It’s no secret: most students experience money problems in college. With a lot of newfound freedom, students tend to spend money like it’s going out of style.

Are you looking for a way to keep money from magically disappearing every week?

Here are a few tips to help get you through college without going completely broke by the time graduation arrives:

Make a budget

Sit down and decide how much money you can spend each week. This will be helpful to keep week after week. When you first create a budget, only account for necessities, and then slowly add splurges and self-indulgences. Remember to categorize expenses and keep in mind that no cost is too small to include.

Categorizing food, rent, toilet paper, etc., will help keep you organized and make delegating money much easier.

Ride the bus

Opportunities are also available for students who don’t have enough time to create a budget, such as riding a bus instead of driving, which is already paid for by student fees and will save money. 

Take advantage of discounts

Other opportunities students can take advantage of are student discounts that the university and local businesses offer. Look for coupons and discounts before purchasing anything. Modern options that counteract the physical cutting of coupons are available as well, such as price matching and coupon apps like Target Cartwheel. 

Shop for groceries on a full stomach

Never shop for groceries on an empty stomach. Who knows what you will come home with after a hungry shopping trip?

Cook instead of eating out

Another trick for saving money is to pull out the good old cooking recipes and start cooking instead of eating out. Eating out can make money disappear very quickly. Investing in groceries once every few weeks will help save a lot of money in the long run.

Brew coffee at home

Buying coffee at the grocery store and brewing it at home will help eliminate coffee cart trips in the morning. This will help save money and time. 

Save money on campus

Many small and random opportunities of saving money exist on campus. You can rent books, live with friends, check for fees at ATMs and get a job. Having a job will allow you to splurge every once in a while.

Remember to save money, so by the time graduation arrives, you will have a head start on professional life.