As a freshman, the only thing on your mind is having fun. The new sense of freedom granted with going to college comes with a certain lack of monetary judgment. I think we can all admit to those nights when we carelessly spent money at the bar and those mornings cringing at the remains of our bank account. Yet, as senior year comes closer and closer, so does the unfortunate threat of loan payments, living on our own, and paying a constant stream of bills. Take it from someone who carelessly spent money on frivolous shopping sprees, dinners out, and bar hopping only to be thrown into the world of bill payments frantically looking for a job to pay them all. So what’s the secret to preventing the heart dropping moment that comes when you can’t afford to pay bills? Start saving now with these simple tricks.

Save on books

We are lucky enough to live in an age of technology. We can easily go online, purchase anything we want, and have it arrive in a matter of days. Not to mention, we have the ability to make sure we are getting the best bang for our buck by surfing the web. So, why don’t we take advantage of it? Websites like Chegg and Amazon offer amazing deals on school books. It is also easy to sell books back and gain a little extra cash at the end of the year. If you don’t want the hassle of waiting for books to arrive or inserting credit card information into the Internet, the Marist bookstore also allows you to rent books instead of purchasing them. Even though you won’t be able to sell the books at the end of the year, it can still save you some money.

Save on coffee

Coffee is a college student's best friend. Those late nights studying and early morning classes don’t exactly mix, which is why coffee is seen in the hands of just about every student on campus at some point or another. I know I took the time to go to Starbucks and spend money on a Carmel Macchiato every day last semester. That certainly adds up. But there is a magical creation called a Keurig which can save you loads of money. If you prefer iced coffee, grocery stores sell gallons of iced coffee which can be used to fill coffee cups for days opposed to $4 for one cup of coffee from Starbucks. In case you’re wondering, they do have Caramel Macchiato.

Save on rent

Roommates have a love-hate relationship. We love them when we want to exchange clothes or have someone to talk to, but when we wanted to be alone, they were always in the way. As far as rent is concerned, roommates are a God-send. If you do the math, you are charged around $12,000 on room and board if you live on campus. That means you can spend $1,000 dollars a month on rent and bills to break even if you live off campus. That is just to break even. To save money, find a roommate. With just one roommate you can cut that payment in half. With two roommates you can cut your spending even further.

Just save

All this saving you're doing won’t do you any good if you just continue spending. The best way to keep from spending on unnecessary goods and adventures is to make a list of everything you can spend money on in order of importance. For example, what’s more important, that cute new top at H&M or that apartment on your own after college? Would you rather go out to dinner now or have that extra money to pay for groceries when you're on your own? Also, keep track of what you spend your money on. By watching your finances dwindle, you can prevent yourself from spending more, which means more money in the future. Trust me, that’s always a good thing.