• Live off campus and share a room

This will probably save international students the most money. Although living in the dorms is a great experience (even if only for a semester), it can be very expensive at most colleges. Renting an apartment off campus is usually a much better option if saving money is one of your top priorities. There are many properties around most colleges that only rent to college students. These places are much cheaper than renting a dorm room. You can further save money by sharing a room with a friend.

• Learn to cook

A meal at your campus cafeteria will cost anywhere around $5 to $7. A meal at a restaurant costs upwards of $10. You can make significant savings if you cook your own meals. Students have busy schedules, so you might want to cook a lot of food and store in your refrigerator. How much you spend on groceries really depends on what you eat, but you will probably spend much less than if you bought a meal plan at the college cafeteria.

• Buy used textbooks online

Never buy textbooks from your college bookstore. These places usually charge through the roof. You can usually get used textbooks online at half the price. Another option would be to buy older editions of the book that you need. I have bought older edition textbooks for $2 to $3 when the required edition was upwards to $70. I have found that going back one edition does not cause much trouble in the classroom; the only thing different are the page numbers. Don’t hold me to this though, because your experience might be quite different.

There are many other ways that you can save money. But the above three methods will usually make you the most savings. Feel free to add your ideas to the comments.

Picture By: katken

1. Live off campus – On campus living is a great experience for international students. Living on campus allows an international student to quickly adjust to their new surroundings, make new friends, quick access to university facilities and to take full advantage of all that a US college has to offer. However, this comes with a steep price tag. For example, a double share room at a state university in Minnesota for three months is $1600 which is a lot more than renting a room at an apartment off campus. Also, when you live off campus you may have to buy meal plans at the school cafeteria which is more expensive than cooking at home. Therefore, if you are looking to save a lot of money then live in off campus housing. Click here to read my article on accommodation in the US.
2. Eat at home – Eating out in the US can be quite expensive. A sandwich costs $5, coffee $2 and a meal at a decent restaurant for two can easily run up to $25. It is best for international students to eat at home as this will save them a lot of money.
3. Use public transportation – Most cities in the United States have a very good network of buses, trains and subways. Use these. Get discounted monthly passes for students to the city transportation system and save money. Do not buy a car to get around.
4. Avoid buying a car – This brings us to our next point on the list. Do not buy a car if it is not absolutely necessary. You can buy a used car in the United States for as low as $500. This can be very tempting for students to buy a car. However, owning a car can burn a hole in your pocket and make you wish you’d never bought the car in the first place. You need to buy auto insurance if you operate a vehicle in the US. For first time drivers, this usually costs around $1000 for six months. Also, you need to pay for gas, repair costs ($500 cars break down often) and yearly registration fees. Therefore, do not buy a car unless you feel comfortable that you can afford it.
5. Use coupons -Most stores in the US offer coupons to their customers which lets them shop at discounted prices. You find coupons in newspapers, online and in your mail box. Use these coupons to buy essential items and save money.