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Top 5 ways to save money while attending college at Penn State

For our "Financial Top 5" we chose to unveil the most PSUMoms recommended ways to save money while attending college.

1. Smart grocery shopping

Giant Bonus Card will Save you Money in State College When grocery shopping, store brands are your best friend. Giant Food stores is an excellent and conveniently located grocery store with some of the best rated store brands available. The best GIANT grocery store is located at 2121 Atherton Street, State College PA 16801. In addition to buying discounted store brands at GIANT, take advantage of the member only sales using the GIANT bonus card. If you have the time to spend looking for sales you can get the name brands for deep discounts. Sign up for the Bonus Card here. Finally, clipping coupons is an excellent way to save while shopping and something you could send as a unique gift to your student!

2. Creating a reasonable budget

Creating a budget will help you manage your daily cash expenditures and put into perspective just how much money you actually spend on things you don't need. Cutting out excessive impulse buys is one of the best ways to control your cash flow. If you haven't seen it already, you can view our tutorial on creating a successful budget.

3. Limiting your monthly fees

Save money by turning your heat downDo you subscribe to movie channels or premium sports packages in your apartment? How about your electricity bill, do you leave your lights on all day and the heat running full blast while attending class? If so, cutting back on these can be an excellent way to save some money. Setting the thermostat down just one degree during winter months can result in a significant reduction in your heating bill. All of these little things can add up to a lot of extra money in your pocket.

4. Shopping for clothes and shoes online

Save money by using ebay for clothesMany large clothing stores such as Old Navy and Aeropostale have "online only" discounts and special offers. Take advantage of these online shopping outlets at strategic time and stock up. If shoes or jeans you like are on sale buy two pairs at the sale pric and you won't have to spend the retail price later when you wear one out. eBay believe it or not is actually another excellent source to save money on clothes and shoes. Several eBay stores offer factory pricing on many of your favorite items. You can also find a lot of overstock and clearance items from all over the world.

5. Wal-Mart

Save money in State College with Wal MartThere is a Wal Mart located at 1665 N Atherton St, State College, PA 16803. This is only a few miles off of campus and historically has some of the best prices around for food and household basics. Wal Mart also offers outstanding savings on a huge variety of items. This store really is the best friend of a college student. A lesser known fact is that Wal Mart also has a grocery store and an excellent selection of school supplies. Use their every day low prices to your advantage and rack up the savings.