Some students know the clichéd term “starving college student” on a rather personal basis. Bargains, coupons and savings in general are hot commodities, if they can be found.
One possible example is the Starving Student Card. Many have seen one; some have even bought one, but is it really a money saver?
Some students chose to buy one, but now may be rethinking that decision.
“I got one because The Galley plans changed. Therefore with hopes of saving a couple of bucks while on my own, I gave into the peer pressure of those around me,” said Nic Holland, a senior from McCall, Idaho.
“I don’t really think that it is worth it. I never use it on dates, because girls think it looks cheap. It limits your options,” Holland said. “It is kind of like ‘let’s get a small so that we can get one for free. Let’s go on a starving student card date!’ No way; not with me. That will increase my rejection rate!”
Also a factor in students’ decisions is the cost of the card.
“I decided not to get one because I didn’t want to spend more money,” said CaSaundra Christensen, a sophomore from Linden, Utah. “For me it was a waste of money because I would forget to use it. I had a roommate who would save a lot of money, but I only used it a couple of times.”
Some students said they didn’t buy a card because they thought they would forget to use it.
“Last semester when I got one, there weren’t enough opportunities to use it. If I didn’t have it at all, I would go on cheap dates. After having spent $15 on it, I would feel like I would have to go spend money at places where I normally wouldn’t go,” said Allen Fordham, a sophomore from Weyers Cave, Va. “If you like to go out on the town on fancy dates, then it is worth it.”
However, sponsoring businesses seem to be enjoying the benefits.
“We get more business once people start seeing what’s on the card. I think they will use it more,” said Carly Cheney, a freshman from Perrysburg, Ohio, who works at Hogi Yogi.
A lot of publicity is one major advantage for businesses.
“[Having our name on the card] significantly increases business. People come in that normally wouldn’t. We put our name on the card to get people to come in. We are trying to reach a larger target market,” said Dallen Ricks, a senior from Rexburg, who works at Jamba Juice.
Other savings cards are also available, such as Green Card or Serious Savers.
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