Potpourri of Practicality

[Vbkbguy]

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Hello All: I thought this was a clever title for what I am about to discuss, and I can't seem to find it on this board. I was hoping current or future P.T. students could share their practical approach to getting through school. How do you pay your tuition, get the best loans outside of the standard government loans? How do you save money on your phone service, have you cut your cable and opted to use your internet for TV to save a few bucks? How do you eat/prepare meals to save money (even share some of your favorite cost-effective recipes or must-haves on your grocery list would be great)? Do you use any great deal-of-the-day or coupon sources/websites for students to save money on items? I know this is not a traditional post, but if we all share our ideas, we may be able to help each other get through this tough economy while we get through school.

I start my program in January and I am considering cutting my cable TV and using my TV screen as a monitor and watching TV from the internet, I don't think I will have much time for TV anyway. I also have a business account at Sam's Club and I make sure to stock up on non-perishables and frozen food. This not only saves money, but it saves time.

Just a couple of ideas from a few will be helpful for many!

 

[HopetobePT]

This is a great idea for a post. 👍 I am also starting school in January and look forward to everyone's responses/suggestions.

 

[nangus]

Where are ya'll attending?

I got accepted to ETSU which also starts in Jan.

 

[8MoreReps]

I made a similar thread and got some good info for my situation. I would like to get more info on what others are doing though. Do you guys live/plan to live with roommates or at home? How many hours a week do you work? What kind of loans?

 

[dreamlife]

I buy groceries and cook my dinners for the week on Sundays. I typically buy some kind of meat staple (lean beef, chicken, turkey) in bulk, prepare/cook it, then freeze or refrigerate to grab and go during the week. Same with veggies. It saves a ton of time, especially when I've been in class all day and just want to come home and relax.

My living expenses are also extremely low because I chose to live in an on-campus apartment. All my utilities are included in my rent including basic cable. This greatly decreases transportation costs as well, as I don't have to drive anywhere.

 

[HopetobePT]

Nangus - congrats on your acceptance!! I will be attending the University of St. Augustine.

 

[karma1031]

I'm starting PT school this month, and here's my way of saving money. Unless you have time to watch 3hr+ of cable tv everyday, skip cable service. You can survive with no cable tv for 2-3 years, I hope. Instead of going out to eat everyday, I'll prepare my meals at home, bring lunch/snack to school, and save some dinner leftovers in case I don't have time to cook the next day. You can always cook foods like vegetables, meat, and rice and save them as leftovers. If you're a coffee drinker, buy a coffee machine instead of going to Starbucks everyday- you'll save lots of money!

To cut down on transportation costs, carpool, take the bus, or bike. I plan to bike to school since I live less than 2 miles from campus and campus parking is expensive. Buy textbooks used on Amazon, or if you know there's a textbook that you won't need after the class ends, rent the textbook. Bookrenter.com is one example. I would also contact your gas/electric company and ask if there's a student rate or low income discount. I contacted my electric company and because I'm a student with no monthly income, I qualify to save 30-50% off my monthly electric bill.

My list of suggestions was long, but the least you can do is get a coffee machine if you're a daily coffee drinker

 

[8MoreReps]

Oh try to buy your books on Half.com if they have them. I bought my anatomy book for 11 bucks with shipping. It is sold on amazon/the bookstore for over 200 bucks. They are used, but who cares.

 

[hefe]

lol @ TV, I don't even have time to watch it unless I were to spent my Friday nights doing such. Quite lame.

That would mean 3-4x a month for a $65 bill, and there's still ads.

I also walk 6-7 minutes everyday for class. I'm quite glad my commute via car is non-existant.

I still need it 1-2x a week for groceries or to get around. Will definitely need it on my clinicals (seemingly lightyears away still). One can be hopeful.