How I got here...

Before I begin with this blog, I feel it's important to tell the situation that has led to the creation of this blog. I am in my fourth year at the University of Texas, and am in my final semester. Thus, I've been in Austin for almost 4 years. I'll be the first to tell you that Austin isn't the most expensive city to live in, and compared to similar cities is actually quite cheap (one of the MANY reasons I love it here). I have found ways to make it even cheaper. However, I feel I must divulge that some of those ways aren't available to everyone.


I do not hold a "job" in the traditional sense of being rewarded monetarily for the amount of work I do. Rather, I am a "waiter" at a sorority house in West Campus. Essentially, I work 2 nights a week, filling 32 glasses of water, setting out food, cleaning up the food, and taking out the trash. If I were to receive a fair and competitive hourly wage, it would probably be about $1.75 for the amount of work I do. Instead, I eat the chef's gourmet meals both nights I work, and lunch 5 days of the week. Even at a moderate estimate of $5 per meal, that is a $35 value, and if you include that I get to take home all the leftovers to cover snacks or other meals, it may be my biggest weapon in living cheaply. I believe that food is the easiest way to spend big, and a fairly easy way to noticeably save - it's a matter of being deliberate and conscious of what you're spending.

Being of legal drinking age, I also enjoy going out, especially to Austin's (in)famous sixth street. On any given night, there are drink specials to be had to reduce the cost of going out, even if you have that wild urge on a Sunday or Tuesday night. You can easily google Austin drink specials for a given night. You can also check out StudyBreaks breakdown or dailyhappyhour.com. Later I'll give a comprehensive look at each night of the week. Probably the best deals for downtown however are bar-tabs. I was selected to be a member of the Texas Cowboys, UT's oldest honorary service organization. We have very affordable dues at around $350, but throughout the semester will have, among many other things, 6-8 bar-tabs that are completely paid for by the organization.


I pride myself on getting the best value in anything I do. I analyze even the smallest decision to decide what gives me the best value, while factoring in satisfaction. This means, I won't buy a generic brand over a name-brand if the product is unpleasing, but will often try generic brands in an attempt to find what I like to call "treasures."

Considering that, I spend $220 for rent in prime real estate in the heart of West Campus, where apartments range from $650 - $1000. This is just one of the advantages of being a member of the Tejas Club. I truly believe that for any social organization, on any campus, anywhere in the world, it is the absolute best value. Our dues are a mere $250 a semester, and comes with a network of alumni that rivals any single fraternity chapter anywhere in the country (including Exxon-Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson, CarMax founder and CEO Austin Ligon, inventor of the "Hook 'Em Horns" hand sign Harley Clark, and many others).

I realize that these opportunities to save money are not universal and from this point on will focus on things that anyone can do. I did however, want to give a bit of background on how else I've gotten the maximum college experience for the minimum price.

Free Coupon of the day:Denny's Grand Slam

breakfast: 6 am - 2 pm. [No coupon/printing necessary] You may've seen this ad during the Super Bowl on Sunday, or like myself, you may've gone last year and were waiting to see if they

did it again. There is also no fine print that prohibits receiving multiple free plates at multiple Denny's establishments... ethical dilemma. (picture from 09 Grand Slam offer)