Do you hear that? That’s your bank account pleading for help.

The poor-college-student stigma is, unfortunately, not just a ploy to scare flighty high school graduates into being more responsible with their finances when they move on to college. Living on a budget is one of the first tastes of the real world that college has to offer. Although, some are more aware than others of its importance, there are a few things we should remain conscious of in order to maximize frugality.

Stop the Starbucks runs. I live off of coffee just as much as any other caffeine crazed human being, but never could I justify why I should spend money on my fix on a daily basis. Those boxes of k-cups you stock up on are, quiet possibly, the biggest rip off ever (right next to bottled water) when you could just as simply invest in the single cup reusable coffee filter for the Keurig. Your $1 cup of coffee per day will suddenly turn into $30 for the month. Feel like indulging in one of the fancier brews, upwards of $4 a cup? You’re monthly coffee expenditures are suddenly in the hundreds.

Brown is the new black. By that, I mean brown bags, and I do mean packing your lunches. Making a sandwich to eat between classes takes no more or less time than it would to stop by the nearest campus Chic-Fil-A, and it certainly costs a lot less. The grocery store beats any restaurant I could think of, because I get to make the menu. 

Less is more. Too many of us fall victim to over indulging on our shopping trips. Whether it’s the BOGO sales at the grocery store, or the cute tank tops a fraternity sent over a sign up sheet for, ask yourself a very serious question before you proceed to the check out: Do I really need this? More often than not, the answer is no. You may feel a tinge of anxiety at the lost opportunity, for what seems like a great purchase, but the balance in your bank account will thank you.

One person’s trash is another’s treasure. Few things sadden my heart as much as it does to see a perfectly good item thrown away. It could be food, or a barely used sheet of paper. Either way, it’s cash in the trash. If you notice expiration dates encroaching on the items in your fridge, see if there’s any way to preserve them before tossing them out. You'll be surprised how many things will keep in the freezer and thaw out to be just as fresh as the day you put them there. Think bread products, fruits, veggies – the list goes on.

As for house hold items, think twice as to whether something has lived up to its full potential as you walk it towards the trashcan. That half-used notebook could easily be saved for use in another class and there’s no shame in reusing the same folders for all four years of college.

The point is that wastefulness will, ultimately, be the downfall of our society. If you familiarize yourself with the small everyday ways in which you can create better spending and saving habits, the long run benefits will far exceed your forgone trip to the coffee shop.