Well it’s that time of year again. It’s time for spring cleaning. But the last thing a student wants to do is clean out their wallet. School is expensive, yes. However, there are ways to save tons of money and heartache.
Brittonius “Britt” Lyle, II, first-year M.F.A. graphic design student, has several money-saving strategies. “I have a car, but I don’t drive it around. I use the SCAD shuttles and I the take bus.” Living on campus or very near campus definitely has its advantages for the money-wise student. “My first quarter at SCAD, I only spent $40 on gas. I leave my car in the parking lot so I don’t have to pay to park at my dorm. Driving is the last alternative. I only drive if I need to get something fast.”
Commuter students, especially, find that most of their money is spent on gas and convenience foods. To curb this problem, one could always apply for food stamps like Lyle has. “I’m actually re-applying for food stamps. I was on food stamps for a year and I would get $200 a month. I don’t think that many students think to apply for food stamps. Or, they feel they get enough money from the government.”
If the mall or the neighborhood thrift store is out of the question, online shopping provides the convenience of delivery. Alex Mendez, third-year interactive design and game development student, does much of his shopping via internet. “I don’t really go shopping. But I do a lot of online shopping. Amazon Prime is awesome for students.” Prime offers free two-day shipping for the first six months. Mendez also sees the financial benefits of living off-campus. “Off-campus with roommates is a really good idea. It’s going to save you a lot of money.”
Savings are everywhere and available to SCAD students. There are many SCAD card discounts around town. Yasmin Utterback, third-year graphic design student, admits, “I don’t use my SCAD card. I don’t know what places offer discounts but I have used it at Sam Flax.” The same is true for Lyle and Mendez. SCAD cards are accepted at several stores around town. The off-campus vendors that accept SCAD cards in the Atlanta Metro area is listed below. Students can send inquiries if their favorite stores are not listed.
CVS Brookwood
Binders Art Supplies and Frames
Sam Flax Art & Design Store
Wing’s Camera Inc.
Beadworks Atlanta
OfficeMax: Cumberland location
OfficeMax: North Druid Hills location
FedEx Kinki’s Office Print Center
Utrecht Art Supply
Chiropractic Healthcare