Why I wish I was still a student with a Student Advantage Card
I’d like to preface by saying that I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. Any national holiday celebrating family and gluttony is A-okay in my book.
But you know what absolutely sucks about Thanksgiving? Public transportation. To be more specific, Greyhound/Peter Pan/Trailways bus-style public transportation, on the busiest travel day of the year, traveling along the #1 and #2 worst traffic situations in the whole United States (according to some traffic study, and in this case, the Massachusetts Turnpike and I-95 NYC area, respectively), spending 13 or so hours holed up in a bus/station(s) on a route that usually takes a little less than 5. Thanksgiving rocks.
Why the ominous title? Why do I still wish I were a student, wielding that ever-powerful Student Advantage Card? Well let me tell you a story. Way back in oh, 2006, there was a young man with big dreams for saving big money. Not being the embarrassed type to take a girl out to the movies coupon-book in hand, he happily cashed in on good savings opportunities whenever they presented themselves. So when his RA approached his dorm floor with a savings opportunity that he had to pay 20 bucks for, red flags went up. But he went for it. And boy did it pay out. He spent the next year happily saving 10-50% at his favorite online retailers, and the $10 cash back he earned on his first purchase (which was Dominos, which meant that Dominos pizza that night cost approximately 2 dollars) was an added bonus to sweeten the deal.
Most importantly, the young man routinely saved 15% at Amtrak to travel to and from home, using the reliability of railed transportation to his benefit (no frightening bus stations, no traffic jams…even though Student Advantage offers 15% off Greyhound too!).
You guessed it. That young man was me. And this year, in the spirit of saving money, I passed on the slightly more expensive train ticket to and from home in Jersey in favor of the Greyhound. Had I still had my Student Advantage card, the discount would have more than made up for the price difference, and I’d still have 8 hours of my life that I’ll never get back (a little dramatic, but still, it was an awful bus ride).
That logo is a sight for sore forced-to-watch-Polar-Express-twice-on-a bus-ridden eyes. If I still had my card, I’d be happily gobbling up savings on Christmas presents and would have already purchased my discounted train ticket home for Christmas. It’s not too late for you, I mean it.
- And if you’ve already used your Student Advantage card to save some money, tell me about it! Comment on what you bought and how much you saved, and I might have a special points code for you. Otherwise, enjoy this one: ONTHEBUSS
5 Most Recent Student Credit Card Blog Posts:
The Student Credit Blog is sponsored in part by:
I definitely need one of those!
anything that can help me save money,i’m all for it.
sad… good story though!
I’ve had one for a year now and I haven’t found a way to use it yet. I think it’s because I’m in a dinky college town. However, the discounts that are available are pretty amazing for any college student.
Wow…I need a student advantage..
Very interesting I need this card I’m signing up me and my sister
I’m gonna sign up. Sounds good … gonna save me a lot of money.
I would like to know if international students are eligible?
Shari, are you studying in the U.S.?
college puts so much stress on teenagers who can’t afford it. my parents are always telling me to fill out more and more scholarship papers, its never ending. everyone needs money our economy is going to hell.
Thanks!!
I need a card too
wow
sounds rough. I need a card
I’m planning to get a Student Advantage Card for my daughter. We weren’t sure how often she’d be taking the train, but as it turns out, she’ll probably ride frequently. The bus is not an option, as it doesn’t go near Nigara University where she attends college. The only problems we’ve had with the train are the usual delays, but since it’s a direct route, there’s no connecting train to worry about missing. She started school in the fall and has ridden twice so far, and she’s planning a round trip for the upcoming break. I had to drive her back to school after Thanksgiving because she had too much stuff to take with her, and the traffic was horrendous! I’d never made that trip before. At first I thought there must have been an accident on the thruway, but eventually I realized that it was just one huge bottleneck. I hope I never have to do that again!! I’m going to try the Student Advantage Card, but if the discounts don’t really add up, I just won’t renew it next year.