By Ciara Speller | Broadcast Editor
Everyone waits for that magical year when they get to live off campus. That means no quiet hours, or surprise room checks, not having to bunk your beds and finally getting the freedom to do whatever you please.
However, with that freedom comes responsibility, as now you are faced with monthly bills; fifty dollars for cable, thirty for water, twenty for electric plus your weekly groceries, which can quickly get out of hand. Although you are dividing the payments by threes or fours after a while they start to add up and become very burdensome.
So one of my recommendations is perhaps you can start doing laundry with your roommates to save a few bucks on water. If you live in household with sports players, wash all your gear together.
It is not considered weird or unsanitary, because they are all the same articles of clothing. This way you are saving water and a pricey bill by doing one load, rather than three or four of the same washes.
Also try to shower in the schools locker rooms. Why go all the way home after an early morning practice, when you can save yourself some time and effort just by showering on campus. You could take a long nice hot ten minute shower in the locker room or a quick cold one at home trying to be cost effective, but the first option is most logical to me.
Electric bills are the worst, because they can rack up with out you even realizing it. You’re running late for class, so you leave your fan and desk lamp on… that could be a few extra dollars a month, so remember to turn everything off!
If you do not have time to do so, then put one of your roommates in charge of electric duty, making sure all lights, fans and televisions are off.
Winter months can get a little tough given the luck that Newport experiences during that season, but try to refrain from cranking up the heat. Invest in portable space heaters, and some blankets.
Thick wool blankets for that matter! A nice toasty room after a hard days work is tempting and comforting, but getting a bill for under fifty dollars will feel much better in the end.
Let’s not even discuss the subject of food; you love it and hate it at the same time. Who knew that something that tasty could be so inconveniently expensive.
Here’s a tip…if you and your roommates are all going to buy fifteen of the same item, why not just buy it in bulk. It will not only saves all of you time but can save you a lot of money.
Hopefully these small but important tips will help you as much as they have helped me!. Remember less is more in the long run!
