Humber students have shared their tips on how to save money at school.
1. Use second-hand products
One way to save money is to avoid buying brand-new items, according to Sara Learmont, a first-year student in the early childhood education program at Humber.
Learmont told Humber News that school is expensive, but she was grateful to get second-hand supplies from her older sibling.
“If you have a sibling and they are in the same program, then borrow their textbooks because that’s what I did and I didn’t have to pay for them,” Learmont said.
Abigail Green, a first-year student in the early childhood education program, agreed that second-hand resources have helped her budget.
“I try to save money as much as I can by using second-hand resources such as textbooks,” Green said.
Students may even want to consider turning to social media for help. Juliana Cortese, an esthetician/spa management student, said there are many ways to save money, but it can be challenging.
“Facebook Marketplace has second-hand textbooks that you can find that are half the price, and it’s pretty much brand new,” Cortese said.
There are also options outside of campus to get second-hand materials. Lisa Diluzio, a supervisor at Talize Thrift Store, said students can find products from textbooks to popular clothing bands that are in good condition at thrift stores.
“You can find all different kinds of brand names for cheap here and that’s what we want, sustainable fashion,” Diluzio said.
Textbooks that are of good quality (without any highlights or written notes) can also be found here at economical prices, she said.
2. Cook your own meals
Sunita Lopchan, a second-year nursing student, said having a tight budget forces you to find ways to save.
“To reduce my budget, I try to cook at home as much as possible since it is expensive to buy food every day,” Lopchan said.
Cortese agrees that cooking at home can be the key to saving, along with making economical choices.
“There is a Starbucks, but Tim Hortons will also do the trick and even eating breakfast at home and bringing snacks to school will help you save more,” Cortese said.
3. The Student Price Card (SPC)
Saving money can also be done by applying for discount services. The SPC is a loyalty discount program for students in Canada.
There are discounts and deals on clothes, food, beauty, fitness, travel, technology, and more. Offers can be redeemed by making purchases online or in person, depending on the deals provided.
Students who are clients with CICB may be eligible to get a free SPC+ membership. Otherwise, students can pay for a subscription of $11.99 yearly.
4. Access Humber services to save money
Shaun Carson, the associate director of student life and learning, said numerous opportunities and services at Humber College support students financially, but few students know about them.
“Students are already paying for this in their tuition [they] fee might as well take advantage of the services that we’re offering,” he said.
Humber College has partnered with the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), and they run a workshop series throughout the semester that focuses on managing credit cards, budgeting, and investing, Carson said.
“The idea is to try not to sell products but to provide information,” he said.
Humber even runs a work-study program that allows students to work on campus during the school year. “It encourages faculty and different departments to hire student staff to make sure that we are employing students as well,” Carson said.
Along with all of these services, Humber College offers workshops on bursaries and scholarship applications and tutoring services online and in-person for all students and programs.
“Take advantage of those bursaries, even if you think you’re not qualified or [your] marks aren’t high enough, you’ll never know unless you apply,” he said.
These are some supports in school, online, and at stores that can assist students financially.