School is expensive, there’s no avoiding that. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t be smart with the little money you have.
One of a student’s biggest expenses after tuition and rent will be textbooks. Instead of shelling out a few hundred dollars at Carleton’s bookstore, buy some of your books used. They’re often just as good as new textbooks, and are a fraction of the price.
To find them online, check out kijiji.ca, amazon.ca, or CUEX.ca (Carleton’s book trading website). If you’d rather hunt for deals on foot, try Haven Books at Seneca and Sunnyside, which is about a 10-minute walk from campus. You can also sell your books there at the end of the year for a little extra cash.
Students also end up spending a lot of money on entertainment. Most museums in the city like the National Gallery of Canada or the Museum of Nature are free from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. every Thursday.
If you’d rather see a movie, admission to Cineplex Odeon is only $5 on Tuesdays, or, become a member of the Mayfair Theatre (located at Bank and Sunnyside) and see movies for only $6 any day of the week. Rainbow Cinemas in St. Laurent shows movies every day for $5, and $2 on Tuesdays. Movies come out a couple of weeks later but it’s a great deal.
Going to bars and clubs can become expensive—there isn’t really any way around it. Try setting a budget for yourself and stick to it. There’s nothing worse than drunkenly spending way more than you meant to, so only bring the cash you want to spend and leave your credit and debit cards behind.
Food is another big expense for students. If you live on campus, stick as closely to your meal plan as possible, as dining out really adds up. If you have dining dollars with your meal plan, spend them wisely by rationing them—they’ll go faster than you think. For a cheap eat, try out Rooster’s Coffeehouse on the fourth floor of the Unicentre for 20 per cent off breakfast before 10 a.m. and a large coffee for only $1.48.
For more tips and tricks to cutting costs check out the “Young Couponers of Canada” Facebook group. The founder of the group, second-year University of Ottawa French studies student Kathleen Macfarlane, suggests always checking the clearance section of the grocery store and trying to incorporate whatever you find into your meals.
She also recommends buying generic brands which are usually the same quality for a lower price. Macfarlane suggests price matching and using coupons only if they will make the product at least 40 per cent cheaper.
“Know your prices! Just because it is on sale does not mean that it’s a good deal,” Macfarlane says.
Don’t just be smart with your books when you come to university—if you put enough effort into it you can be clever with your cash too, and it will pay off.
