Summer vacation, also known as the hot, humid time between stressful semesters of rigorous course loads that you call freedom. But are you really free?

As a college kid there are so many ways you can spend your summer, catching up on courses whether at your institution or a community college closer to home, fetching coffee and files as a low budget intern for some company you hope to someday work for, working that job you used to work in high school, nannying, backpacking through Europe if you’re lucky, or maybe you’ve just decided to move back in with mom and dad and live out of your suitcase for three months. Any of these options sound great in theory, but whichever way you spend your summer, you know there’s that financial cloud lingering above your head.

Summer is a time for spending and a time for saving, so I’ve created a guide to help you set yourself up for a summer where you not only can have fun, but also save money while you’re at it. Take it from someone who’s literally eaten through her paychecks the past two summers, my bank account is screaming for some padding this year.

Regardless of if you have an internship, job, or none of the above, you’ll need to get creative or else you’ll burn holes in your, or your parents’, pockets easily.

1. Make a budget and stick to it.

You’re going to want to do fun activities and go out to eat with friends, so make an activities fun or maybe even use a side income like babysitting or lawn cutting just for fun activities.

2. Opt for experiences over expenses.

Walking around a big city can be just as, or more, fun than spending $30-$40 on a museum pass or entrance to a waterpark.

3. Live local!

Sometimes you don’t have the means to travel away from where you are for the summer, be it your hometown or big city internship, learn to live like a local and find those cheap dive restaurants and cool hangouts that only the locals know about. Most of the time if it’s local, it’s cheap.

4. Don’t make impulse purchases.

Even though your friends said that outfit would go much better with a new pair of Birkenstocks, would any of your other outfits? When it’s hot out, we tend to get bored, when we get bored, we impulse shop. Stop that.

5. Learn how to cook!

Chances are you have the time to learn, so go pick up some fresh ingredients and learn how to make that Salmon and Asparagus you keep seeing pop up on your Facebook feed from Tasty! Better yet, have some friends over and ask them to pitch in for the cost of dinner. It will surely be cheaper than all of you going out for the night, and will be a fun memory!

6. Work your side hustle.

If you find yourself bored to wits end with nothing to do since you just finished binging Orange is the New Black on Netflix, then maybe you should look into driving for Uber or Lyft if you’re near a big city. If you’re unsure about putting strangers in your car, then maybe you should check out TaskRabbit.com and get someone’s groceries for them or help them build a shelf! Personally, I like to take surveys on Usertesting.com since they pay about $10 per survey!

7. Cut the extra costs.

If you’re studying or traveling abroad, or maybe interning in a big city, learn how to cut out your extra costs like that $7 latte at the hipster coffee shop you pass every day. All the little purchases add up and can potentially burn through your paycheck before you even get your hands on that cash.

8. Stick to your savings plan.

If you’ve got an income this summer, make sure you’re putting some of that money in a place where you can’t touch it. The best way is to do it by percentage, saving 30-40% of your paycheck can add up pretty quickly

9. Learn to say no.

You don’t have to go on every trip your friends invite you on, and that’s okay. If you have bad FOMO, like myself, learn how to be that cool friend who just tags along and gets a drink and hangs out, your friends will understand!

10. Lastly, shop the clearance rack.

If you buy new clothes every opportunity you have to go to the mall, you’ll be broke before you know it. I promise no one will know that the top you just snagged for $6 a H&M was part of the spring collection. You'll be the hippest one around anyway when your wallet is full of cash instead of empty at the end of the summer.