Five Great Ways to Save Money - By Zainab Ali Ahmad

Five Great Ways To Save Money

By Zainab Ali Ahmad

Photo credits: charliedwyer.com

Love to shop, but don't like to spend all your money away? Worry no more! Here are some cool tips for you to become a savvy and happy consumer.

For cheap groceries, don't bother going anywhere else other than Walmart or Meijer. They offer quality products at competitive prices, and they also have mobile phone applications that you can download to compare prices and collect shopping points. In some cases, Walmart will give refunds for the price differences between their products and other grocery markets’.

If you get tired of cooking at home or the dining halls, you can always resort to eating out - while spending reasonably. Keep in mind about the lunch deals and buffet options available at Sadako Japanese Restaurant, Suvai Indian Restaurant, and Madras Masala. Besides that, the Ann Arbor Restaurant Week is usually held early in January and June, so watch out for that if you don't want to miss the fine dining experience and great taste! Another mobile phone application you can benefit from for food and drinks discounts is Hooked! Install it on your phone and keep yourself updated on all the deals.

To prepare for the changing seasons, especially for winter, you can visit Salvation Army Thrift Store, Ann Arbor Kiwanis Thrift Sale, and Plato’s Closet for cheap, used clothes. Good news is, Salvation Army and Kiwanis are accessible by simply walking or taking the AATA buses from central campus. If you personally prefer new clothes, you can also save money through online shopping websites such as Amazon and Kohl's, or go to the Briarwood Mall where there are shops like H&M, Forever 21, Abercrombie & Fitch, and so on, or you can even visit the Great Lakes Outlet at the end of the year when Black Friday and Christmas sales are on.

As university students, I won't forget to suggest a few ways to spend less on your textbooks! Once you have confirmed which textbooks are required for class, there are three options to get them. First, you can search and rent from online websites such as CampusBookRentals, Valore Books, and Amazon Rentals. Second, you can join the Facebook group within Michigan students, “Textbook Exchange” to buy second-hand textbooks from other U-M students. Third, you can opt for renting textbooks at reasonable prices from book stores on campus, such as Ulrich's and Barnes & Nobles.

For those of you who live off-campus, you might need to shop for some furnitures as well. There are some unbelievably cheap furnitures at Ann Arbor Kiwanis Thrift Sale and Salvation Army, and you can also join a group on Facebook called “Free & For Sale” to vary your options. Moreover, you can get affordable and nice home essentials at Walmart, Target, and Kohl’s.

I hope you find these tips useful and worry less about spending over the budget. Happy shopping around Ann Arbor!