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The Ithaca Commons and Collegetown offer many restaurants and shops to keep students busy, and both are within walking distance from their respective schools. Libby Sile, an Ithaca College sophomore, discovered The Commons during her freshman year.
"I walked to The Commons almost every week when I needed a break or some stuff downtown," she said.
Tompkins Consolidated Area Transit (TCAT) runs through both campuses as well as downtown and to the Pyramid Mall and Wegmans on Route 13. The TCAT is $1.50 per ride, but those dedicated to the bus can get a pass. Lena Yue, a junior at Ithaca College, prefers the bus to the local taxi services.
"After my first three weeks at college, I discovered that cabs are overrated and never took one again," she said. "The TCAT [isn't the best], but it's so cheap that I'll just deal with it."
Ithaca College students can get a semester TCAT pass for $120. Cornell students have a few more options. Registered Cornell students can ride the TCAT free of charge after 6 p.m. and anytime during the weekend by simply using their student ID card at the bus' fare box.
Students can also participate in the university's OmniBus program, which gives them unlimited use of the TCAT system by using their student ID. Students new to Cornell can join the OmniBus program free of charge for one
year. After that, the program costs $125 per semester. And even though many students do eventually get cars, abandoning the TCAT doesn't mean money can't be saved. Make sure to carpool or take turns driving with friends who also have cars. Asking around to see if anyone else needs to hit up Wegmans for groceries will make everyone's life a little easier and might even earn the driver some gas money.
For out-of-town trips, check craigslist, which even offers lists of rides to neighboring cities. If you're going to New York City, Boston, D.C. or Syracuse, you can often find ride shares.
Ways to Save: Entertainment
In addition to the city's built-up downtown areas, there is also an abundance of natural gorges and hiking trails to explore while the weather is nice. Both First and Second dam are near Ithaca College's campus and are popular local swimming destinations. The top of the Cascadilla Gorge path is tucked right next to the Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts in Collegetown (across from Collegetown Bagels), and the bottom of the path comes out just 10 minutes from The Commons.
There are even three beautiful state parks with great waterfalls in or near Ithaca - including Taughannock, which is one of the tallest natural waterfalls east of the Rocky Mountains. Unfortunately the parks all have parking fees; but then again, cars aren't always necessary thanks to Ithaca's public transportation system and walkable routes.
Cornell University has quads spread across its campus where students can relax outdoors. Though Ithaca College's campus isn't huge there are some nice grassy areas where students play Frisbee or simply sit and study. Yue said she and her friends don't need to venture down south hill to appreciate Ithaca's beauty.
"Ithaca is so pretty, we can always enjoy the scenery," she said. "We usually go out for picnics on campus in the fall."
Getting creative on campus can serve up many cheap or even free options.
"Game nights are great, especially if you have a prize for the winning team, usually candy," Yue said. "My friends and I constantly do scavenger hunts around campus, which turn into some pretty great stories. 'Hey, remember that time you almost got arrested on our scavenger hunt?'"
Many students opt to stick to movies by using either Netflix, Free Movies on Demand (if you have the cash to pony up a monthly cable bill on Time Warner), or using a swap-and-see method amongst friends. Stay up-to-date on the hottest flics while saving money and seeing more of your friends. Libraries on and off campus and downtown rent out blockbuster movies, TV shows, and other DVDs without having to wait a week or more for the next episode or season. Split your Netflix bill a few different ways by sharing the movie buzz with friends.
"About eight of us share a Netflix account. That's a really cheap way to see movies," Yue said.
Movie buffs who simply cannot live without the theater experience should pick up a Regal Crown Card. The card doesn't cost anything and will earn patrons a free popcorn every once and awhile.
Ways to Save: Food
Upper classmen living in an apartment or house likely get tired of cooking, but students in dorms would kill for a home cooked meal. All dorm buildings are equipped with kitchens, and Alexis McNutt, an Ithaca College sophomore, recommends taking advantage of them, even if they are small.
"When I can't afford to eat out but I want to do something, I cook," she said. "Cooking is more fun and much cheaper."
Signing up for a Wegmans card and a Tops card will save you money. It's been known that you can
save up to $70 in one trip to Tops. The points add up over time receiving a discount in groceries both at the time you purchase your food and at the end of the year when you total your points. With an abundance of coupons that come out of being a member of either supermarket as well as using GreenBacks that are available on campus and throughout the Ithaca area, the money you save on food adds up sufficiently over time. Even still, there are ways to fill up your grocery cart with discounts as well as getting away with a cart full of free food.
Joining the GreenStar co-op can help you save as well. The most basic membership will give you a 2% discount on purchases, but a worker-membership can lead to big savings: if you work two hours a month, you receive a ten percent discount, and two hours a week leads to a 17.5 percent discount.
"When your family asks what you want for Christmas and you have no idea what to say, ask for Wegmans gift cards, subscriptions to Netflix or gas cards," Sile said.
Ways to Save: Books
One of the lowest blows while in college is that biannualtrip to the bookstore. On-campus bookstores are the most expensive places to get textbooks. Even the used copies are sometimes a bit hard to swallow and some bookstores only carry the newest editions of texts.
If lists of required books are available before classes start - they can usually be found on department websites - then looking for the texts online is
a good idea. Places like amazon.com and cheapbooks.com cater to college students. But make sure to order ahead of time since it's not unusual for ordered books to far exceed their estimated times of arrival.
Keep an eye on Facebook at the end of the semester too, people are usually selling books they're finished with and they'll definitely be cheaper than in the bookstore after break. Also, look into selling books to friends at the end of the semester.
Campus bookstores buy most books back, but this should really be a last resort. Don't be surprised about getting $4 back for a book that cost $100 only four months earlier. There are a few better organizations around town that buy books from students.
Flyers for Belltower Books - which was actually founded by two Cornell students - will begin appearing around the campuses as classes wind down. Belltower works by appointment and representatives travel to people's rooms to buy the books. The prices are generally better than the bookstore. And if you're interested in earning some extra money for break, Belltower representatives hire students from both hills.
Ways to Save:
Furniture and Household Goods
Salvation Army, craigslist, Facebook marketplace feature, Sustainable Trends, and street shopping - picking up stuff on the curb around beginning to mid-August and at the end of May, beginning of June are ways to get goods on the cheap. Browse garage sales, the Dollar Store for kitchen supplies, classifieds ads in printed newspapers and publications around town, bulletins online or in GreenStar, TCAT bus stops, Collegetown Bagels, and other public hot spots for postings on items that are given away or sold at good prices. Often, people leaving town are anxious to get rid of perfectly good furniture at low prices. These are the people you want to find, and they're out there! Good luck!
