These past couple of years have been really hard on us. After my husband had been laid off and kept on reaching dead ends in the job market, we decided that it was best if he went back to school to train for a different career. With my husband being a full time student, we really had to change the way we lived. From the way we spent money, to what we owned and what we had to sacrifice. Having two kids and cutting expenses can be very challenging, but it can be done. When making the choice to go back to school you need to sit down with your spouse and take out all of your bills. Then you need to add in groceries, medical expenses, gas, clothing, entertainment, sports and other activities your kids are part of. Go through your list and really take a look and see what you can do with out, you will be surprised. We went as far as to eliminating car payments, which in hand eliminated the extra insurance needed for those cars. Then as far as entertainment, instead of going out to eat we have done more home cooking of meals. We also spent more time out doors, taking meals to the park, which can be very entertaining. For clothing I try to take most of my kids outgrown clothes to second hand stores that do in store exchanges. Now we do still need to buy clothes every so often, but I always keep my eyes open for those amazing bargains. I also look for end of season close outs and get clothes for the next year. Then there are your school expenses that have to be taken care of. Like the big expense that most dread, text books. It seems that when you are in school the text books can take quite a toll on your wallet and you have to have them. That is why http://www.campusbookrentals.com/ is so amazing and should be the site you use when in school and looking for textbooks. Instead of paying those outrageous prices on textbooks, you can rent them at a very reasonable price. Which in hand will also save you quite a bit of money! People may think that going back to school while trying to raise a family is impossible, but it can be done, and before you know it the time will fly by and you will have a degree that will be so beneficial and so worth it!
Hi Katie! I know exactly how you feel with 2 kids done with college and 2 on the way! Here's something that helped out a bit…remember, the pennies add up. The best way for college students to save money is to cut unnecessary expenses. I turned in my contract cell phone and got a prepaid TracFone instead. The phone itself wasn’t too expensive and I pay for minutes as I need them – no contracts = no stings.
This is very important topic to know for every student. I write a lot for students. They can find more interesting information on my blog. You are welcome guys!