Perhaps buying a latte from Starbucks or that bag of chips from the vending machine won’t noticeably impact a bank account balance, but if it were a daily occurrence, it would be a different story. Spending money on food and drinks every day may result in consumers failing to consider the long-term effects of buying these items. Simple changes can significantly impact finances in the long run. Here are fivealternatives that students can use to maintain their lifestyle in a financially responsible way. Savings are calculated based on the assumption that an average student purchases each item every day during the 180-day school year.

BUBBL’R:

School cafeteria cost:

$3.25 per can

Cost of pack of 6 at local grocery store: 

$1.25 per can

Savings over the school year: 

$360.00

Doritos Cool Ranch Chips from the vending machine:

School vending machine cost: 

$2.50 per bag

Cost of pack of 10 at local grocery store:

$0.90 per bag

Savings over the school year:

$288.00

Starbucks Iced Caramel Macchiato:

Starbucks cost: 

$5.95 per drink

Cost of ingredients from local grocery store: 

$1.35 per drink

Savings over the school year: 

$828.00

Skittles from the vending machine:

School vending machine cost: 

$3.00 per pack

Cost of pack of 36 from local wholesale:

$0.94 per pack

Savings over the school year:

$370.80

Chipotle Burrito Bowl:

Chipotle cost: 

$12.15 per bowl

Cost of ingredients from local grocery store: 

$5.10 per bowl

Savings over the school year: 

$1269.00