The crazy thing I do for 50 cents

[Ralpho]

I find with grad school approaching I've become a real cheapskate. Luckily I had a tuition paying scholarship come through for my first year but I still have this crazy urge to pinch pennies. I'm an adult (like a real adult who pays my own way) and I find myself walking a mile to get free parking and taking returnable bottles home that my co-workers don't want at work. I figure every dollar I have is time I can spend not working while studying. Anyone else out there compulsively pinching pennies? Please tell me the crazy things you are doing to save money with grad school approaching so I won't feel so crazy. Please tell me I'm not the only grad student without a stipend, wealthy parents or a willingness to take on a large debt?

[maelia8]

I don't go out to eat, for coffee, for drinks, or to the movies unless it's a friend's birthday and I can't avoid it (which means I go out roughly once a month, if that). I have a main job with a set monthly salary as well as a side job tutoring where I get paid in cash, and I have a deal with myself that my grocery money has to come out of the side tutoring cash so I have to ration it over the week. I haven't bought new clothes or shoes in almost a year (literally, I bought my last pair of new shoes and socks last July, leather shoes on sale for $30). The only new books I've bought have been when my family gave me an Amazon gift card for my birthday. When I moved into this apartment last September, I got all of the furniture on "Free your Stuff" groups. ebay, or craigslist for free or less than $20 apiece, and I'll be doing it again when I move in August. I totally know where you are coming from.

[Coconut Water]

If you are walking a mile to save on parking, that's a mile of free exercise.  

 

Due to a series of life events and settling for less than ideal jobs, I feel I have been living like a student for years! But I figure things will be even tighter once I am official! I can relate, for sure. I do eat out occasionally, though-nothing fancy. A coworker helped me get into thrift shopping and now I'm much better at bargain clothes shopping, I get kind of mad at stores charging $15 for a T-shirt. I am now considering doing more of my laundry by hand once school starts, instead of paying for the laundry cycle! 

[Cosmojo]

My parents as a gift bought me a Costco membership so I buy things in bulk and then just eat off of it for awhile- its amazing how cheap food can be when you buy in bulk. Don't go out to eat or get take out, unless special occasion like a date night, most things you can find knock off recipes for online and you can make it healthier anyways. Also I find that you can easily spend too much money when you go out for drinks, so I don't go out to bars, too much temptation. I find all my textbook in pdf form or check them out from a library. Always take the free pens from conferences and hotels- sounds dumb but I haven't paid for school supplies since start of undergrad. Like Mocha said, if you need something utilize craigslist or ebay. Some of my grad student friends always shower at the gym/school to save on water costs- granted that only saves a tiny bit but it all helps!

[lewin]

You could do psychology studies on MTurk. I run a lot of studies on MTurk and could use the participants