Christmas is the one time that most students usually pack it in and head home for the holidays.
There are quite a few things that you can do in order to ensure that your bank account isn’t empty by the time that you come back to school.
Organize a Carpool
 Well in advance of the holidays, put an ad on Craigslist in your town stating your destination and that you will take others for gas money. Keep in mind that everyone, including you, will have lots of luggage so plan to road trip with a maximum of 2 other people, leaving a couple of seats free in the back to be packed with stuff.
You may not even need the internet – just post a notice with your phone number on campus in high traffic areas and you’ll have the car packed right away. To determine a fair price, find out how much bus fare is to your destination town and halve the price. If it doesn’t add up to less than half of the cost of your gas for a round trip, charge that price.
Otherwise charge them what your fuel cost would have been and remember that you are providing a service by driving them, so don’t give in to whines about how they should only pay for a third of the cost of the fuel. You’ll have enough takers that you will be able to get your price. Just don’t make it outrageous.
Find a Carpool
If you don’t own a car, you are generally stuck with the more expensive options of train, bus, or plane. Sign up with a service like carpoolconnect.com to try to find someone going to your town for the holidays. Local versions are usually available if you do a Google search for “your town” + carpool.
Expect to pay about half of what you would have paid to take the bus and recognize that the service is worth a bit more than a share of the gas if you are lucky enough to find someone.
Airplane Fares – Don’t Rule them Out
 Most University students wouldn’t even consider paying for airplane tickets unless they live on another coast from where they go to school. Take a look at fares on discount sites such as cheaptickets.com – you may be surprised at what is offered. Look for fares outside of the dates that everyone else will be traveling.
This means the Thursday rather than the Friday before the holidays and the Monday rather than the Sunday following the holidays. Ask if you can write any exams that you may have on those dates early and if you can make up any classes that you may miss prior to booking – don’t mess up your academics just because you can score a deal.
As an added bonus, you’ll arrive at your destination stress-free and a day early, giving your Mom that extra time she’ll need to do your laundry.
Lighten Up on Gifts
 While other members of your family may do what they please, suggest that you draw a name for presents this year. This way you don’t feel obligated to get everyone a gift. Everyone will understand given that you are a student and on a limited budget.
If you have small children in the family, suggest that you all focus your buying power on them and just give each other your presence, not presents. Be prepared for the more ignorant of your family members to protest.
If they won’t agree to pick names, have one of your parents pick a name for you and buy a gift for that person alone. Don’t let the greediness of family members shame you into spending money that you don’t have.
Go Easy on the Partying
You’ll want to catch up with friends almost immediately after getting home. Arrange in advance to meet at a friend’s house rather than going to a bar or restaurant. Pizza and a case of store bought beer are way cheaper than a bowl of pasta and overpriced booze. Limit yourself to one night out and give yourself a budget for that evening that you don’t go over.
Stay At School
December holidays tend to precede a rather vigorous phase of most semesters. If you are truly cash-strapped use the old “I have to catch up on studying” excuse to stay at school. While your family may not be happy, they will understand and will probably be very supportive once they get over the initial disappointment.
If you are staying in residence, organize a holiday get-together with your fellow resident students with some home cooking and good times. Probably the most stress-free holiday you’ll ever spend!
Resources
carpoolconnect.com – US directory of car pools.
Cheaptickets.com – cheap plane fares
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