How to save money as a college student

College is expensive. You probably already knew that. Here's what you might not know: Living at school also gets expensive. In addition to the obvious ways to save money like getting a job or budgeting, there are other ways that you can save your cash ­like avoiding buying brand new textbooks and opting for used ones instead, taking advantage of student discounts, and more. Read on to find out how to set yourself up for financial success in college.

1. Get a job

Before you can save money, you need to have some. Getting a job is a fairly obvious way to earn and save money while in college. It always helps to have some cash coming in. That’s just one reason why having a job while in school can help.

Look for a part-time job either on or off campus. On-campus jobs are particularly appealing because they’re easy to get to and can be a great way to meet other students. Plus, most on-campus managers are willing to work around your class schedule because they recognize that your degree is your top priority.

Working in college is also a great way to stock your resume with skills and experience that could be invaluable down the road. However, on-campus jobs might be limited, so start your search early.

Regardless of whether you work while in college, it’s smart to work during your school breaks, particularly over the summer. That way, you can save up spending money for the upcoming school year and still have some cash on hand for summer fun. If you can work during the winter and spring breaks, even better.

TIP: If you do get a job, consider setting up direct deposit your Citizens checking or savings account and to leverage Paid Early¹ and the convenient set it and forget it option to savings by automatically splitting paycheck into your accounts. If you can't use direct deposit, leverage the mobile app² to deposit your check without leaving the dorm with mobile checking deposit³.

2. Consider what you need for school supplies

When searching for ways to save money in college, it makes sense to start with some of your biggest costs. New textbooks can be quite expensive, so look into buying used textbooks or renting them. Used and rented textbooks are often in great shape and sometimes come with notes and important text already highlighted. Asking students who’ve completed the class to sell or loan you their books is also a great way to save money. Just make sure the required textbook didn’t change.

Once you’re done with your textbooks, sell them! While the return on investment isn’t great, an extra hundred dollars at the end of a semester can mean a lot to a struggling college student.

Another expense is your school supplies. You’ve been school supply shopping for so long that you’ve practically got it down to a routine — pencils, pens, notebooks, printer paper, folders. The list could go on and on. But do you really need all of those things?

If, for instance, you take all your notes on your laptop, what good is it to have five notebooks or an endless supply of pencils? That’s why it’s important to be mindful when shopping for school supplies. Ask yourself if you really need this item before throwing it in your real or digital shopping cart.

3. Budget and evaluate your spending habits

Set a spending cap for weekend activities and think of creative ways to spend less. Just don’t go too far to save money and miss out on all of the fun. One of the best parts of college is socializing with new people, so don’t stay locked up in your dorm to save a few bucks! In addition to getting a job, you’ll need to rein in spending by not going to expensive concerts, ordering out too often, etc. This is where a job can really come in handy. Even if your income is minimal and only covers weekend spending, that’s still a huge win to keep your bank account afloat during the semester.

Tracking spending will help you maintain a steady budget. Apps can be super useful tools for college students. Tools like Citizens Savings Tracker™⁴ are connected to your bank account and credit cards so you can track of all your spending habits, set savings goals, and even get alerts when you've gone overboard.

Evaluating how you spend money will also help you figure out how you can save. We’ve all been the victim of a flash sale or two — we might be buying things we don’t need, I mean, discounts are so tempting! But what we don’t consider is that while we scored some savings, we also spent money that we had no plans to spend in the first place.

Another costly habit you might have not noticed that adds up is paying for your iced coffee addiction. Brewing your own will eliminate the need to spend $5 or more on coffee every day. Saving money as a college student involves some sacrifice and the iced coffee from your favorite chain could be one that’s worth making. And you don’t need to stop buying it altogether — it’s important to remember that you don’t need to stop treating yourself completely, just work on cutting back.

4. Take advantage of campus opportunities

Another tried and true way to save money in college is to take full advantage of your campus opportunities — and that includes your meal plan. There’s no sense in regularly spending money dining out when you have access to prepaid meals on campus.

If the dining hall food isn’t great, limit your dining-out dollars by making home-cooked meals instead. You could even make it an event where you and your friends cook a group meal together and divvy up expenses. Look for recipes online and rotate who hosts the event. Not only is this an effective way to save money as a student, but you'll learn new culinary skills in the process.

Another opportunity to save? How about ditching your car? Well, not altogether, but just consider leaving it at home while you are away at school. It can be very expensive — there’s car insurance, gas money, maintenance and repairs, and parking passes every semester.

Instead, save money and help the environment by using public transportation or riding a bike. And if you really need a ride somewhere, take a cab or use a ride-sharing service, like Uber or Lyft. A lot of colleges also offer shuttle services so you can still get to where you need to be.

And lastly, campus housing is a major cost of attending college. You could mitigate this expense and save money as a student by taking advantage of the opportunity to become a resident advisor (RA). You’ll have to work some nights and handle other administrative tasks, but plenty of students see this as a fair tradeoff to eliminate the cost of housing.

5. Buy household supplies in bulk

OK, back to the more tactical ways to save money as a student. You and your roommates will need household supplies like paper towels, toilet paper, laundry detergent and so on. Rather than buy these one at a time at the store, you could buy them in bulk on Amazon, Target, Walmart or other online retailers and get them delivered to your dorm, apartment or house. Sure, you’ll pay more upfront, but the savings could add up over the course of a semester or school year.

6. Get dorm/house furniture from others

Furnishing your college dorm, apartment or house is tricky, particularly when you have roommates. It doesn’t make a ton of sense to buy a brand-new TV or coffee table when you only need it for a limited time. With that in mind, put out a call or email to all friends and family. See if they have any old furniture that they’re not using or were planning to upgrade. Their “trash” could be your treasure!

And if there are items you can’t get from them, check online marketplaces at the end of spring semester for graduating students selling furniture near your campus. It sure beats paying full price on an item; split the cost evenly among your roommates, and then play rock-paper-scissors to see who gets to keep it after graduation.

What to remember about saving money in college

Managing in-college spending is a learning experience. Fortunately, there are many ways you can save money while you’re there Some of these ideas may suit your situation, while others might not apply, so consider cost-cutting measures that can help limit or monitor your spending — without missing out

Ready to make your savings last all year?

We're committed to helping you reach your potential. Wherever you are in your financial adventure, Citizens is here to help – with banking that stands with you and grows with you. Learn how to open a savings account with Citizens.