From top to bottom, The Hatchet is here to help you balance your GWorld spending. You will likely use up the majority of your GWorld money on items at the bottom of the pyramid, while the top shows once-in-a-while indulgences.

D.C. Fun

Spas
For a manicure, pedicure or waxing on GWorld, try Eurospa at 2029 K St. or Relaxed Tanning and Day Spa at 2112 F St. Treat yourself to a spa day without leaving campus.

Concerts
Check out Ticketmaster to use GWorld for select D.C. shows. Concerts, great for the under-21 crowd, give you a chance to get off Foggy Bottom for a night.

Household & Hygienie

Dry cleaning
Soapy Joe’s, Esteem Cleaners or the dry cleaning services at The Gallery in Ivory Tower basement will be your best bet for on-campus laundry and dry-cleaning services.

Toiletries
Shop at CVS for bathroom items, beauty supplies and household cleaning supplies. Look for weekly deals, and sign up for a rewards card to get coupons and discounts.

Hair care
For a decently priced haircut on GWorld, visit Bubbles Salon at 2020 K St., Watergate Barber Shop or Watergate Salon, both located at the Virginia Avenue complex.

Groceries & Grub

Lunch
Try Subway, GW Deli or Au Bon Pain for a sandwich at lunch. Sandwiches at Devon and Blakely are overpriced, but salads are cheaper than at local competitor, Sweetgreen.

Dinner
Froggy Bottom Pub, a campus favorite, offers deals like half-off pizza on Mondays. Another campus staple is Bertucci’s, an Italian restaurant right on campus.

Coffee
Steer clear of expensive Starbucks concoctions, when right across from Thurston Hall is Juan Valdez, an affordable and delicious nearby Colombian coffee place.

Late-night
Crepeaway, at 20th and L Streets, is open until 4 a.m. with a delivery option as well. Cone E. Island ice cream shop at 2000 Pennsylvania Ave. is also open late.

Supermarkets
When Foggy Bottom’s least expensive supermarket, Safeway, closed in December, students had to learn to be more savvy shoppers at other venues, like Whole Foods Market, FoBoGro and convenience stores like CVS and 7-Eleven on campus. Whole Foods is your best bet, but avoid the expensive salad bar. To spend your Dining Dollars and save precious Colonial Cash, buy granola bars, chips and trail mix from J Street’s to-go market, and fruit and veggies from the salad bar.

GWorld Don’ts

Do not buy books from the bookstore when you arrive on campus. Buy books from Amazon or rent from sites like Chegg, and wait until your professor tells you what books are absolutely necessary for class.

Resist the urge to drop hundreds in Colonial Cash on pricey electronics like an iPod. You will regret it later in the semester.

Avoid grocery shopping at CVS. Despite its convenient location on campus, it isn’t worth depleting your GWorld money for groceries that are much cheaper at Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s or school supplies that can be found for less at Target or Staples.

It is tempting to pick up groceries at FoBoGro, when you are grabbing a sandwich or salad downstairs, their upstairs grocery tend to be overpriced.