College students are notorious for being broke. It’s not a bad thing to be low on finances while getting your higher education, it’s normal. It teaches you how to be creative and how to make it by with $3.87 in your bank account for two weeks.

Here are a couple of ways to tip the financial scale in your favor:

1. Budget.

It’s not the easiest thing to do by far but it can make your life easier. Take your paycheck into consideration and all of the recurring bills you need to pay for. Subject the payments from your check and then divide the rest by two. Half of your check should go into a savings account while the rest can be money you can use.

2. Think about what you’re spending money on now.

What do you spend your paycheck on? Food? Clothes? Alcohol? You need to ask yourself, “do I need this?” It’s a difficult question to answer because you can always need new shoes or a new pair of leggings or that $6 cup of coffee from Starbucks. Make a list of groceries that you need and stick to it; reward yourself by buying another $6 cup of coffee because you deserve it.

3. Open a savings account.

They come in handy. When your payment schedule is stupid and you can’t afford your trip home or dinner then it’s there for you. Be careful of how much you use it, though. Some banks have a limit on how many times you can take money out. If it’s a legit reason for taking money out of your savings then it’s worth it, just be sure and put the normal amount back in plus the amount you had to take out and you’ll be fine.

4. Get a credit card.

Emergencies happen. You’re living on your own and your paycheck had to go to bills because you forgot to unsubscribe from Hulu when you found out your electric bill went over the limit. Credit cards are a great way to save the day as well as ruin your life. If you miss a payment, it’s hard to bring your credit score back up. If you successfully keep a credit card for a certain amount of time it brings your score high and it helps you in the future, you can buy a car or a house and no one can tell you no because you’ll have good credit. Watch your bill and you’ll be fine.

5. Visit your parents.

If you have parents that welcome you home with open arms, go home. They miss you, your dog misses you. Visit them and get a free meal out of it. Maybe you can convince them to give you gas money to make it back to town. This isn’t an ideal way to obtain money but if you’re starving and have no other choice, GO HOME. A lecture and an argument are worth a weekend of hot showers, free WiFi and home cooked meals.

Don’t live paycheck to paycheck. You’re too young for that. Be smart about your finances and see how far you can get without being broke for the sixth week in a row. Also, visit your parents.