If you’re anything like me, you’re just another broke college student who laughs about the amounts of student loans you have but internally are weeping for your future.

If you’re also anything like me, you are trying to do the best you can with what you have. Being in college is hard and it hasn’t gotten any easier or cheaper. But as someone who is working their way through it, I’ve found some ways to scrape by. Now, I’m no financial guru but believe me, I know what it means to be frugal. There was a point where I was showering every other day to save on shampoo. I used to steal toilet paper from my boyfriends dorm because they get it for free. Yeah, I’ve been there. Here’s some things I’ve done to save but also enjoy my life.

1. Get a job. You may not love it now, but the gratification of owning something because you’ve worked hard for it is amazing.
2. Go generic-(This applies mostly to grocery shopping but is applicable to other parts of life as well) not everything has to be brand named. There will be plenty of time in the future for brand name macaroni and cheese and organic peanut butter. You’re in college; you’re not supposed to have fancy things.
3. Take advantages of coupons and memberships! Usually when I go grocery shopping I end up saving anywhere between $10-15 but also earning points for gas discounts. The money you save can be put towards something else easily. Some super easy and popular memberships are Kroger and mPerks.
4. Stay in instead of going out-I cannot stress this enough. There are so many ways to make a night exciting without spending money. Renting a movie for $1 and popping your own popcorn is so much cheaper than spending $9.50 on a ticket and $4 on popcorn at the theater. Plus, you get the comfort of your own home. Here’s a list of lots of other ways to have a fun night at home.
5. You don’t need expensive subscriptions. You don’t need to attend that gym. Learn how to get creative with at-home workouts. I’m not one who particularly likes working out in general, but I’ve seen a lot of my friends use gym memberships to do things they can easily accomplish at home. Again, there will be time for those nice amenities later in life.
6. Student Discounts-Use them! Use them until the day they’re gone and you have to pay full price for everything again. You can get student discounts at lots of places like, the zoo, a museum, the theater even online at amazon.com, apple music and spotify.
7. Unplug everything. When you go home for the weekends, don’t forget to unplug things and watch your electricity bill go down.
8. Shop second-hand. I know thrift-ing is a cool trend but also recognize that a lot of people shop there because that’s what their budget allows, not because they need a goofy outfit for that frat theme party this weekend. I found a pair of overalls (they’re cool, alright?) for $4 and got three shirts to go with them, while online I found a pair of overalls for $32. Imagine the money you’d be saving if you shopped second hand. It’s no different than wearing something from your sisters closet.
9. Recycle! Okay, it may not help you save money, but it helps save the planet and there’s always time for that.
10. 10. Reuse. Find a second purpose for things. Instead of buying that expensive décor piece from Urban Outfitters, try to DIY it yourself with materials you already have or from the dollar store. Plus it’s more fun and creates a story to tell. Pinterest is made for things like this.
11. 11. Carpool- it’s a great way to save on gas but it’s also nice to have a driving buddy!
12. 12. I hate to say it, but skip out on alcohol. The amount of money kids spend on alcohol is outrageous. Stick to non-alcoholic beverages instead. You can still have fun and you’ll be able to remember it the next day. It’s definitely okay to enjoy a drink every once in a while, but just make sure you’ve paid the bills first.
13. 13. No fast food! Not only will you probably lose some weight and feel less like a garbage can, you save a ton! Late night cravings are the worst, but acknowledge that you have food at home that you have already spent money on. Why spend more?
14. 14. Pay yourself first-Always try to put some money away in a savings account when you can. Before you know it, those loans will be calling your name and it’s good to have a good cushion to start with.

Like so many other things in life, there are exceptions to every rule and like I said, I’m no financial guru but these habits helped me get through the college years.