Living on the Cheap
by Andrew Frisicano
Living on the margins of an income is a skill. And why go to
college if not to learn skills? Within the first few weeks of arriving on
campus, the initial euphoria of being away from home will wear off when you
spend your last $10 on a late-night pizza. A large percentage of college time is
spent acquiring and consuming food, often as a method of avoiding things like
homework, so knowing where to look is of the utmost significance.
           The glaring
answer is the college dining hall. Most schools require at least first-year students
to enroll in one of their prohibitively expensive meal plans. These cover your
standard two or three meals-a-day needs, but tend to neglect those in-between
hunger pangs. You’ll need something to munch during all-night cram sessions, if
only to mange the stress. On a tight budget an Oreo box from the supermarket will
break the bank.
Take what’s rightfully yours. Plastic
zip-lock bags are an economical way to subvert the oppression of the college
dining hall system and get some snacks in the process. Alternatively, Tupperware
works well for wet and/or amorphous foods like quiche or pudding. As for
concealment, the ol’ backpack will do the trick. With some sly maneuvers you can save a fortune on treats, and if you feel
guilty, remember that most colleges charge $6 to $7 per all-you-can-eat meal,
way more than you’d shell out at the Ponderosa.
           If you’ve
got transportation you can probably scrounge a meal from free samples at local
stores, much as our hunter-gatherer ancestors did. Wegmans likes to set up
sample stands. Get a toothpick full on the way in and then loop around the
store for course two on the way out. BJ’s, Sam’s, and similar wholesale
establishments tend to have a good selection of free samples, but be warned: the
stores require a membership for purchases, so rampant free samplers may be
carded. Also, famed national donut chain Krispy Kreme has a habit of lighting
its neon free-sample sign to lure in the hungry and impressionable.
If you’re looking for
clothes the mall is the most alluring choice. It has an air-conditioned,
sterile environment; varied and fashionable selections; and epic convenience. Then
the pocketbook comes into the picture. Ultimately, it’s better to wait for
grandma to visit before picking up that new skiing jacket. In the meantime,
thrift stores can offer a quick fix to the tired wardrobe blues. Area outlets
include multiple Salvation Army, Goodwill, the Volunteers of America, and
Vietnam Veterans’ locations. Garage sales offer good bargains on often
interesting fashions; check the local classifieds for time and place.
For some, thrift
shopping may double as entertainment. But for more standard fare there are
bargain options a-plenty. Movies 10, a staple of Rochester
bargainhunters, shows second-run films for a maximum of $2. Local coffee
shops are an affordable place to cross the all important off-campus date
threshold. Java’s, Spot, Spin, Boulder and Starry Nites all come to mind as
downtown options open until at least midnight. One cup at any of these places
can last for hours with some good conversation.
But all of these
options are worthless without a set of wheels to get you there. You could walk, but in most cases it’s just
not feasible in Rochester. Bicycles
are a good option if you’re not going far. The University
of Rochester’s bicycle library,
City Cycles, lets students rent bicycles for free, while providing maps and
helpful links on its website (http://sa.rochester.edu/citycycles/). Other
schools provide bike racks, and some even allow storage within dormitories. Rochester’s
Critical Mass, a monthly bike ride through city streets, starts on the U of R
campus and is a good way to meet up with like-minded cyclists.
           Busing is a
low-investment way to get around town. Rochester Genesee Regional Transport
Authority runs several lines from U of R, RIT, MCC, SUNY Geneseo, and SUNY
Brockport to Marketplace Mall, downtown, and elsewhere (www.rgta.org). Geneseo
students can also catch the Livingston Area Transportation bus to Wegmans and
Wal-Mart during the week, and into Rochester
during the weekend, for free.
           The most
effective way to get around is making friends with someone who owns a car. Tagging
along is a time-honored way of getting around and meeting people.
Textbookscan put a major dent in the new
student’s wallet. Professors love to demand new editions with throw-away CD
add-ons and marginally updated facts. Unless you spot some good deals, avoid
the bookstore and buy used books online. They’ll be cheaper but you might have
to overlook some doodles. Most college bookstores take returns within a few
weeks, so either buy the books and return them when
your online order comes, or do without until then. Bigwords.com and similar
sites that compare various prices can help you choose between the many online
vendors.
           If all else
fails, discard frugality for hard manual labor. Campus employment options tend
to be limited for first-year students, but student employment offices will
connect eager students with jobs. Though many pay only minimum wage, jobs part
of the federal work study program are tax exempt, so Uncle Sam keeps his paws
off your dough. If you have a car, off-campus employment is always an option,
but they might be less accommodating to hectic college schedules.
This article appears in Aug 16-22, 2006.
