Independence, your own room or more space are all reasons students move off campus into houses or apartments. But with a new home also comes responsibility and expenses.
Students have more bills to pay when they move off campus. When they live on campus, the cost of cable, Internet, water, gas and more all are included in one bill. But after they move off campus, tenants often take care of these expenses separately.
"I pretty much knew what expenses there were," packaging sophomore Kelly Jahn said about moving off campus. "But I had never had city water before so I didn't know that (sewage) was a charge."
Lynn Petrie, a finance assistant with the city of East Lansing, said it is estimated that a four-person house in East Lansing uses 24,000 gallons of water every three months, which is a quarterly payment of $166.83.
Another utility students might overlook is their gas bill.
Terry DeDoes, a spokesman for Consumers Energy, said he recommends students to go to the company's Web site to get cost comparisons and energy saving tips.
Students can save 1-3 percent off their heating bill per month if they dial the thermostat down from recommended 68 degrees Fahrenheit, DeDoes said.
Electric bills, which are included in room and board, also can be a new expense for off-campus dwellers.
John Strickler, spokesman for the Lansing Board of Water & Light, said the typical East Lansing house pays $36 a month for electricity.
If students choose to wire their homes with cable TV and Internet, they have a lot of choices, said Justin Crick, spokesman for Comcast Cable. He said students can choose between packages with only 10 TV channels or more than 100 channels. They can purchase cable Internet and lease a modem for $3 a month if they don't have one, he said.
"A pretty common (monthly) package is about $86 for Internet and cable," Crick said.
And when people move off campus, there are many food options. Buying groceries can get expensive - more than $100 per week - but some students buy on the cheap side, spending around $40 each week for food. University Housing also sells meal plans to off-campus students.
"I don't know the exact cost of a meal plan but it's a lot cheaper to go to the grocery store to make your own food," Jahn said.
Another thing some students don't budget for is buying furniture if their places comes unfurnished.
"I have hand-me-downs from my family and my boyfriend's family," said BriAnne Havens, a social work graduate student.
Students might also worry about laundry costs. Some tenants do not have a washer and dryer in their residence and might need to go to a laundromat to wash their clothes.
Nick Tesseris, the owner of Point Laundry, 2800 E. Grand River Ave., said the students who frequent his laundromat spend about $7 to $8 every two or three weeks. He said going to a laundromat also is more efficient than washing clothing in the dorms.
"We hear a lot of positive responses that it would save you time to go to a laundromat," he said.
But students often forget there are more expenses than just these major costs.
"I forgot about little things like light bulbs," said Jacob Stella, a telecommunication, information studies and media senior.
Yet, Stella said he thinks living off campus is a better deal.
"I feel I save a little more money that way," he said. "I added it all up before I moved off."
