Smart Savings, Memorable Experiences


Maraya Wahl

Staff Writer

One of the most memorable experiences about being a college student is the chance to take trips out of state or abroad.  Yet the hardest part about participating in such things is the financial means that are not always so readily available.  With tuition, food, and other important activities to pay for in a college student’s life, one must wonder how to save up for these trips.

    Begin with the first step:  seek alternatives.  Alternative transportation can save up plenty of money that would otherwise be spent on gasoline, parking passes, and the possibility of a ticket.  It also is a great chance to work with your peers through means of carpooling.  When the weather is nice, biking and walking are healthy alternatives.  Alternative meal plans can also be beneficial.  Eating at restaurants, while often done because it is cheap, quick, and a means of social interaction, can start to add up very quickly.  Choosing to eat with a school meal plan or buying food at the store when needed will last the longest.  Along with these basics, one can also find cheap or free places to spend leisure time rather than going to malls or shops where it is more likely that money will be sent.  Wilmington College has many clubs and available activities for students to do attend that are fun and inexpensive.

The second step would be to set money aside.  As a student does not spend money on extra food or costly forms of transportation, the extra money should either be set aside or put into a bank account.  With this step, it is less of a temptation to spend the extra money when friends want to go out somewhere.  The important part is self-control and keeping it organized so that it is not used until paying for the trip.  Keeping receipts can be a visual to how much one is actually spending, and adding those expenses can put perspective and lead to easier saving.

Lastly, get a friend or group of friends to keep you accountable.  If friends are going on the trip, then they most likely are in the same situation and need to save up what they can.  With a group effort, it is much easier to say no to excess spending and stay organized about saving.  When it comes to accountability, one cannot easily go wrong if all people involved are willing to work together towards a common goal.  If friends know that you are saving money, they will be less likely to put you into situations where it will be spent.

Many Wilmington College students are in the process of saving for trips that will be taken either in the spring or summer.  One of these trips is the lobbying trip to Washington D.C. that is happening near the end of March.  It is an opportunity for students to be involved in the political system, and venture into a memorable experience as adults.  Not only does it cost to go, but also there will be expenses while on the trip; students have been taking steps similar to these in order to save so that the trip will be memorable, with the hope of having minimal financial issues.

There are multiple steps that can be taken apart from these three to save up money, whether it be for school trips or any other occasion in life that is costly.  With self-determination, organization, and the help of others, one can begin to responsibly save and have few worries when the time comes around to spend it.

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