I know this post is overdone. Like I promise you I have read and reread on pinterest over and over again...except half of those discounts are a joke. Sorry but not sorry. I know that every dollar counts but only taking 2 dollars off at check out really is not going to make that big of a difference in terms of long term budgeting. So after experiencing college for two years and my love of shopping, Ana and I have compiled a list of the best student discounts that are actually substantial enough to make a big difference.
I hope if you are going into college you know by now that you get free amazon prime for six months, but if you didn’t know, now you do. You’re welcome. Somehow no matter how much you try and plan for your new move you somehow forget things or don’t realize how much you actually need that shoe organizer (or extensive pen collection -- Sorry mom and dad). Amazon prime is your best friend. Also, textbooks literally cost an arm and a leg, so I cannot stress enough how much this discount saved us our freshman year.
**Pro Tip: unless you receive an email from a professor saying you will need your textbook on the first day, wait till after syllabus week to buy textbooks. With your lovely, FREE prime account they will get there in plenty of time for your first assignments.
The best part is, the magic does not just end after the first 6 months. For your remaining time at college, it is 50% off. So instead of 100 big ones, it is just $50 PER YEAR! This includes your intro to audible, a basic Amazon music subscription and Amazon video (which Ana discovered mid-freshman year and was never the same). It is a magical land, so don’t miss out.
Maybe I was living in a different world, but I had no idea that microsoft office changed to a subscribed program instead of just a flat rate. You now have to pay per year (like $100 I might add) to use office, UNLESS you are a college student, you get it for FREE. Yes, free, like 100% free every year you are enrolled in a college program. I originally thought I had to go to my IT department to have them download it for me and use a special code, but nope! You can literally just google “Microsoft office download student” and they will show you how to import your student information and download at no cost to you. The installation takes less than an hour so turn on your favorite netflix show and get to it!
3. Madewell- 15% off and $20 jean credit
I cannot even stress to you how excited I was to find out about Madewell’s student discount program. All you have to do is show your student ID in any Madewell store and they will instantly take 15% off your purchase total...but wait, it gets better. You can use your discount on top of sale and most promotions (be sure to ask before assuming for every promotion). I got a shirt for $15 that was originally $60 after their sale and my student discount, so don’t miss out.
Madewell also has a denim exchange program where for any old pair of jeans you bring in, whether a Madewell brand or not, you will get a $20 store credit. They have this promotion in order to support their Jeans for insulation recycle program. SO by taking old jeans to Madewell you are doing something for your wallet and the earth. GO YOU!!!
Spotify seems like a non-essential to some, but for me it is part of my sanity. I listen to podcasts, have customized auto-populated playlists (and have trained my google home how to play my favorites), use it to teach dance and fitness classes, etc. It is an integral part of my being at this point. But $10 a month is just ridiculous. As a student you can get it for just $5/month. That is a price that I just bite and get the most out of it. (Claire and I both also use it to listen to podcasts such as The Minimalists).
But the best part? If you have hulu, cancel your subscription because as of January 2018, Hulu merged with Spotify and you get instant free access to it through your Spotify account. Hulu and spotify for $5/month is quite a deal if I ever saw one.
5. Washington Post and New York TIMES
Both papers offer 50% off subscriptions. So for all those poli sci, foreign affairs, and journalism majors, your prayers have been answered. Washington Post used to offer free subscription to students but ended this 2017. BOO! But they still offer something. Also, if you for some reason also have a military or government email, you can get it for free still.
For $1.88 a week (vs $2.74), students can get a weekly print copy and unlimited online access. I (Ana) have loved The Ecomonist for years. It covers national and global news, the arts and humanities, science, and more. Like your world week in review. It’s great.
Linked is an offer for the first 12 weeks at only $12 total. SO start there and then use the student discount if continuing past 12 weeks or if you are a returning subscriber.
7. Apple and Apple Music
Apple has offered student pricing for years now. Buying a new laptop because you dumped coffee on it or it died a sad death when it leaped out of your arms? Save up to $500 on qualifying purchases (though you may be able to save more by waiting for back to school deals)
Apple music, much like spotify, offers their music service to students for the reduced rate of $5 a month. Just no nifty Hulu to go along with it.
Pretty self explanatory but super useful regardless. If you ever see Ana in her “In Love, In Revolt, In Levi’s” shirt featured in our instagram profile picture from Pride 2016, this gem is from Levi’s and continues to be one of her favorite pieces.
We all need to cover our asses, and Levi’s is helping us out by offering students a 15% discount.
Both of us adore and cherish our bullet journal and value taking handwritten notes. Moleskine is helping out by giving students a 15% off discount online and in Moleskine retail stores. Woohoo! What a time to be alive. (Also, why did we not know about this sooner?!?!?)
Up to 60% off on software via the Adobe Creative Cloud suite
**Protip: You can get a free version of almost every adobe software. Both of us have started to get a lot of value from Lightroom (photo editing) and spark (marketing and design)
Have any favorite student money saving tips and discounts? Drop them down below and make sure to subscribe to our emailing list to have immediate access each time a new post goes up!
Thanks for tuning in,
Claire and Ana
A Handful of Honey
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