Finance Roll

Going to college is like a never ending adventure. Of course that dealing with professors, difficult exams and sleepless study nights is not always pleasant, but is indeed very rewarding. I remember when I was a student years ago, my parents used to tell me those were the best years of a person's life. I would roll my eyes at their stupidity and move on with my extremely busy life. Now that I look back, I cannot help thinking that they were completely accurate.

Spring break is actually one of the greatest ways to enjoy college years. You can travel and get as far away as you can from your student responsibilities. But what if you really cannot afford to go away this year? Do not fret, there are some ways to obtain money for this trip without affecting your finances!

Golden Rule: Do Not Touch Your Loan Money

As tempting as it may seem, it will be a terrible idea to use money from your student loan to pay for this spring break trip. Not only will you regret it later on (probably the minute you return to your normal college life), but you will also be paying interest on that sum of money in the upcoming years. Fight temptation as hard as you can and continue reading, there are ways to finance this trip which do not include money from your student loan.

Save During The Year

You wish it were as easy as it sounds, do you not? Well, it is not too difficult either. As a starving student, your parents and grandparents must send you money regularly. I am not talking about exorbitant amounts, just the necessary amount for you to buy your own stuff. Why not try to save some of that money for your spring break holiday? No matter how low will be the sum you will end up with, it is always welcome. You can also put aside your tax returns or your birthday earnings, be creative!

Get A Part-Time Job

I know it sounds awful, but why do you not give it a shot? You might end up enjoying the experience. It does not even have to be an extremely well paid or time consuming job, you are not looking to finance your education with this money, just part of your trip.

Find Discounts

You can use your parents frequent flyer miles to obtain a cheap, if not free, plane ticket. Search online for hotel discounts or food discounts, grab anything you can find, I promise it will definitely come in handy. Student ID cards usually offer price cuts on bus trip passes and airfares, check them out. Contact your local student travel agencies for more information.

If All Else Fails

Sometimes no matter how hard you try, traveling far away will not be possible. If that is the case, why not organize a road trip? All you need is a car, some noisy friends and available food. Arranging a trip home can also be a good idea, meeting your family is always comforting and it will probably give you some time to get back in touch with your roots, get together with old friends and reconnect with your relatives.