Saving money is tricky in a retail-driven world.

Many college students are responsible for paying their way through school. I am one of those students. Paying off loans is daunting, but getting an early start will make life less fiscally stressful.

Here’s how I was able to make nearly $5,000 in a semester and save over $4,000 of it.

Work, work work

This seems like a no-brainer, but it is easier said than done. I was still in full-time classes when I picked up a second job. My jobs weren’t glamorous but were flexible with my schedule. I worked concessions for athletics and in the campus dining hall.

I was regularly scheduled to work about 10 hours a week for the dining hall and about another 10 a week for concessions.

The way I was able to work so many hours was by also picking up shifts. Constantly offering to cover co-workers, coming early, staying late, working whenever I was free really added up over time.

With an average of 30 hours a week, at a rate of $11.00 over 16 weeks added up to about $5,280.

Through very strict time management and doing all my homework ahead of time, I was still able to make time for my best friends and boyfriend.

Cutting unnecessary spending

When I was in high school, I rarely had more than $100 in my bank account. I used to be the person to eat out every week, buy new clothes, and just waste my money.

Once I got a car and had to pay for my car insurance, I realized I needed to get serious about spending.

It is really common for people to put a cut of their paycheck into savings, whether it is 10% to 50% of the paycheck.

I put my entire paychecks into savings

This seems risky, but it makes saving so much faster!

I would keep enough money in checkings for emergencies, and every time I wanted to make a purchase I would think it through.

If I knew it was a potential impulse buy, I would wait at least 24 hours. If I still really wanted something and it made sense to buy it, I would go back and get it.

To save money, I also left my car at home for my first year of college. I had friends with cars and would carpool when I needed a ride.

My phone bill is $52 a month, so over the semester, I spent $208 on that.

My spending budget broke down like this:

Savings: $4100

Phone bill: $208

Other: $972

In the Other category, I bought plane tickets for my trips to Arizona and California, groceries, Taco Bell, a couple of clothing items, and a birthday gift or two.

Saving money can be really hard when your friends are blowing their money.You can still spend money while saving but make smarter purchases.

The way I see it, the harder I work now, the easier my future will be.