“Living on the Cheap” in Keene

A Resource for Students/by Students on the Best Deals for a Tight Budget

Most students learn to live on tight budgets which is why we went straight to the source for the best deals around. Look below to find out how other students (and faculty and staff) are “Living on the Cheap” in and around Keene. Then, use the simple form to share your own tips for living on a budget in Keene. Check back often to see the latest additions.*

Food/Dining
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  "Living on the Cheap"
  in Keene
  
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  The Keene farmer's market on Tuesdays and Saturdays has fresh, local and relatively inexpensive fruits and vegetables...just within walking distance of Antioch. - Nora
- Armadillo's has delicious, fresh, Mexican food. Get the Burrito card and get the 11th burrito free. - Cynthia
- Look up local supermarket circulars on-line to compare what's on sale - Rebecca
- Stan's Discount Groceries: one is up Rt. 12 N in Westmoreland, another is in Troy (Rt 12 S from Keene). They have overstock and “recently expired” items at a fraction of retail cost. You have to be choosey, but there's lots of good stuff (including a surprising amount of organic/natural foods). - Ken
- Do a working share at a CSA - you get organic/natural produce for one day of work a week during the growing season. Plus you get a workout and agricultural education. -Ken

Events/Entertainment
- The Keene Cinemas has a discount student rate of $6.75 (instead of $8.00) when you show your student ID - Cynthia
- Find free events in the Monadnock Shopper News (performances, community events, meetings, etc.) - Rebecca

Housing
- Check out the community bulletin board on the second floor at Antioch for the 'hidden' places for rent at a reasonable price. Renting a house with classmates is always cheaper than renting an apartment. - Nora

Transportation
- If you live in town, you literally do not need a car and can walk to most stores and restaurants. That saves money! - Nora
- Carpool - Rebecca

Shopping
- Non-food items can be pricey, when bought at the supermarket. Look for toiletries, paper products, cosmetic supplies, kitchen tools, first aid and personal health items, gift wrap, mailing supplies, and more at a dollar store. I shop at: Dollar Tree, 360 Winchester St -May Louise
- Local thrift stores and consignment shops: Penelope's, Sak's Thrift Avenue, Good Fortune, and Halltree Thrift Shop) tend to have nice stuff. At Salvation Army and other thrift stores (St. James) you have to do a little more searching, but they can have some pretty unbeatable deals! - Ken
- Yard sales on the weekends! - Ken
- TJ Maxx - especially the clearance items - has some excellent new clothes and household items - Ken
- Keep an eye out for coupons for local businesses, especially in the Shopper News (Salvation Army often has one in there). - Ken
- Turn It Up!, the music store, has some of the best prices for music I've seen in a while (and I'm an avid music collector). Want to save even more - pick up a turntable at a yard sale or second hand store and raid their vinyl collection (including thousands of records from .25 to $1!!). - Ken

Services
- Local mechanics such as Jonah Erickson (“Fix”) and Brian Wheeler are very reliable and fair, and charge almost half the labor rate of dealer garages. - Ken

Health/Fitness
- The YMCA student rate is not bad - make sure you apply during the sign up period. - Ken

*The tips and suggestions on this page are the views and opinions of the students, faculty, and staff and do not necessarily reflect those of Antioch University New England. This site is for the use and benefit of Antioch University New England students, faculty, and staff only. It is not intended for advertisement or product endorsement purposes. First name and First Class address are required for all submissions. The Financial Aid Office and Web Services reserve the right to edit and delete submissions as needed. The site will be automatically purged on a regular basis to make room for new submissions.

Last Updated: 8/4/10