We all know being a college student is expensive; sometimes we don’t even realize where our money has gone. One of the perks of being a college student is living on a tight budget. However there are ways to save money and once you begin to cut out unnecessary expenses you can start worrying less about your finances and start worrying more about your school work.

Here are 10 tips that can help you save money while in school.

1. Make a budget and stick to it. This is the first and most crucial tip because it will help you prioritize your money and keep you out of debt.
2. Avoid getting multiple credit cards. If you know you don’t have the money for something, don’t buy it! Soon your bills will add up and you will be hit with interest rates and late fees.
3. Sign up for a bank that offers special perks for students. Certain banks will give students free checking or low minimum balances.
4. Shop where they offer student discounts. There are so many places that offer student discount glasses to students with a student ID, so take advantage.
5. Rent/Borrow your textbooks from online websites or the library. Instead of paying full price for a new textbook, go online to websites such as Chegg, Amazon, or Campusbooks. Or visit your schools library and checkout the textbooks for a few hours completely free.
6. Use Coupons/Groupon. Although clipping coupons takes time you can score some amazing deals. Groupon also offers online coupons to hundreds of different places and products.
7. Walk, ride a bike, carpool, or take public transportation whenever possible. With gas prices nowadays, the more you can save on gas the better.
8. Shop at thrift stores as much as possible. You can get some great deals on clothes and furniture and you’d be surprised on how much cool stuff you will find.
9. Make your own coffee. Buying coffee on a regular basis definitely adds up. Instead plan ahead and brew your own coffee in the morning before leaving to school.
10. Keep snacks on you while you’re at school. We all get hungry in between classes but instead of spending money on overpriced junk food go to the market and stock up on healthier, less expensive snacks.