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about a year ago

Don’t Go Broke Over Break

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It’s hard enough to save money while at school, but have you ever noticed how you seem to fly through money when you leave for break? It’s not an unusual phenomenon, especially when all of your buddies from home want to get together every single night.  Don’t even get me started on the holidays; how could you possibly save money with all of those presents you have to buy? And your Aunt Cindy never seems to just give you cash on the big day…instead you’re stuck with a pair of pajamas with little penguins on them. With my help, you can see your friends, pretend to be happy with your less-than-mediocre presents, and manage to save a few bucks for your bar tab on syllabus week.

  • First off, don’t let your friends bully you into some extravagant welcome back dinner or outing. “Let’s do Hibachi!” Actually… let’s not. Just go to McDonald’s. It’s cheaper and much more fun to watch TV than some guy throwing onions in his hat. This “dinner” will only set you back about $4.
  • Try to ask everyone for money for Christmas, or whatever holiday you might celebrate. Nothing is better than having nothing to unwrap on Christmas morning other than cold, hard cash.
  • Don’t drive. If your friends want to go out somewhere, especially somewhere far from home, say you can’t drive. It’s so unfortunate that your car happened to break down just as you arrived home.
  • Only go to bars that don’t have cover. No explanation necessary.
  • If someone asks you on a date, accept no matter what. That’s a free meal, maybe even a movie!
  • Offer up your house as the hangout spot. You won’t have to pay a dime to eat, watch movies, or drive anywhere.
  • Get everyone’s presents from TJ Maxx, or somewhere that gave you a plethora of coupons.

Hopefully these tips will help you out over break. If not, there’s no shame in begging your parents for money!

6 Responses to “Don’t Go Broke Over Break”

bob says:

As a sidenote, instead of just going to bars that charge cover, present your student ID to them at the door.  Sometimes this allows you in for free/reduced rate.  Unlike every bar in State College paying you to breath.

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quirpy says:

uhmm…as for the “awesome” McDonald’s substitute for Hibatchis, (bc everyone wants fast food when on break..lol) …how bout not. instead try your nearest Whole Foods or wegmans for sushi which will set you back only $6.99. BOOM.

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Lauren says:

So women should go on dates just for free food?  That’s very disrespectful not only to the woman but also to the man.  It’s not right to take advantage of a kind offer when you’re not interested in that person.  

And you should lie to your friends and say your car is broken down?  What kind of friend is that?  Why not just encourage carpooling to events and splitting the gas?

And the purpose of these tips is to save money on your “bar tab during syllabus week?”  I can’t even begin to explain all of the things wrong with that statement.  You know a good way to save money that works for me?  I work really hard and keep earning additional scholarships to save on tuition on books, that helps! 

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Kristin Piazza says:

Thanks for the comments, Lauren!
Just so you can breath a little sigh of relief, this was more meant to be a funny post, not intended as something that should be taken that seriously. The normal ways to save money are quite obvious and have been said many times before, don’t you agree?
I am very happy to hear you’re doing so well in school though! I myself have earned scholarships through working hard, but that still doesn’t cover my extra expenses. Remember, scholarships are meant for school expenses, not the extras that everyone likes to enjoy every so often!

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Yo says:

Why do you have to accept the date for a free meal? Just say no and stay home and eat food your parents bough at the grocery store. And not all McDonalds have a TV btw.

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