Staying on budget is usually not a synonym for having fun right? With tuition, textbooks, and rent, typical college students are left strapped for cash. This post will hopefully make it a bit easier for grad students to afford some decent entertainment while saving money:
- ASUCI: The Associated Students at UC-Irvine or ASUCI is an official undergraduate student government at the University of California, Irvine. In addition to advocating and representing the student body on-campus, state level, and national level by providing students with resources and services. For instance, ASUCI offers discounted tickets to various parks and recreational activities around Orange County. To name a few of those vendors, discounted tickets are available for AMC and Regal movie theatres, Universal Studios, San Diego’s Zoo and Safari parks, aquariums and Six Flags.
- Discover student deals around campus: University Town Center (UTC) is a bridge away from UCI’s campus and it features many shops and restaurants. There are a lot of things to do around campus and UTC, where most of these events cost you less than $10 or are completely free. Check out for posters around campus and UTC for upcoming events.
- Utilize free public places: Orange County might have the reputation of being one of the most expensive areas in SoCal. However, there are still some activities around OC that cost almost nothing. You can, for instance, spend the day having a picnic at Irvine Regional Park, Crystal Cove State Park, or Woodbridge Lakes. If you are willing to pay $10 for a hot air balloon ride, then the Orange County Great Park is the place to go to. Huntington Beach is known as the Surf City and it hosts free street fairs every Tuesday featuring live music, farmers’ market, and numerous artistic vendors. Some cities even have free movie nights in the park.
- Take advantage of coupons and daily deal sites: Websites like Groupon have some great local deals. Groupon is a commission-based middleman service that broadcasts electronic coupons for local restaurants and stores promoting their services while offering you a 40%-60% discount with your purchase. You can find deals for recreational activities and games such as bowling, escape games, bike rentals, laser tag, etc. for insanely cheap prices.
- Take advantages of discounted travel websites: Being in school shouldn’t prevent you from packing your bags to travel around and explore new places. There are many websites such as Student Universe and CheapOAir that offer deals and special rates for flights and hotels for college students.
Sumaya AlmaneeHome Country: Saudi ArabiaDonald Bren School of Informatics and Computer Sciences
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