Cal Poly communications senior Steven Wolf stood astounded in an aisle of the textbook section of El Corral Bookstore. He could not believe the textbook for his speech communications class cost $72.75.
As the shock faded, Wolf remembered that the week before he had seen the same book on Buy.com, a subsidiary of eBay.com, where users can buy and sell textbooks.
He dashed into the University Union, sat down at a computer and logged into his eBay account. He located the last available copy on the Web site and, without hesitation, clicked the red buy button. Less than a week later, “Reading on Argumentation” arrived at his front door for $20 less than he would’ve spent on campus.
“It’s so easy to price shop; I can check like four places at once so I am confident that I am getting the best price at the time,” he said.
With the price of rent, transportation, clothes and even food climbing, college students are finding new and more convenient ways to purchase the necessities of collegiate life without breaking their budgets. Wolf, like other students, seeks alternative ways to save time, effort and money while shopping. Whether it is buying and selling items on eBay.com, zzstar.com, or Craigslist.org, ordering textbooks on Amazon.com or Half.com, shopping for electronics on Buy.com, scouring local thrift stores and sale racks for the best deals, or taking the bus to get there, many students are making adjustments to their shopping habits.
In addition to saving money, benefits such as convenience and customer service are drawing more and more students into online shopping.
Rachel Moorse, a forestry and natural resources senior, said she uses Amazon.com to order her textbooks because she values the convenience of online shopping.
“With Amazon it’s like three clicks and you’re done,” she said.
Wolf also said he was pleasantly surprised with the customer service he experienced online. He recently purchased two ink cartridges on eBay, but one arrived smashed from shipment. He emailed the seller whom promptly sent out a replacement, free of cost, and paid postage packaging to send the damaged cartridge back in.
“I’ve found the customer service to be outstanding,” he said.
Wolf’s online shopping habits are not unusual for the average student.
Ian Nachreiner, an agricultural sciences senior, said he prefers to shop online because “I don’t have to battle with sales people and most of the time, I get a good deal.”
He recently bought a camera on eBay after trying it out at Costco. Although it cost the same in store, the camera ordered online came with extras including a tripod, a memory card and free shipping.
“I tested it out over at Costco, but when I saw the deal online I thought ‘Gee I have to jump on that,'” Nachreiner said.
Nachreiner also recommended Buy.com for specific electronics purchases. He said he saved 70 percent off the price by purchasing an external hard drive for his computer on the Web site. According to Nachreiner, one advantage of online shopping is that students can use it as a tool to prevent bad spending habits, “Avoid impulse buys. Go home, think on it, get online and shop around to make an informed decision,” he said.
For students trying to conserve cash, making informed spending decisions is crucial, according to Luann McDonald, Cal Poly’s associate director for admissions, recruitment, and financial aid. She said the first step students watching their spending should take is to develop and strictly adhere to a budget. The financial aid office’s nine-month student expense budget offers itself as an useful guide.
McDonald cautioned that this budget does not factor in unexpected expenses like car repairs. Due to the surprise costs that often come with cars, she suggested that most students, especially freshman, should try to avoid bringing a vehicle to school altogether.
Moorse is one of a growing number of students who started riding her bike this fall. She said that by riding her bike, she saved $315 on a parking permit alone. Other students, like nutrition senior Katy Egeland, ride the bus to conserve on the cost of transportation. Nachreiner uses a fuel additive in his car that he said saves him one-third of a tank of gas without affecting mileage.
There are also options for those who want to save money on food. Moorse cuts on grocery costs by regularly buying flats of 20 eggs at the Cal Poly Poultry Unit for $2. Egeland keeps her food budget under control by limiting herself to bimonthly grocery store visits and uses a shopping list when she stocks up on non-perishables, produce, and frozen meats at Costco, spending an average of $50 a trip.
Many students do not blow their budgets during grocery trips, but rather while funding a classic collegiate pastime, consuming copious amounts of alcohol. There are ways to save on this too, even at the local bar scene. Clubs like Cal Poly’s Brew Crew offer discounts for members at certain bars.
Turning his desire for cheap, quality beer into a hobby, Christian Toran, environmental engineering senior and Brew Crew president, said he produces a wide variety of alcoholic beverages including ales, lagers, stouts, porters and specialty brews like barley wines and M„rzenbiers. George McClintock, owner of the local brew shop, Doc’s Cellars, priced equipment starter kits at $150. On average, he said his customers spend 75 cents a bottle and a total of two hours to produce a batch of 50 beers. McClintock said the student customers who save the most are those who used to purchase high quality beer. Toran admitted that nearly all of his $100 a month expendable income goes to his hobby, but said it saves him money in the end.
For beer drinking accessories and other oddball items, shopping zzstar.com and a little creativity proved advantageous for biochemistry senior Andy Hooper. He found a free refrigerator on the Web site and spent about $80 on equipment to convert it into a kegrator which would have cost $800-$900 new.
Egeland, too said she saved a significant amount of money by shopping online with local sellers. She bought all of her bedroom and kitchen furniture for low or no cost by through Craigslist.org. Graduates moving over the summer wanted to dispose of their college furniture, and she was able to get a free dining table and dresser.
For items she paid for, like her $45 desk and $100 bed, Egeland said she bargained with the sellers, “On sites like this, prices are often negotiable so bargaining can usually get you an even better deal,” she said.
Many students also adjust their in-store shopping habits to save money, especially with items that are not considered absolute necessities. Egeland said she avoids shopping as a way to pass time and instead tries to purchase clothes when they are on sale. She also said she makes gifts for friends and family.
“The key to saving money is defining between needs and wants,” Egeland added.
For those who enjoy recreational shopping, thrift stores and garage sales can be a great alternative to brand name retail stores. Forestry and natural resources senior Ariel Quiros has several strategies to save money on clothes.
She shops at second-hand stores for specific items like shirts, sweaters and jackets. Matt Reyes, a sales clerk at the local second-hand shop Goodwill, said that Goodwill is an ideal place to shop for fun buys like Halloween costumes.
For jeans and other items that require a specific fit, Quiros said she shops at discount retailers such as Ross. When he does visit brand name retailers and boutiques, she employs a very specific tactic, “When I walk into the store, I usually look around and go straight to the sale rack. If I don’t see anything there, I don’t look anywhere else because price-wise if I can’t afford it, why look?”
Nachreiner said he peruses local garage sales and thrift stores for items he does not need immediately, like power tools and furniture, and only buys clothes when they are on sale. Echoing Egeland’s earlier comment, Nachreiner says, “If you don’t need it, then don’t buy it.”