Smarter ways to spend

I’ve been doing a lot of talking about how, when it comes to leisure spending (going out to eat, the movies, etc.), you should stray away from that as much as possible. However, as a 20-something-year-old college student myself, I realize that’s not always possible. Sometimes you’re just going to have to spend your money going out and doing things. That being said, there is a right way to go about it.

• When it comes to going out to eat, lunch time and happy hour specials are the best time to do it. Most restaurants offer either lunch specials or a cheaper menu option at lunch compared to dinner. Also, a new thing that I’ve noticed some restaurants are doing is an “Appy Hour”, which is like a happy hour for appetizers where they’re half priced or discounted.
• Don’t forget to utilize the coupons in your Eagle Planner. Some even offer “buy one, get one free.” Go with a friend and you both end up paying half price for your meal.
• If you’re going to head to the movies, there are a few different options to save money. First of all, cinemas offer lower priced tickets for day time movies (matinees) compared to going in the evening. In addition, Marcus Cinemas in La Crosse also offers a few nights a week that are $5.00 movie nights. On Tuesdays, it is $5.00 for the entire community, and Thursdays are $5.00 student nights (with free popcorn included!). Lastly, if you haven’t yet checked out the Rivoli Theatre downtown, it’s a great place to go if you want to catch a budget film any day.
• When you go shopping for clothes, do your research and seek out discounts. You’d be surprised how many retailers offer some kind of student discount; however, they don’t advertise this in stores. Therefore, check online before you decide to hit up the mall. Also, be strategic when shopping the sales racks and big clearance events. One of the things I like to do is go shopping at the end of the winter season to buy things that I normally wouldn’t buy unless they were on clearance, and get them at a discounted price for the following winter.
• I would also like to add that the Campus Activities Board does a great job at providing free or otherwise reasonably priced, events for students. One of my favorites is the Free Movie Friday. You can check out the calendar with the events for the rest of the semester here: http://www.uwlax.edu/CAB/CAB-events/