Budgeting Your Money

One of the easiest ways to have fun while keeping expenses under control is to take advantage of free campus and community events. From festivals and outdoor concerts to campus celebrations and family activities, these gatherings provide entertainment, opportunities to connect with others and memorable experiences without the cost of admission. By regularly looking at the NIU Events Calendar, you can enjoy everything our community has to offer without stretching your budget.

As a student you're also able to:

• Attend all NIU Athletics home games with free admission. All you need to do is download your tickets from the NIU Athletics box office to your mobile device and show up on game day.
• Enjoy performances hosted by our School of Music and School of Theatre and Dance for free by creating an account with the College of Visual and Performing Arts box office and reserving your ticket in advance.
• Access NIU Recreation by simply using your OneCard ID to enter. Use our fitness machines, participate in intramural sports and take advantage of all NIU Recreation has to offer.

Free to all students, our Huskie Food Pantry, Huskie Harvest meals and Edible Campus gardens provide nutritious food to ensure you’re feeding your mind and maintaining your energy as you continue to work toward your goals.

• Save time and money by skipping the trip to the grocery store. As a Huskie, you can visit our Huskie Food Pantry to get free staples such as fresh produce, canned and boxed goods, and household and hygiene products.
• Huskie Harvest is an innovative program focused on reducing food insecurity and minimizing food waste. Our team recovers surplus food from campus and community events and locations, then packages it into nutritious, ready-to-heat meals you can pick up at several locations around campus.
• Thanks to the Edible Campus program, fresh produce is available right outside our doors in the heart of campus. Anyone may pick ripe fruits and vegetables from the raised beds on the west side of Founders Memorial Library or from the gardens on the south side of Neptune Hall. Remember to be thoughtful of nature’s pollinators and do not pick the flowers.

One way to save money, and space in your closet, is to limit your wardrobe. Only buy clothing you really need and take care of the clothing you have.

If you have access to a washing machine, you should be able to get by with seven to 10 T-shirts  and an equal number of undergarments and pairs of socks. Combined with three or four pairs of jeans and five or six sweaters, your wardrobe should be in good shape. If you can, try to buy higher quality items while they are on sale or when you can get them at a discount.

NIU has two campus resources available to help you save money on clothing.

• Our Huskie Closet, located in the Chick Evans Field House, offers free casual and career clothing to all NIU students in a welcoming environment. You can take up to five items each time you visit. Check-out is at the front desk, and you just need to provide your OneCard.
• Our College of Business operates Barsema's Closet, which provides NIU students with access to affordable professional attire. Located in Barsema Hall Room 309, Barsema's Closet is open several times throughout the semester.

Taking public transportation to get around campus and DeKalb can save you money by limiting gas, insurance and parking expenses. The Huskie Bus Line is operated by the city of DeKalb and offers a variety of routes with many stops, both on and off campus. If you're a current NIU student, you can ride the bus for free by showing your NIU OneCard. The Huskie Bus Line also offers the Huskie Safe Line when you need to travel late at night.