With statewide budget cuts to higher education and gas prices approaching three dollars per gallon, local college students are coming up with ways to save money. Transportation, entertainment, class supplies and household goods are some of the areas in which many students are monitoring their spending in.

When it comes to their driving habits, some students choose the traditional money saving options, such as carpooling, while others select a different route.

Justin Matherne, mass communication junior from Houma, is one student that falls into the first category.

“I’ve been driving a lot less,” Matherne said. “I usually ride with my friend. His car gets better gas mileage.”

Josh Cripps, science senior from Houma, is combining a traditional method with new technology to save money. Cripps said he carpools at least two days a week and uses a phone application to locate the cheapest gas prices in town.

Samantha Troia, mass communication sophomore from LaPlace, said she commutes about 10 hours a week, so she tries to carpool with others on the weekends.

The cost of entertainment, such as movies, has also increased. According to Gizmodo.com ticket prices have increased by 66 percent over an 80-year period. Even popcorn prices have increased, but by 666 percent. Which, Gizmodo.com pointed out, is, “evil, as numbers don’t lie.”

Increases such as these have led students to explore other options to occupy themselves with when they are not working or studying.

Troia said she used to go to the movies all the time but now has a Netflix membership.

Cripps said he does not go to many movies anymore, but he still views them online or rents them from a Red Box.

Matherne said that he doesn’t go to the movies at all anymore because the prices are ridiculously high.

Household items are another budget concern.

“Name brands are no longer an option,” Cripps said.

Matherne said he usually just grabs whatever he needs from his parents’ house.

Students also continue to look for the best prices for their textbooks required for class.

Cripps said he asks students who have already taken a class he plans to take to see if PowerPoint is used for notes.

“If it is, then I go without buying the textbook,” Cripps said.

Other students search online to find the best deals on used books.

“I try to find them on Amazon,” Troia said. “I also try to find someone else who has the class at a different time and share with them.”

John Lajaunie, professor of finance and economics, said that though Nicholls has always been a commuter university, he has noticed a money-spending trend in the past few years.

“When you go in the parking lot, you see a lot of new cars and higher-end used vehicles,” Lajaunie said.

Lajaunie said that many students on campus also have smart phones which require an additional monthly charge for Internet access.

“Students should ask themselves the question: might I be better off staying out of debt?” Lajaunie said. “They are very wired technologically, but at the same time, they are very disconnected financially.”

Lajaunie said Nicholls students have always had to balance jobs and their classwork, including himself, who worked a full-time job while taking 18 hours as a student.

“I didn’t sleep,” Lajaunie said.

Lajaunie said that students are going through college as fast as possible because they have to pay for it.

“Even those who have TOPS and other scholarships have other responsibilities” Lajaunie said.

Lajaunie has one thing to say to students facing difficult financial times: “Keep debt low.