From shopping at Northpark mall to going out in uptown, some students find themselves draining their bank accounts in order to have fun. However, some companies, both local and nationwide, have realized this and wished to help students stay inside their monthly budget—and SMU students like sophomore Jane Rizzuto are appreciating it.
“A lot of students are no longer supported by their parents so it is nice to catch a break every now and then,” she said.
Villa-O, a local Italian restaurant, is one of the great breaks Rizzuto spoke about. Thursday nights at Villa-O were deemed SMU nights with deals such as $10 entrees, $3 drinks, and 25 percent off all food to individuals with an SMU identification card.
“It is a fun atmosphere with deals too good to pass up,” Rizzuto said.
This idea was proposed to Villa-O last year by the marketing club at SMU in order to bring students together by advertising irresistible discounts. Niki Null, a member of the club points to social media for the success of the deal.
“Through Facebook and word of mouth, SMU night at Villa-O grew to a widely attended event,” Null said.
Just across the interstate from SMU is another great deal at Vapiano, according to junior Katie Broderick.
The Italian restaurant is “a casual, nice, while still quick Italian restaurant perfect for students on the go,” Broderick said.
Every Sunday, students receive half off on all menu items by showing a student ID.
“It is conveniently close to campus with great pizzas and even greater prices,” said SMU student Emily Schieble.
The discount brought in many students according to sophomore Kendal Lewis,.
“I go every Sunday and I always see everyone I know,” Lewis said.
A popular luxury other than eating out is shopping, which conveniently, or not-so-conveniently for students’ budgets, saturates SMU.
Yet, thanks to J-Crew, students “no longer fret over buying new clothes and accessories,” according to Melanie Evans, a customer of J-Crew in Northpark mall.
Nationwide, J-Crew stores offer 15 percent off to students with their student ID’s.
Sarah Wainright, an SMU sophomore and an employee of J-Crew said, “This gives students the opportunity to continue shopping with us, which is what we ultimately want.”
Traveling, another often pricey luxury, was made more accessible for lower incomes through studentuniverse.com, a discount airfare website specifically designed for students. Top airlines are compared on the site to find the overall best deal for the student, taking into account their travel times, while also showing less expensive days to travel.
Everyday new deals on airfare are advertised so students have options if they wish to get away for a weekend. Erin Simpson, a studentuniverse.com user, is a fan of the service.
“Studentuniverse helped me visit many of my friends around the nation for a very reasonable price. I enjoy seeing my friends and still having money left over to enjoy the trip,” Simpson said.
Some parents insist that college is the best four years of one’s life, and a budget doesn’t have to affect that. Molly Oas, a junior at SMU, takes the financial managing in college as experience.
“College is all about living on a budget,” she said. “You seek out opportunities to utilize student discounts.”
