Being a student is tough on the brain and on the wallet. Here’s some tips to help you save some money, so you can concentrate on studying!

• Check your campus for recreational activities – see if your campus has gym or fitness facilities, join a varsity team, or cultural club. Some campuses even screen free movies!
• Check everywhere to see if you qualify for a student discount – movie theatres, public transportation, museums and art galleries typically give discounts if you show your student card
• Banks usually have special banking plans for students
• Live with your parents and commute to school
• Take food and snacks with you to avoid buying vending machine fare
• Make your own coffee at home and bring it in a reusable container
• Take public transportation or bike to school
• Check your local dollarstore and/or budget retailer for your school supplies
• Buy secondhand – clothes and binders, and anything else you can find
• Buy used textbooks – check local used textbook stores, Craigslist, and postings around your school (only buy used at your campus bookstore if you can’t get it elsewhere, they still charge more than other places)
• Instead of spending money on long distance calls, try Skype, MSN messenger, or emails
• Apply for every scholarship, bursary, and grant you can – never turn down an opportunity at free money!

The new school year is almost here! Does buying back to school supplies leave you feeling broke? It doesn’t have to. Here are simple ways to save money on all those back to school essentials.

Need a quick cash boost? Why not try to sell unwanted items on craigslist or eBay?

Check the internet for places and events in your area that are free and fun for the whole family. Often museums or art galleries will have free activities for kids to learn about history or art.

Many towns have events and fairs that are free; find out what’s available in your home town.

Other ideas:
- go to the park
- go on a picnic
- go to the beach
- go on a bike ride
- have a “camp out” in the backyard
- take a walking tour around town
- play board games
- read together
- help the kids put on a play
- borrow books or DVDs from the library or friends instead of buying them
- libraries often have fun activities and reading programs for kids
- make a kite and fly it
- feed ducks in the park
- start a garden
- play frisbee, baseball, catch, etc

Did I miss any fun and free activities you like to do with your family? Add your suggestion to the Comments Section or send me a Tweet @moneymomma on Twitter!

For example, pollys13 from Twitter told me that “from 5 to 8 p.m. on the first Friday of each month for FREE admission to the Kirby Science Discovery Center in Sioux Falls, SD”  Thanks Molly!

Now its your turn!

Airfares:

• Airline Tickets – Plan in advance and visit discount websites to see if there are better deals.  While these sites might charge you a service fee ($5 or so), they can easily combine flight segments from different airlines easily to give you a great deal.

• Connecting Flights – You might think connecting sucks but it sure saves you a good chunk of money doing it.  Consider the pros and cons and don’t write it off right away.

• Travel Light – Airlines are starting to charge for everything now and if you have 2 bags or more, expect to be charged for it.  Remember to not use over sized bags whenever possible and try to keep it all within one bag per person.

Car Rentals:

• Be Specific with Car Rentals – One way car rentals (when the pickup and drop off locations are different) are sometimes more than twice the price of standard rentals, especially if the two locations are in different states (or country).  If you need the car for 7 days and will be in the same city for 5 and another city for 2 for example, break the rental period in two and have a 5-day same location rental and another 2-day one day rental.  You might need to go back to the rental facility but it really doesn’t take that long and it might save you a few hundred dollars.

• Car Rental Coverage – Some insurance and many credit cards have car rental coverage so take advantage of those when you rent a car.  All you have to do is pay with the credit card that will cover you. (Just make sure you decline the coverage from the rental company when they ask).

Currency:

• Getting Cash – Many exchange centers have very bad exchange rates so don’t go there.  Search the internet to find out good places to get cash in the local currency.  For example, a quick search tells you that the best exchange rate is found at the airport and using ATMs in Taiwan and France respectively.

• Try Using the Local Version of the Same Website – Due to the rapid change in currency rates, it could be much cheaper to book using the local currency.  How do you do that?  Go to the local version of the same website.

Accommodations:

• Staying in a Town Next Door – Sometimes the smaller towns close to where you are going have hotels that are much less expensive.  If you don’t mind the 15 minute ride, you might just save that bundle.

• Bed and Breakfasts – homeowners with extra space rent out rooms for a lot less than hotels. And, you get a free breakfast!

• Vacation Home – If you are staying at a destination for at least a few days, consider a vacation home instead of hotels.  They are often are more comfortable and your cost will probably be cheaper. Many people rent out their timeshares.

• Suites – Instead of having two rooms, consider the two-bedroom suites that some hotels provide.  They will end up being cheaper and you get just as much privacy with your own room.

• Many hotels allow children to stay free with their parents – be on the lookout for these deals!

Trying to pay off your credit card? See if you can get a credit card with a low introductory interest rate and do a balance transfer.

The lower your interest rate, the more of your payment goes to principal instead of interest and the faster you’ll pay the card down.

Be sure not to put any new purchases on the new card if the low rate is only for balance transfers. Try and pay off that card before the introductory rate expires, it may go up to a high rate once the introductory period is over. Read the brochure that comes with the card carefully before using, read the fine print!

And, do NOT use your old card, cut it up!