It’s no secret that college is expensive. Not just the tuition, housing, and textbooks, but basically everything else as well.

Do you want a coffee? That’ll be $5.

It is crazy how much it costs to receive a higher education these days. My peers and friends spend thousands of dollars of their own spending money on simple things like going out to dinner, getting snacks, going to concerts or shows, going to museums, transportation, clothing, gifts, and much more. Here are some ways to save some of your spending money, you broke college students!

1. Ways to Save Money on Food

It can be difficult to save money when all your friends are going out and you don’t want to miss out on a social opportunity. Instead of just missing out on a fun meal with friends, you can make something to eat at your place or get a cheaper meal before going out so you aren’t as hungry.

Then you can just order a drink, appetizer or side when you are out with your friends so you don’t have to pay for a full meal! If you do happen to order a full meal while out, odds are the portion is huge. You can always save half of your meal and take it home for your next meal, so you get two meals with your one purchase!

Also, there are many ways to find free meals on your campus. Whether it be clubs that have free food, a religious organization that provides meals, programs through your school, or using your meal plan, there are many ways to access cheap or free meals.

2. Ways to Save Money on Transportation

Uber and Lyft have gotten a lot of money from us college kids trying to get around from place to place. Depending on where your campus is located and what services your college offers, there are many ways to travel around for cheaper.

First of all, there may be Metro services available. You can get to great places far away for less than 2 dollars! And you can skip the traffic. Also, if you do Lyft or Uber, try to get a larger group of people together. Taking a regular Uber for 2 people would cost those people twice as much than if they went in a group of 4!

Also, instead of taking that quick Uber to your friend’s place, sometimes it doesn’t hurt to get some fresh air and take a walk. It really isn’t as bad as you think, and you can save money AND get exercise! A win-win!

3. Ways to Save Money on Clothing

There are a lot of pressures in college to dress a certain way and look a certain way. Luckily, there are ways to get around spending all of your available money on what you feel you NEED to have. First of all, if you need that cute new dress for an event, just ask some of your friends if they might have something you could use.

When you combine lots of closets together, the options multiply! You don’t have to spend any money on new clothes if you have a stylish friend or two willing to share their wardrobe. Also, there are many stores that have inexpensive clothing that look very similar to high-end brands. For example, "Forever 21" is a popular option.

Because summertime is rolling around, you should check out "Zaful" for high quality, very fairly priced swimsuits.

Finally, there are artsy thrift stores and donation outlets near every big area that house thousands of items with serious potential for cheap prices. My roommate always goes to the "Goodwill" near our campus and comes back with super cute things for a super low cost.

I hope some or all of these ideas sparked your attention and inspired you to save money any way you can. Happy saving!