The Beacon’s guide to saving money and shopping smart on a tight budget
By PJ Marcello, Staff Writer marcello13@up.edu
College tuition: $17,560. Textbooks: $700. Housing: $2,700. It's no secret that college students lack the financial ability to buy and do a lot of the things they want to. Whether it's shopping for a new outfit or seeing the premier of the new Twilight movie, students have to carefully choose how they spend their money. To ensure that you can dress to impress and get your Pattinson/Lautner fix, here are some useful discounts, stores and tips to help stretch your dollar.
-Lydia Laythe
Fun date on a tight budget?
Check out Back to Eden Bakery (2217 NE Alberta St.) for some delicious treats that do not drain your paycheck. The pastries and ice cream are their bread and butter, so to speak, but they also have small lunch deals like soups, salads and wraps. Some may say lunch dates do not count; first of all I call shenanigans. Secondly, it is also a great place to stop in the evening to catch desserts with your date so you do not have to do the lunch date.
Quick and classic
When you have a hankering for a custom quality sandwich, a gourmet hot dog or a personalized salad, Eastside Deli (4823 N. Lombard) is the place to go. Forget all those greasy fast food joints and big name sandwich shops (looking at you Subway), Eastside is where it's at. For a six inch sub they give at least as much meat as most places would give on a foot long. It also has a large variety of meats, cheeses, veggies and condiments to make your sandwich yours. Hotdogs can be hard to come by when eating out. For only $3.50 you can get a personalized dog with more toppings than you thought possible. The same goes for specialty salads. They are $5.50 and served in healthy (pun intended) portions. Eastside Deli is a must visit for quality food for a fair price.
How to save on gas:
This one requires some help from Fred Meyer and maybe some friends. The first step is getting a Fred Meyer Rewards Card (check to see if your parents have one). When you go to Freddie's for groceries you simply swipe the card or type in the phone number associated with the card to earn points when you make a purchase. Depending on how much you earn, you can receive fuel points that can get you three cents, 10 cents or even 15 cents off per gallon at any Fred Meyer gas station. These discounts make a big difference.
*Personal suggestion: if you do not spend enough at Fred Meyer to earn fuel points on your own, have your friends help you out. Have them type your number in when they make purchases and use it as a community card.
Shopping Locally:
Grocery Outlet, located at 7741 North Lombard St., has quality, affordable groceries bought directly from brand name manufacturers. If there is excess packaging that manufacturers can't use, they still fill it with product, and sell it for a fraction of the price. This means that when Grocery Outlet sells these products, they can sell them for a fraction of the price, but customers still get the same quality product. The inventory is always changing because Grocery Outlet depends on a varying flow of product from different companies.
Shopping Advice: Shop often, stock up on items you like and always be open to buying things for future use, not just immediate needs.
If not Grocery Outlet...
Safeway is taking clipping coupons to the digital level. The store offers an app for smart phones called "Just for U." If you sign in with your club card you can add weekly savings that are sent directly to your phone. Simply choose the coupons you want to use and it instantly applies it to your card. Not only does it offer the weekly coupons that it would in newspapers, it also suggests coupons based on past purchases so you can find deals directed specifically to you. It is a quick and easy way to save from the palm of your hand.
