As Wolverines, saying "Go Green" is enough to get you kicked off of campus. But when it comes to money, going green is better than the alternative. Fizz asked all of our Umich friends for money tips on campus and came up with the following.
This one's not just Wolverine-specific, but I can't tell you how much money I wasted buying books that I never opened once all semester. Pro tip? You can use the Interlibrary Loan Program website to request almost any book for free, even if they don't have it on campus. The library will request the book from other schools and they'll ship it to campus for little to no charge. The best part? You can do the whole thing online.
All my friends shop at Chez Betty. If you're not careful, snacks and drinks can easily eat up a large chunk of your monthly budget. Chez Betty has by far the best prices, and it's conveniently located on North. There is a catch though, Chez Betty is only for EECS folks.
From out of state and flying home for the odd break? Ubering from Ann Arbor to DTW is pricey, and you can't always find a friend with a car to ride with. The Michigan Flyer has book-in-advance tickets to and fro Detroit Metro Airport for around $12, and they often run special promos. Michigan Flyer all booked? Check the campus Reddit for people looking to carpool. Bonus: This one also gives you points for minding your carbon footprint.
Ever been stuck at Mojo and too tired to walk back all the way to West Quad in the cold? Yeah, me too. Thankfully the University provides an alternative to frostbitten cross-campus walks and pricey rideshares. Check out SafeRide. Available to download on both IOS and Android, SafeRide free and about as easy to use as Uber and Lyft. We've got to warn you though, SafeRide could take a while to come on busy nights so it's best to plan ahead.
Researchers in the social sciences departments are doing studies all year round. They're always on the hunt for participants, and have the university funding to back it up. Many of the studies don't require more than 20 minutes of work on a computer (sometimes they even give you free coffee!), and some even pay hundreds of dollars. If you're taking a class like COMM 102, you'll have to participate in studies anyway, so you might as well get paid for it.
Free merch is everywhere on campus, everywhere. One of the people we asked racked up 12 free shirts in her first semester alone. There's no reason to pay sky high prices for merch you can get elsewhere. Looking for a place to begin? Basketball games, tailgates, clubs and even secondhand stores have brand new Maize and Blue for majorly low prices. For the record, we have nothing against M Den.
You know that feeling, at the end of the year, when you just want to pack your stuff and go? Each year, that results in a ton of new or barely used supplies on the market (like FB marketplace, Ladies of UofM and Maize Market). You can find everything from brand new furniture to shelving, televisions, cleaning supplies and even laptops. A friend from the West Coast even got a barely used North Face for more than half off, so it's not just limited to housing supplies.
Your credit score is like your GPA for the real world. With a good one, life will be easier after you graduate and everything from the monthly payments on cars to the interest rate you'll pay for a mortgage will be lower. Good credit also makes it easier to get approved to lease an apartment and can save you thousands if you have student loans to refinance. Ready to get started building credit? Fizz is the debit card for college students that establishes credit history, just like a credit card. Plus, we offer unrivaled discounts on campus. You can sign up for Fizz down below.
As Wolverines, saying "Go Green" is enough to get you kicked off of campus. But when it comes to money, going green is better than the alternative. Fizz asked all of our Umich friends for money tips on campus and came up with the following.
This one's not just Wolverine-specific, but I can't tell you how much money I wasted buying books that I never opened once all semester. Pro tip? You can use the Interlibrary Loan Program website to request almost any book for free, even if they don't have it on campus. The library will request the book from other schools and they'll ship it to campus for little to no charge. The best part? You can do the whole thing online.
All my friends shop at Chez Betty. If you're not careful, snacks and drinks can easily eat up a large chunk of your monthly budget. Chez Betty has by far the best prices, and it's conveniently located on North. There is a catch though, Chez Betty is only for EECS folks.
From out of state and flying home for the odd break? Ubering from Ann Arbor to DTW is pricey, and you can't always find a friend with a car to ride with. The Michigan Flyer has book-in-advance tickets to and fro Detroit Metro Airport for around $12, and they often run special promos. Michigan Flyer all booked? Check the campus Reddit for people looking to carpool. Bonus: This one also gives you points for minding your carbon footprint.
Ever been stuck at Mojo and too tired to walk back all the way to West Quad in the cold? Yeah, me too. Thankfully the University provides an alternative to frostbitten cross-campus walks and pricey rideshares. Check out SafeRide. Available to download on both IOS and Android, SafeRide free and about as easy to use as Uber and Lyft. We've got to warn you though, SafeRide could take a while to come on busy nights so it's best to plan ahead.
Researchers in the social sciences departments are doing studies all year round. They're always on the hunt for participants, and have the university funding to back it up. Many of the studies don't require more than 20 minutes of work on a computer (sometimes they even give you free coffee!), and some even pay hundreds of dollars. If you're taking a class like COMM 102, you'll have to participate in studies anyway, so you might as well get paid for it.
Free merch is everywhere on campus, everywhere. One of the people we asked racked up 12 free shirts in her first semester alone. There's no reason to pay sky high prices for merch you can get elsewhere. Looking for a place to begin? Basketball games, tailgates, clubs and even secondhand stores have brand new Maize and Blue for majorly low prices. For the record, we have nothing against M Den.
You know that feeling, at the end of the year, when you just want to pack your stuff and go? Each year, that results in a ton of new or barely used supplies on the market (like FB marketplace, Ladies of UofM and Maize Market). You can find everything from brand new furniture to shelving, televisions, cleaning supplies and even laptops. A friend from the West Coast even got a barely used North Face for more than half off, so it's not just limited to housing supplies.
Your credit score is like your GPA for the real world. With a good one, life will be easier after you graduate and everything from the monthly payments on cars to the interest rate you'll pay for a mortgage will be lower. Good credit also makes it easier to get approved to lease an apartment and can save you thousands if you have student loans to refinance. Ready to get started building credit? Fizz is the debit card for college students that establishes credit history, just like a credit card. Plus, we offer unrivaled discounts on campus. You can sign up for Fizz down below.
