School’s out, sun’s out…wallets out?

When you’re in college, that small break between the end of classes and the start of jobs, internships, camp—or the end of these activities and the start of the upcoming semester—is a time of much needed relaxation. Many of us take advantage of this short timeframe by trying to cram in everything fun we can possibly think of doing. And after practically throwing our dollars at concerts, road trips, beach days, museums, food markets (Smorgasburg, anyone?) and anything else within reach, we WILL later be faced with a lot of good memories, a little regret, and possibly a declined credit card.

BUT what if I told you it doesn’t have to be this way?! What if I told you that just by easing yourself into a few new habits, you could still have a little money left once the school year starts up again. It’s actually possible. I promise. Here are my personal top five money-savers:

5. Make your (iced) coffee at home. Yeah, yeah, you’ve all heard this before. I know. Everyone knows they should, yet no one seems to actually follow through. Come on people!!! Let's get on board! I like to make a pot of coffee at night and keep it in the fridge to make iced coffee the next day. In the morning, pour it in a to-go mug, pop a few ice cubes in there, and you’re set! The same goes for food of any kind really: cooking at home will instantly save you a few bucks here and there. Whether you are heading to the park, the beach, on a hike, or on a plane, pack food from home. Homemade snacks will make both you and your wallet happy.

4. If you do go out to eat, order a vegetarian option. This one is pretty self-explanatory. Veggie meals tend to be cheaper than ones containing meat. They are usually much healthier too. The animals, your body, and obviously your wallet will thank you.

3. Learn to love DIY. You’re probably beginning to notice a trend here. All the things on this list so far have involved some king of ditching the store-bought version and using a you version. While you may think this only applies to things like the aforementioned coffee and meals, it can actually transfer to so much more. Learning a new skill like cutting and dying your own hair, making your own beauty products, like hair and face masks, and re-purposing ordinary household objects into something you might otherwise pay full-price for is an absolutely ingenious and foolproof way to hold on to your cash.

2. Learn to budget. Everyone prioritizes their money in different ways. That being said, there is really no wrong way to spend your money (that is, unless you spend it all!). However, having a concrete number in front of you makes you more aware of what exactly you are putting your money towards, how much you are putting towards it, and how much room you have to potentially cut back. I like to keep a “Note” on my phone, so I can manually designate and organize the funds I am working with. But there are also several apps that can do this task for you, like “Spending” or even the wallet function already programmed into the iPhone.

1. Use saving apps and websites. This is the 21^st century people!!! You do not live under a rock. Use this to your advantage, and explore the World Wide Web. You will surely find discounts, on discounts! There are so many options out there, so just get searching. My personal favorite is The University Network (TUN). In addition to offering a website and an app, they literally have EVERYTHING: student discounts near you, online scholarships that you can filter through to find ones that are a good fit for you, an incredibly helpful blog with articles about student life, resume advice, saving strategies, etc. They even have an option where you can search for any textbook, and they compare EVERY SINGLE VENDOR TO FIND YOU THE CHEAPEST OPTION. Yep, you read that right. Basically, it’s magic.

Remember: summer really is the perfect time to implement small changes, like these, that can eventually lead to huge positive outcomes.Try out these tips to find out what works for you and what doesn't. Make sure to leave a comment below: what are some of your best money saving strategies this summer?