Saving Tips That Make Cents

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Saving Tips That Make Cent$
Savings You Can Find in Oneonta
  • CORQ or Campus Connections
    • You can find many activities for low-cost or free!
  • SUNY Oneonta Discount Card
    • You can pick it up at the HUb in Hunt Union
    • Has many discounts to different restaurants/stores in Oneonta
  • Use your declining dollars whenever possible (It's Tax Free!)
  • Clear your semester bill on time to avoid paying an additional administrative fee
  • Parking tickets can add up, so have a parking pass and park in designated areas
    • Ticket costs:
      • Tickets 1-3 are $25 each
      • Tickets 4-5 are $30 each
      • Tickets 6+ are $35 each
      • Handicapped and fire lane violations are $100 each offense
      • Late fee: $25 for any offense not paid within 30 days
    • Parking Pass costs:
      • Annual- $135
      • Fall Semester- $80
      • Spring Semester- $85
  • Take advantage of these subscriptions (free to you!):
    • New York Times
      • Available to Students, Faculty, & Staff
      • Unlimited access to New York Times digital platforms
    • Wall Street Journal
      • Available to Students, Faculty, & Staff
      • Oneonta-Sponsored WSJ+ digital Memberships
  • Oneonta Public Transit
  • Planetarium
  • Science Discovery Center
  • College Camp - Great place to hike!
  • Look for a Facebook page for your favorite Oneonta business - they often will post sales and specials!
  • Applebee's
    • 2 for $25 - 2 entrees & 1 appetizer for $25
    • Watch for other promotions!
  • Burger King
    • Download their app for great savings!
  • Daddy Al's
    • Really good subs!
  • Big Al's BBQ
    • Snack-n-Cheese Monday
      • $2 Smack Dogs
      • Smack-n-Cheese bowls $7
    • $2 Tuesdays
      • All burgers, hotdogs, and veggie burgers are $2 (doesn't include premium toppings)
      • All milkshakes are $2 (when available)
    • Wing Wednesday
      • $1 wings and tenders
      • $7 wing/tender special: three wings, one side, and a drink
      • $10 wing/tender special: three wings, two sides, and a drink
    • $3 Thursday
      • All sandwiches are $3
      • Their bacon ranch cheddar fries are $3
    • Fried Chicken Friday
      • $5 for 2pc of dark meat with one side and a drink
      • $8 for 2pc of dark meat with two sides and a drink
      • $12 for 3pc of dark meat with two sides and a drink
      • $7 for 2pc of fried/cajun catfish with one side and a drink
      • $10 for 2pc of fried/cajun catfish with two sides and a drink
  • Fiesta Mexican Grill & Cantina
    • Taco Tuesdays - $2 Tacos!
  • Golden Guernsey
    • Really good ice cream
    • Often have great daily specials
  • Latte Lounge
    • Often have good priced specials
  • Moe's Southwest Grill
    • Get savings on Moe Mondays and sign up for their rewards program
  • Panera Bread Unlimited Sip Club
    • As of 07/17/2023 Sip Club Membership Cost is $11.99 a month or $119 .99 annually (which comes to $9.99 a month)
    • You can get one of the included beverages every 2 hours
    • Includes:
      • Charged Lemonades
      • Iced & Hot Coffee
      • Iced & Hot Teas
      • Fountain Beverages
    • This subscription will work in any Panera Bread.
    • Sometimes they have special offers where you can try for free
    • Also download their app to get great rewards & offers.

The Oneonta Area has some great places to go hiking. Here are a few of them:

Ways Save on Groceries
  • Start Meal Planning, it will:
    • Save Time - Planning your meals once a week means that you will not have to spend time during the week deciding what you will eat each day
    • Save Money - Meal planning allows you to buy only what you need in order to make your planned meals, this means you won't buy extra things that you might not wind up using. Also you can work sales and coupon savings into your meal planning to save even more money!
    • Ease your Stress - Having a plan of what you will eat each day of the week can remove the stress of having to decide what to eat each day. Also you can prepare some things ahead of time and make it easier for yourself when you are in a time crunch
    • Help you break your monthly grocery budget into weeks - knowing what you will eat each day will allow you to know exactly what you are spending for the week, this can in turn help you figure out a better monthly budget
  • Shop in your Pantry - before going to the store check what you have in your pantry. This will help you not double up on things you already have and taking stock of your pantry will help ensure you use up any fresh items you have before they go bad.
  • Buy in Season Produce - when produce is in season there is more of it available to buy and the price will often be cheaper. There are some things that you can buy while in season and freeze them so that you can use them while they are not in season.
  • Buy Regional Produce - when produce has to shipped farther from where it was grown, it often becomes more expensive. Looking for produce that was grown locally can often save you money and you will get it closer to when it is in its prime condition. Farmers markets are great places to find locally grown produce.
  • Pay Attention to Prices
    • Look at the cost of the same item in a different brand, there are often large price differences between brands, and many times the different brand can be just as good
    • Don't get caught thinking that buying in bulk is always cheaper! Always compare the unit price to see if it is actually cheaper. For instance you might think that the "family" sized box of cereal is cheaper because there is more of it, but if you look at the cost per lb it might actually be more expensive then buying the smaller box.
  • Make a Shopping List and Stick to it!
  • Look for Sales and Coupons - Sales and coupons are great ways to save money, the trick is to make sure that you don't buy something only because it is on sale or you have a coupon for it. If it is not something you would use anyway; don't buy it.
  • Upgrade your Ramen - Just because you are on a ramen budget doesn't mean that is all you have to eat, instead look for ways to improve your cheaper foods. Budget Bytes has some great ways to upgrade your ramen in the article 6 ways to upgrade your instant ramen.
  • Buy these frozen vegetables:
    • Spinach
    • Broccoli
    • Cauliflower
    • Peas
    • Corn
    • Green Beans
  • Buy these frozen fruits:
    • Pineapple
    • Melon
    • Blueberries
    • Strawberries
    • Avocado
    • Mango
  • Things you can freeze:
    • Citrus Fruit
      • You can freeze them whole, just toss them in the freezer
      • They will be easier to zest while frozen
      • They are easier to juice once thawed
    • Cheese
      • Cheese bought in bulk is often cheaper, however it can be hard to use it before it goes bad, however it freezes really well!
    • Ginger
    • Spinach
    • Tomato Paste
    • Bread
    • Baked goods
    • Left over vegetables
    • Pesto
    • Lettuce to be used in soups and smoothies. You can freeze it as whole leaves or puree it. The best types for this are:
      • Romaine
      • Butterhead
      • Thicker Lettuces
    • Cooked rice and grains
  • Fruits
    • Apples
      • Best stored in the Refrigerator
      • Make sure to store them alone, storing them with other produce will make both the apples and the other produce go bad more quickly
    • Oranges
      • Best stored in the Refrigerator
    • Pears
      • Best stored in the Refrigerator
      • Make sure to store them alone, storing them with other produce will make both the pears and the other produce go bad more quickly
    • Grapefruit
      • Best stored in the Refrigerator
  • Vegetables
    • Potatoes and Sweet Potatoes
      • Store in a cool dark place
      • Don't store with onions or produce that ripens quickly
    • Cabbage
      • Store alone in a high humidity drawer
      • It can stay good for months!
    • Onions
      • Make sure to store them alone, storing them with other produce will make both the onions and the other produce go bad more quickly
    • Carrots
      • Store in a high humidity drawer
      • Do not store with produce than ripens quickly
    • Celery
      • Wrap it in foil and it will stay crisp for weeks
      • Soaking wilted celery in water can often revive it's crispness
    • Winter Squash
      • Store in a cool dry place
    • Kale
    • Collards
  • Lettuce Tips
    • Wash your lettuce immediately when you get home (bacteria, dirt, bugs, and pesticides can make it go bad more quickly)
    • Lettuce that has just started to wilt can be revived by soaking it in ice water a few minutes before using it
    • Here is an estimate on how long each type of lettuce lasts
      • Head lettuce - 1-3 Weeks
        • tight heads will last the longest
        • if it looks like it is going bad peel off the outside layers, the outside will go bad before the inside does
      • Loose Leaf Lettuce - 7-10 days
      • Arugula - 2-5 days
      • Kale - 5-7 days
      • Spinach - 5-7 days

Tax Tips
  • W-2 - This will come from your employer
  • Form 1099 -You will receive this if some else paid you money
  • Form 1098-T - SUNY Oneonta will send this to you in January for any expenses you have paid
  • Form 8863 - You will need this to see if you qualify for education credits
  • Form 1098-E - Your Student Loan Servicer will send in January or make it available to you online
  • American Opportunity Tax Credit
    • Up to $2,500 per year for eligible students
    • Refundable up to $1,000 even if you don’t owe taxes
    • Can be claimed 4 times
  • Lifetime Learning Credit
    • No refundable credit worth up to $2,000 per year
    • If you are not claimed as a dependent you can take this credit yourself
    • Can be claimed unlimited times
    • Additional education from eligible institutions can mean you can take the lifetime learning credit even if you are only doing one class
  • Tuition and Fees Deductions
    • Can lower your taxable income up to $4,000
    • Must have paid qualified education expenses for a student enrolled at an eligible educational institution
    • If you can be claimed as a dependent you can’t take this
  • Student Loan Interest Deduction
    • Deduct up to $2,5000 in student loan interest
    • Can be claimed in addition to one of the above

Can claim after you graduate for life of loans

  • IRS Free File
  • Credit Karma Tax – some complex situations not included in the free version
  • H&R Block –You will need to upgrade from the free version for: HSA contributions, childcare or Retirement saver’s credit
  • Turbo Tax – You will need to upgrade from the free version for: student loan interest, HSA contribution, Child care expense
  • TaxAct – You will need to upgrade from the free version for: unemployment income, student loan interest, child or dependent care expenses, or HSA contributions
  • FreeTaxUSA – You can file your federal taxes free here, but filing the state taxes are not free

  • Scholarships, Grants, and fellowships are tax free as long as they were used only for education expenses
  • Determine if someone else will claim you as a dependent
  • Contribute to your 401K if your job offers it. Contributions of up to $18,000 can lower the amount of income you are taxed on and can make a big difference when you retire
  • If you have your own business you can claim deductions for business expense
  • The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program can connect you with a pro at little to no cost

Other Ways to Save

Below are some saving tips that SUNY Oneonta Employees and Students have recommended

  • Don't give exact change at the register - Instead save the coins in a jar or piggy bank. You'll be surprised at how quickly it adds up!
  • Consider Investing; even if it is a small amount.
  • Save for an emergency by having a portion of your paycheck automatically deposited into a separate bank account
  • If ordering food to be delivered (Sparingly, of course) try to get as many people at once to order together since there are delivery charges on the bill. The more people that order, the less each of you are paying towards the delivery charge.
  • It’s okay to say “no” when your friends want to eat out or if they ask you to go shopping if you are trying to save money.
  • Reach out to your local bank to see if they know of any Money Saving Resources.
  • Make your own Laundry Detergent.
  • Every time you get paid, first pay your expenses - then save a portion of whatever is left
  • Keep Track of What you have in your bank account
    • Overdraft fees can add up really quickly. Consider using a check register to know exactly what is coming into and going out of your account.
    • If you find yourself overdrawing your account often, you might be in a situation to consider a credit card .... Interest on a credit card can be much cheaper than overdrafts. Just make sure to always pay at least the minimum and pay it off every month if you can.
  • Look for discount codes
    • RetailMeNot
    • Unidays - good discounts for students
    • Amazon - Check out the lightening deals & deals of the day

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