College is a time of endless homework, minimal time for a job, and always being broke. Students look forward to free handouts and new supplies of ramen. Cheap is typically the deciding factor when shopping and running errands.

Local businesses in Storm Lake like to work with Buena Vista University (BVU) in order to make shopping a little more affordable for students.

Better Day Café offers a lot of space for students to study, eat, and enjoy coffee and ice cream. The local café wants to tap into the BVU community to generate more business from students. They offer 10% off on orders made by college students at BVU.

Local shoe store, Brown’s Shoe offers discounts to BVU athletes. So far they’ve only given discounts to the track and cross country teams as they have been the ones to approach Brown’s Shoe. But they encourage other athletes to come in for shoes as they will honor the discount for them as well. They offer 30% off.

Daily Apple offers a 15% discount on all clothing, vitamins and supplements to BVU students. These essentials are great for students seeking health and wellness products to stay healthy in college.

Pizza Ranch works closely with the BVU community, helping with fundraisers and offering discounts to students. They offer 10% off the buffet and $1 off regular menu items.

If BVU students bring their ID into Subway, the employees will honor it with a free cookie with the meal.

While Sugar Bowl Gift Shop doesn’t have an actual student discount, they encourage them to sign up for their “Sweeter Club.” The first purchase when signing up is 15% off. Any deals and discounts after that are sent to the member’s cell phone.

Working with local businesses is a good way to get items you need while saving a little cash. Ask around about discounts at other places as most local businesses are happy to work with students to establish good relationships and help out.