“Wanna go on a Dunkin’ run?”
“This weekend, we should either go to Kings Island or a concert in Columbus.”
“Let’s get Bill’s Donuts tonight!”
Let’s face it. We all want our time at Cedarville to live up to the standard of the “best years of our lives.” This looks like attending concerts, going on weekend trips, making frequent coffee stops and late-night Taco Bell runs, and shopping at the Greene in Beavercreek. We might be able to eat on campus and have cost-free fun in the great outdoors for the first month and a half of the school year, but once it gets colder here in the cornfields, we start finding more ways to have fun off campus. Which usually means your bank account will start to suffer.
During my freshman year at Cedarville, I was extremely frugal. So frugal that it became my social downfall. While my parents were proud and my bank account thrived, I said no to every activity that cost money, and I only ate on campus. Oof.
While it is wise to take advantage of study time and use your meal plan, I want to encourage you that instead of going from one extreme to the other, college is the time to learn a whole lot about balancing. Balancing your time, energy, bank account … the list goes on.
Fast forward three years, and I am now a senior wanting to do everything and getting frustrated about how much things cost! I would definitely encourage students to really consider getting a part-time job during their time at Cedarville to help pay for the extra fun things they want to do! There are lots of job options available on campus, and many of them come from asking around and making connections. However, that doesn’t always cut it, and it is still important to find the balance between stewarding our money well and not being the friend who says no to everything (aka freshman me).
A huge way we can steward our money well at Cedarville is by taking advantage of college student discounts on food or activities. Below I have listed five of my favorite places around Cedarville that offer discount days or provide student discounts:
- USA Skate Center in Springfield, Ohio
Roller blading this fall (2021)
Do you need a fun activity to do at the end of a weekend or hump day when you’ve hit that mid-week slump? From 6-8 p.m. on Sunday and Wednesday nights, USA Skate Center offers $5 skating and free rentals. Take a study break or end a fun weekend by skating with your pals.
- Rapid Fired Pizza in Xenia, Ohio
Pizza party at Rapid Fired, fall 2020
Right before you head to the skating rink (decked out in your 80’s gear, of course), head over to Rapid Fired with your friends and show them your student ID for a $5 pizza. On Wednesdays, you can get a $5 size 9” or 11” pizza when you show the cashier your student ID. You can get anything from a plain cheese pizza to a unique create your own pizza, adding any of your favorite sauce and toppings. My favorite is the thin crust pizza with BBQ sauce, chicken, pepperoni, and green peppers!
- Dayton Art Institute
Interested in a walk through a local art museum on a cold, rainy, or snowy Saturday? The Dayton Art Institute offers $5 tickets for general admission to college students.
- Thrift Shopping
Hiking in my thrifted green crewneck!
There are a handful of different thrift stores not too far from campus that are so fun to go with friends to shop for affordable, trendy clothes! I had not gone thrift shopping much before coming to Cedarville, but now it is something I really enjoy! If you want new-to-you clothes while balling on a budget, here are some of my favorite thrift stores: Plato’s Closet, Valley Thrift, and Discount Fashion Warehouse! I got one of my favorite crewneck sweatshirts that I wear every other day at Valley Thrift for $8! What a steal!
- BJ’s Restaurant
Two of my friends and their pizookies during sophomore year, fall 2019
This might be my favorite discount. BJ’s offers $3 pizookies on Tuesdays! A pizookie is a pie-cookie with ice cream on top! Cue the mouth watering. They come in so many different cookie flavors; two of my favorites are monkey bread and chocolate chip! You will definitely want to carve time out of your schedules for an after-dinner pizookie run on Tuesdays.
There are also many student discounts offered online for other services that you will want to take advantage of as a college student. Some of these include a student deal that gets you $4.99/month on Spotify, Hulu, and Showtime. This offer gets you Spotify Premium for only $4.99/month and also gives you access to Hulu and Showtime, when you register with your student email. You can also make an Amazon Prime Student account and get your first 6 months free and pay only $6.49/month after that. Spotify and Amazon Prime have become staples of mine since my freshman year at Cedarville. What more could you want than your favorite music with no ads or two-day shipping?
These are some of the discounts that my friends and I have found helpful as college students trying to have fun as well as wanting to spend our money wisely. I hope they are helpful for you during your time at Cedarville!
Majoring in Strategic Communication, Class of 2022
Where I’m from: Harleysville, PA
Favorite Class: Old Testament with Dr. Miller
Go to Rinnova Order: Hot Chocolate with whipped cream!
Tags: #cuadventures, #freetime, #studybreak
Posted in: Information, Lifestyle