How to travel on a budget over winter break

BY AISLING DOHENY AND KAHLA STATEMA | The Statesman ‘Tis the season for peppermint flavored drinks, shorter days, longer nights and giving thanks to our family and friends over a home-cooked meal. Soon students will be traveling back home for Thanksgiving and, before long, winter break as well.

For many, the holidays mean a relatively quick drive to their parents’ house and a couple weeks of vacation from school. For others, traveling home isn’t quite as simple.

For student Nicole Spenningsby, her home is North Dakota.

“The drive home for me is five and a half hours away,” Spenningsby said. “And that drive can get kind of long, especially in the winter.”

Spenningsby’s drive home is twice as long as someone who is traveling to the cities area. Traveling for her often involves a bit more thought beforehand.

One element Spenningsby takes into consideration is the cost of her trip. For many, the hole that burns through a wallet is something that’s all too familiar.

Spenningsby fills up her tank twice during round-trip outings. Once before she leaves Duluth and again before she leaves North Dakota.

“It usually takes about 35 dollars for me to fill up my tank and I have a car,” she said.

On a positive note though, gas prices have been declining in recent months.

“I’ve definitely noticed a difference in gas prices,” Spenningsby said. “My freshman and sophomore year I think I would pay around 45 dollars to fill up my tank so I’ve noticed about a ten dollar difference.”

Controlling gas prices is out of the question, but students can check out several sites to see which gas station has the cheapest prices.

One such website is GasBuddy.com. GasBuddy offers a tool where users can search local gas prices and figure out which locations are best to use. The prices are updated daily and addresses are provided.

According to two authors from GasBuddy.com, the average gas cost of 2015 will be two dollars and 64 cents. This forecasted price reflects the average monthly cost of gas around the nation since January and a likely range in the coming months.

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration this average price is less than the 2014 average price which was $3.30 per gallon.

Peak gasoline prices in Minnesota this year ranged from $2.85 to $3.20.

GasBuddy.com also states that gasoline prices steadily drop from September to December, just in time for the college students who need to make their way home.

According to Spenningsby, the most important thing is that going home is worth it.

The cost of driving is only one factor in holiday expenses. On top of gas, students juggle buying gifts while also trying to save money.

Having extra cash during the holidays is not an easy task for any college student. Picking up extra shifts at work while balancing the stress of the end of the semester can be unrealistic to many.

“Saving money during the holidays is almost impossible,” junior Alec Hogstad said. “I try to eat out less or cut down on anything that is not a necessity, but it’s not easy.”

Some students make Do it Yourself (DIY) gifts which makes it easier to save money.

Giving gifts to only your closest friends and family is another way to save money.

“I buy gifts for my family and that’s about it,” Hogstad said.

But the holiday season isn’t only about the gifts that we give and receive.

“I like the holiday spirit where everyone just gets together instead of giving out a ton of gifts,” junior Lauryn Aanerud said.

“The holidays are time to spend with family and to take a break and realize what you have to be thankful for,” Hogstad said. “I care more about spending time with the people I care about.”

Affordable gifts for college students to give to their parents could simply be cooking dinner for them, a sibling family portrait or a personal scrapbook.

Using your student ID for discounts is another great way to save money during the holiday season. So while students brainstorm the perfect gifts for their mom or dad and plan their road trips home, it’s important to remember that there are ways to save money and be efficient.

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