It is no secret that college is expensive. With rising tuition costs and outrageous textbook prices, it is more important than ever for college students to control their spending. Here are just a few easy ways to save money that don't take much time at all!

1. Make a budget and stick to it.

Having a budget and sticking to it is easier than you think. Figure out how much income you have and how much money needs to be spent each month, such as a car payment or rent, then calculate how much is left over to be used for other things. If you aren't a fan of math or Excel, there are budget apps that are free to download that can do all the work for you.

2. Use coupon apps.

Cutting coupons can get annoying and remembering to bring them along with you is a problem. Thankfully, there are coupon apps like Retail Me Not and Cartwheel for Target that have hundreds of coupons every day for several different things such as restaurants and clothing stores.

3. Check out local thrift shops.

Stores that do not sell all their inventory will often donate it to thrift shops like Goodwill. If you look hard enough, you can find things with new tags or other gently used clothes and household items for a fraction of the cost.

4. Eat at restaurants with daily specials.

Places like Moe's with Moe Monday deals and others are great places to go for a discounted meal on a certain day of the week. Lots of places even have happy hour deals earlier in the evening with discounted menu items that can be a great money saver.

5. Take advantage of student discounts.

Lots of places have student discounts but rarely advertise it! It never hurts to ask, even if it is just a few dollars off.