The school year is finally wrapping up! Summer is the perfect time to hang out with friends from home, go on vacations, go to concerts or festivals and eat all the food you’ve been missing out on while you were away at school.

There’s just one problem: You’re completely broke.

It’s fairly hard to have a good time during the summer without some money in your bank account. Especially if you need to save up funds for the next school year as well! So here are some tips, tricks, and ideas to save you money over the summer!

1. Get a job!

This might seem obvious, but some people need a little more push and shove to work. I know, you just got back from school, working is the LAST thing you’re going to want to do. But it’s also a guaranteed way to make some dough over the break. If possible, look for jobs that pay under the table, such as nannying or babysitting, to get the most bang for your buck.

2. 60-40 rule

The 60-40 rule is one that I’ve recently been using, and it’s helped me save so much money! This works best if you have a source of income. The idea is that 60% of what you earn gets put into your savings account and 40% of what you earn can be used for free spending. This is perfect for summer since it still allows you to spend some money and have a good time!

3. Reward yourself

Okay, this one sounds redundant, but it has worked for me in the past! The idea is you have a goal amount of money that you want to save, and when you get halfway there, you can buy yourself something nice. That will encourage you to keep saving up to get what you want.

4. Student discounts

We’re college students and a ton of places offer student discounts. Use these to your advantage! Even if it’s just a small amount of cash you’re saving up, that small amount will begin to grow into something bigger! Here are a few places that offer student discounts:

Waffle House – 10% off with student ID

Apple Music - $4.99 a month with student email

Spotify/Hulu – get both for $4.99 per month with an eligible student email

Amazon Prime – Get it for free for 6 months, then pay a discounted $49 a year.

Chipotle - Free drink with student ID

Chick-fil-a – Free drink with student ID

5. Money challenges

Money challenges are a fun way to save up money and are great for a competitive person! One common challenge is the $5-dollar bill challenge. The idea is that anytime you receive a $5 bill you put it in an envelope. You’ll be surprised at how much you can save just by stock-piling your $5 bills! You can also do this challenge with $1 bills or with both $1 and $5 bills.

I hope you have a great summer filled with amazing adventures! You can do it all by saving your money this summer. Good luck!