medium dog or 2 piggies or 2 cats is cheaper than a horse or several huge dogs. This one is almost blasphemous on this forum...
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Go with a mutt/mixed breed over a pure bred (rescued or not). Mutts have much fewer health issues on average.

Better yet, a tabby cat... They are much less maintenance expense than dogs.
 
Small things like most mentioned above can really add up, for sure.

But do a quick napkin calculation of tuition plus estimated rent + food..
If you're already up around 200k, and you are already in debt from undergrad and expect little assistance from parents or a spouse, then I advise you to tread very carefully and consider all your options..
Considering all your options includes considering declining your chance to go to vet school.
In an ideal world, everyone who wants to be a vet should take out loans and follow their dream and they'll eventually pay things off..
But there's a point where optimism becomes naivety..

I will say this very frankly: I am not in a position to take on ~250k over the next 4 years and come out of school making a vet's salary. I am pretty damn sure of this. So if it was going to cost me 250k to get my DVM, I would not be doing this. Yes I want to be a vet like you all, and can't imagine doing anything else with my life at this point, but debt is a harsh reality.

Not all debt levels are manageable.
Luckily for myself, the regional vet school has 11k per year tuition..
So I'll be looking at roughly 75-90k debt, which is still a lot but it's very manageable. I would never have seriously considered vet school if my only options would lead to 250k of debt.. plain and simple.



All of us are going to be up to our eyeballs in debt and there is very little we can do to change that.
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If nobody else will say it here (and represent the unpopular doom/gloom faction), I'm afraid that I feel obligated to..
There is something you can do to change it, but it's the most unattractive option imaginable for most of us here.. Don't go to vet school..
I hope none of you have to choose that option, but sometimes the unattractive option is the smartest option, and your future self might realize how ****ed you would have been if you didn't think twice.


Don't shoot the messenger 😛
 
cowgirla said:
Way to minimize debt: Shoot the messenger, steal their identity, attend their cheap vet school, and live happily ever after.
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I can't argue with creativity 😀
 
cowgirla said:
Way to minimize debt: Shoot the messenger, steal their identity, attend their cheap vet school, and live happily ever after.
Click to expand...



1. Shoot messenger.
2. Give them your identity (and debt).
3. Create new identity.
4.
5.
6. Profit.
 
Minnerbelle said:
if you're living somewhere worth robbing, you're not living frugally enough😉.
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:laugh:👍:laugh:

Perfect!

Oh, and USAA just started a similar spending analysis as mint.com if you have an account there. I didn't like mint.com b/c you couldn't add cash purchases on there (granted, they may have changed this recently). I tend to make my most frivolous purchases with cash, so they really ought to be included!
 
Rice is your friend, along with potatoes, carrots, cabbage, and beans.

Learn to sew, or pretend it's 1995 and grunge is in again.
 
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Armymutt25A said:
Learn to ride a motorcycle and use that for transportation in nice weather. Invest in some good thermal protection for the cold days. Unless you are living in town - i.e. speed limit is not above 35, you could get away with one of those flimsy scooters. Please don't take them on major roads where you can't maintain the speed limit. I've almost killed a few of the *****s on those because they were doing 30 in a 60.
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Plenty of scooters out there hold equal right to those major road ways. I've had plenty of idiot drives try and pass me on single lane 40-55mph roads for no reason other than me being on a scooter. Just because its a scooter doesn't mean its slow. Although half the modern scooters out there are utter junk..

On topic though, I don't think a motorcycle is real cost effective if you are still going to need to be paying for a car during the rainy days and winter months. You need to have a pretty long drive for the gas savings to cover all the other vehicle expenses.
 
I second the bicycle suggestions! Especially those of you who are going to Ohio State - there is a bike trail that runs all the way along 315 from Worthington to the Scioto River, and it goes within 100 yards of the vet school. I saved SO much money parking at the trail head in Worthington and biking the 7-8 miles each way to school - especially when you're on clinics in the summer and the weather is gorgeous.

Along the same vein, if I drove to campus, I made sure to plan out my day/what I brought with me in the morning so that I only made one trip there every day (I lived around the Linworth area). Multiple trips to/from campus, especially in rush hour, will kill your gas budget.

And this might seem obvious, but... pack lunch! Once the free lunches start to dry up (you will get tired of pizza!), resist the temptation to run to McD's for lunch. It uses more gas and is more expensive than bringing a sandwich and a cup of yogurt.

I also liked to cook a bunch of servings of something at a time (especially casseroles) and split them up into portions, then freeze them to eat later. It lets you save time by cooking everything at once and decreases the "I have to eat a whole pan of lasagna by myself in a week" monotony. You can just grab a Tupperware container from the freezer and take it for lunch, too.

And, for something that isn't gas or food related (although those felt like my two main expenditure categories in vet school), resist the temptation to buy EVERY SINGLE TEXTBOOK. In most cases, your class notes will be sufficient, and if a professor absolutely requires you to buy a book, see if you can split the cost with a classmate or two. Same goes for surgical packs, etc. I spent so much money on books my freshman year... and I really don't need three different texts on canine anatomy.
 
nyanko said:
prostitution

edit: avoid being the buyer.
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make sure it's high end prostitution if you're gonna go down that route. $50/trick and a punch in the face is totally not worth it.

I actually knew a girl who prostituted herself in the dorms with Johns from affluent areas nearby and then decided to drop out 'cause she thought there were greater opportunities out there for her to write about these experiences than a college degree.
 
david594 said:
Plenty of scooters out there hold equal right to those major road ways. I've had plenty of idiot drives try and pass me on single lane 40-55mph roads for no reason other than me being on a scooter. Just because its a scooter doesn't mean its slow. Although half the modern scooters out there are utter junk..

On topic though, I don't think a motorcycle is real cost effective if you are still going to need to be paying for a car during the rainy days and winter months. You need to have a pretty long drive for the gas savings to cover all the other vehicle expenses.
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Like I said, the flimsy ones - those without a license plate should not be on major roads.

I get about 3 times the mileage out of a bike than my truck, and with the proper gear, you can ride in rainy weather. As long as you have enough friction with the road, you're good.
 
cowgirla said:
Way to minimize debt: Shoot the messenger, steal their identity, attend their cheap vet school, and live happily ever after.
Click to expand...

😱 *slinks away before someone steals her identity*

Tip: If you have to drive, try to carpool and don't speed.

Oatmeal (and I get that it's an acquired taste) is a much cheaper breakfast than any cereal, and it's better for you.

Find second hand shops for clothes.
 
On the topic of things I have spent money on (as a grad student) and been SOOO glad I did : INDOOR PARKING. If you have a car in Wisconsin this will pay for itself with saving you TIME (shoveling out you car from 4 feet of snow to move it ten feet across the road because of alternate side parking rules in the winter) and MONEY (that ticket you get when you inevitably forget about the alternate side parking, or wake up too late to move it).

There was no better feeling than sitting inside last winter watching everyone trying to remove the glaciers from their car in -20 weather. (Even though eventually I took pity and went to help, I had the CHOICE, dammit!)

Also, gardening and learning how to can or pickle stuff. SO and I canned about a bushel and a half of tomatoes last summer and we use about a quart a week and still have plenty left.
 
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Well, this thread blew up while I was sleeping (seriously- I feel like an old person being in bed by 10....)

Psorophoraferox said:
Caveat: Some services like home alarms are tied into a landline, so you may want to keep it just for that. However, it is now (usually) possible to have DSL Internet without a landline (but you generally have to find out how from your provider -- they don't typically advertise that!).
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FYI: Most home security systems are now offering the option of going through cell phones without a land line- yes, there's an extra fee but it can be done. For my house, its' not economical for me to pay the extra fee each month and the $100+ installation fee of some piece of equipment than the $12/mo for a phone line....

Armymutt25A said:
If you have a car that you don't plan to keep past 4 years and it's fully functioning, you can probably skip many oil changes until you trade it in. I think I changed the oil in my old van about 4 times from '96 to '00. It won't last much after that, but it'll get you through.
Click to expand...

I'd agree with this if you ran on synthetics... four oil changes in four years..... 😱 I drive my car almost 30k miles a year.... that's hell on an engine.... be sure to check your oil frequently if you're not changing it.... my sister blew an engine that way (Oil change = $20.... replacing a car because the engine locked up = >>>>>$20). Preventive maintenance, people!

CarpeDiem89 said:
Has anyone had experience with buying there own property in vet school then renting out the extra rooms? I have never bought property before but would this be a good thing to think about?

Is this worth it? or is the extra work not worth it....
Click to expand...

Gonna try that this year. Will let you know. I'm going the whole lease route (been screwed by a few ppl living in my house already). Just be aware of state laws about renting and be sure to CYA if you write a lease...

Minnerbelle said:
if you're living somewhere worth robbing, you're not living frugally enough😉.
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I get the sarcasm, but seriously, not true. Suffered a very traumatic break-in in an area near campus that was... well... it was cheap but not the slums. Crime happens anywhere. Period. (sorry for going all 'mother hen' on you about this... I wouldn't wish what I've gone through upon anyone....)

Minnerbelle said:
make sure it's high end prostitution if you're gonna go down that route. $50/trick and a punch in the face is totally not worth it.
Click to expand...

With prositution--- just be sure to have decent health insurance and routine exams 🙂 Don't want to be like the lady turning tricks in Columbus that was HIV+.....

For future OSU students, if you're ever interested in going to Sam's Club, let me know... my SO gets his membership (and one for his SO= me!) for free annually for work.

Also, planning on talking to roomies about going in on a side of beef.... don't know if they'd be interested.

Through undergrad, on Sunday nights, I'd usually cook a pot of some kind of soup/stew or a large roast, portion it out in servings and freeze it. After a few weeks I have a decent selection of meals in the freezer and it's far cheaper than the store-bought frozen meals 🙂

I'm hoping to ride my bike a lot to class. May not save me $$ on a parking pass but will save me $$ on gas. The days I wouldn't ride, gonna talk to roomies about carpooling...

For those of you looking for a dog but can't financially take on the responsibility-- look into fostering. Many organizations pay for all the vet bills for the animal, food, meds, treats, toys, etc. (in Columbus- the organization I foster for does all this-- Columbus Dog Connection) Yes, there is a minimal time committment and your dog may end up getting adopted... but for the companion factor, it may be something to look into.

I'm a coffee-shop studier.... so my coffee drinking behavior has switched from lattes to just regular coffee (did this during undergrad)... saves you $2-3 a cup of coffee....
 
Well as a former grad student, I can offer my 2 cents but after reading most of these posts, I think it's some of the best advice on here (no offense some of these are kinda weird...)

1. Learn how to use the internet to find the best deals on things

I am a member of

slickdeals- the single most addictive thing in my life but I've saved thousands on anything from food, tech stuff, to hotel rooms
fatwallet- another site similar to slickdeals
ebates-gives you cashback from most major online retailers, it all adds up
flyertalk-ahhhh love this site, learn how to browse for cheap airline tickets and hotel rooms, I've scored 5 star hotels for $19/night and RT tickets from CLE to LAS for $220 last year.

I strongly recommend these sites
 
Currently in the process of closing on a house in Madison (any c/o 2016-ers going to Wisconsin welcome to apply to rent the spare room! 😉 ) and found this very helpful:

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/business/buy-rent-calculator.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Just remember A. it is possible for home prices to go down (in our case we are paying almost half of what it sold for 6 years ago, so we've probably hit rock bottom on that one)
B. Closing costs can be in the thousands of dollars, on top of down payments, inspections, moving, etc.
C. Don't forget taxes and insurance, in our case this is almost as much per month as the mortgage
 
pennyonthefloor said:
I'd agree with this if you ran on synthetics... four oil changes in four years..... 😱 I drive my car almost 30k miles a year.... that's hell on an engine.... be sure to check your oil frequently if you're not changing it.... my sister blew an engine that way (Oil change = $20.... replacing a car because the engine locked up = >>>>>$20). Preventive maintenance, people!
Click to expand...

Maybe it was because that old Chevy burned a lot of oil, but I used good old dino oil in it and never had a problem. Ended up replacing it because the radiator failed, causing me to over heat in the dead of winter. That and the right UCA breaking while I was in the middle of a sharp left turn.

I suppsoe I'll add the caveat that if you are vaguely mechanically inclined, changing your own oil will save a bunch. I use Mobil 1 in all of our vehicles, which is about a $70 oil change at the dealer. I spend $30 on a 5 qt bottle and $8 on a premium filter. Takes a few minutes and the old oil can be turned into AutoZone for free. If you're really cheap, and not too health conscious, you could probably use the old oil for heat and cooking. Depends on how into heavy metals you are.🙂
 
Armymutt25A said:
Maybe it was because that old Chevy burned a lot of oil, but I used good old dino oil in it and never had a problem. Ended up replacing it because the radiator failed, causing me to over heat in the dead of winter. That and the right UCA breaking while I was in the middle of a sharp left turn.

I suppsoe I'll add the caveat that if you are vaguely mechanically inclined, changing your own oil will save a bunch. I use Mobil 1 in all of our vehicles, which is about a $70 oil change at the dealer. I spend $30 on a 5 qt bottle and $8 on a premium filter. Takes a few minutes and the old oil can be turned into AutoZone for free. If you're really cheap, and not too health conscious, you could probably use the old oil for heat and cooking. Depends on how into heavy metals you are.🙂
Click to expand...

I guess that's more of what I was striving at... individuals that know nothing about vehicles other than where the gas goes should not attempt your maintenance plan... I had an old Saturn that had 210k miles in it that every time you filled the gas tank, you dumped a quart of oil in it...

I change my own oil and will soon be rotating my own tires (my Dad bought a hydraulic car lift 😍)

Don't know if you've ever seen the Animaniacs "Good Idea/Bad Idea" cartoon, but when you suggested cooking with automotive oil.... that's the first thing I thought of.....
 
pennyonthefloor said:
I guess that's more of what I was striving at... individuals that know nothing about vehicles other than where the gas goes should not attempt your maintenance plan...
Click to expand...

Or you pick up an awesome guy like mine who IS mechanically inclined and let him maintain the vehicle for you while allowing him to feel manly and helpful. Win-win! 😉
 
pennyonthefloor said:
Don't know if you've ever seen the Animaniacs "Good Idea/Bad Idea" cartoon, but when you suggested cooking with automotive oil.... that's the first thing I thought of.....
Click to expand...

YESSS! Animaniacs!!!! My favorite line from that cartoon is when Dot says, "And visit my website - www dot dotdotdot dot com!"

:laugh:
 
pennyonthefloor said:
I guess that's more of what I was striving at... individuals that know nothing about vehicles other than where the gas goes should not attempt your maintenance plan... I had an old Saturn that had 210k miles in it that every time you filled the gas tank, you dumped a quart of oil in it...

I change my own oil and will soon be rotating my own tires (my Dad bought a hydraulic car lift 😍)

Don't know if you've ever seen the Animaniacs "Good Idea/Bad Idea" cartoon, but when you suggested cooking with automotive oil.... that's the first thing I thought of.....
Click to expand...

Hydraulic lift = sexy toy in the garage. Don't really need it to change the oil on the Xterra, but would be handy with my wife's Rogue.

I saw some of Anamaniacs - came out shortly after I graduated from HS. My favorite is the Yako's World song. I didn't quite mean cooking your fries in peanut oil vs cooking your fries in motor oil, but then again, if you aren't a health freak...
 
I also recommend putting in the time and effort to price check places for routine maintenance on cars and such. We found a mechanic in town who charges a flat 20$ rate for oil changes.....period....oil, filter, and basic look while you're in there inspection included. I cannot tell you how much money finding this guy has saved us, because his prices are equally good (and honest) on all of the other work he's done for us.
 
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