Cover Story by Leeann Bay Shop at thift stores. It takes patience, but you'll be surprised at some of the great finds.

Back to Table of Contents | Back to Main Index Previous Cover Stories | Send mail to The Voice Faculty gives advice on saving money Sharon wallace bought her shoes for $4.95 at Goodwill; her shirt was $7 at an outlet mall; her vest was 50 cents at a thrift store; her jeans were given to her when a friend cleaned out a closet. The Multnomah faculty and staff have suggested 50 ways students can save money, live simply and prevent debt. Their tips for saving money cover the areas of food, entertainment, transportation, clothes, utilities, plus other odd penny pinching insights. 1. Never buy items from vending machines. Buy those items at the grocery store on sale in quantity. 2. Chinese and Mexican food is usually reasonably priced and is served in large quantities. Try Muchas Gracias at 143 Division St. 3. The produce market at 162nd and Glisan has good prices on fruits and vegetables and so does the Barn at 148th, just north of Airport Way. Food For Less in Gresham on Powell near Highway 26 also has good produce prices. Or stop by Multnomah's GAP. 4. Shop bulk at Winco. 5. Limit coffee, pop and candy consumption. 6. Eat all the regular meals so you won't be tempted to snack on expensive junk food. 7. Limit the amount of money you spend at restaurants. 8. Learn to cook from scratch. A 10- pound bag of potatoes at $1.50 costs less than a 15-ounce bag of potato chips and will feed you for several weeks. Five pounds of flour costs less than a loaf of bread. You can create amazingly diverse and nutritious meals from just a few basic, raw ingredients. 9. Plant a garden. Buy seeds on sale (vegetable seeds were 10 cents a packet at Walgreens this spring and half-price at Fred Meyer.) Even apartment dwellers can grow tomatoes, lettuce and herbs in patio containers. Or join a community garden; most major cities offer garden plots. 10. Shop at thrift stores. It takes patience, but you'll be surprised at some of the great finds. 11. Buy clothes from the Salvation Army; you can make alterations or repairs and have perfectly good clothes. 12. Never pay more than $10 for a tie. 13. Shop at the 50-70 percent off sales for clothes. 14. Shop at Meier and Frank only during 50-70 percent off sales and when you have an additional 15 percent off coupon. 15. Shop at Albertina Kerr's thrift store at 2307 N.E. Flanders. One staff member found a jacket from Nordstrom for only $3. 16. Marry someone who loves garage sales and second-hand stores. 17. Do not use credit cards unless you plan on paying them off at the end of each month. 18. Never pay an ATM fee; there are always ways to get cash without paying extra fees. 19. Limit your long-distance phone bill to no more than $10 per month. (Use free e-mail instead.) 20. Use cell phones only for emergencies, if at all. 21. Make a monthly budget and stick to it. Be sure to budget for God-- tithe. 22. In your apartment, keep the blinds down to hold in the heat. 23. To heat your home for free, after baking leave the oven door open as the oven cools down. 24. Write down every expenditure so you know where your money is going. Include gum, soda pop, photocopies, everything. Add up your list every month. 25. Turn down the heat in your apartment or house when you're gone. 26. Turn off lights in each room you're not using. 27. Don't run the water while you're brushing your teeth or washing dishes. 28. Turn off the water heater if you'll be gone more than overnight. 29. Don't go to movies in the theater; wait for the video. 30. For fun, go on hikes and walks, or go to sports games such as volley ball or basketball. 31. See economy shows or matinees, and ask for group discount prices. 32. Decide how much money you can afford to spend on entertainment and non-essentials each month, and get that amount in cash. Then you can visually see how much money you have left. 33. Save more than $200 each year by not buying a CD each month. 34. Put your tax dollars to work. Borrow music CDs and videos from the public library instead of renting or buying them. Shop garage sales for CDs and videos-- they're often less than $1 each. 35. For school supplies, go to Pilgrim Books on Stark Street. 36. Check the board in the commons for used textbooks. 37. Use the library instead of buying books. The Multnomah County Library system will have most books you want to read and can secure books they don't have through inter-library loan. 38. You should never have to buy pens. Many companies give them out. 39. Dispose of your car (and its insurance, upkeep, and equity) and take the bus. 40. Car pool. 41. Buy the cheap gas for your car. 42. Take the bus or Max. Taking the Max downtown will also save you time, headaches, gas money and parking fees. 43. Get the notes from someone taking the "Financial Biblical Principles" Student Ministries Work shop. 44. If you want to make a big purchase, wait a week and see if you still feel you need it. If the item is on sale at the time, remem ber sales often come around again. 45. Ask staff about stores that have reasonable prices. 46. Don't break the big bills. If you have five ones, spend those before breaking a $5 bill. 47. Save all your silver change. 48. Make your own birthday, get well and thank you cards. 49. Stay out of stores. Don't shop for recreation. 50. Always shop from a list. Avoid impulse purchases. Leeann Bay would rather shop at a thrift store than at the mall. Back to Table of Contents | Back to Main Index Previous Cover Stories | Top Of Page Send mail to The Voice| Journalism department website © 2000 The Voice. No part of this publication may be reproduced in written or electronic form without prior written consent from the journalism adviser of Multnomah Bible College. All rights reserved.