1. Make your own meals.

Avoid eating out. Whether it's at fast food chains or upper-class restaurants, the cost of eating out is greater than that of cooking at home.

•  Limit eating out to special occasions like birthdays and anniversaries.
•  If you’re in a rush, fast food can be a budget-friendly option. Many fast food places offer salads, wraps, and low-calorie versions of their more popular entrées, like a little hamburger from Five Guys or a classic cheeseburger from McDonald’s.

2. Prepare your own coffee.

Freeware is a free alternative to expensive software. A lot of common apps and software tend to be really expensive, and aren’t ideal for a student budget. Thankfully, freeware lets you have the best of both worlds. Download office, antivirus, image editing, and audio editing software at no cost to you!

•  Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides is a free alternative to Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
•  Avast and AVG offer free antivirus programs.
•  GIMP and Fotor are free image editing programs, while Audacity is free audio editing software.
•  Prezi is a great presentation tool, Evernote is great for note-taking, CCleaner is excellent for optimizing your computer, and Sketch up is a handy 3D model program.

5. Take advantage of student discounts.

•  Apple, Sprint, AT&T, and Lenovo all offer discounts on their electronics.
•  General Motors, Amtrak, Eurail, and Short line/Coach USA provide discounts.
•  Clothing shops like J. Crew, Banana Republic, Levi’s, and Club Monaco offer a 15% student discount.

6. Become a resident adviser (RA).

RA usually get free room and board. As an RA, you’ll manage and assist students living on your hall or floor. In exchange, many schools let you live on campus for free. Stop by the housing department of your school and see what kind of options you have.

7. Apply for scholarships.

Scholarships can cover some of your tuition fees. Search your school’s website and see what kinds of scholarships are available. Then, apply for as many as you’d like! Some scholarships don’t get a ton of applications, so you have a better shot than you think.

•  Any type of scholarship, award, or bursary is a great way to cut tuition costs.

8. Unsubscribe from unnecessary subscriptions.

Go through your monthly subscriptions. There might be a service you forgot about, or something you simply don’t use or need anymore. Cut the cord on any expensive subscriptions you don’t need, whether it’s cable, magazines, newspapers, or anything else.

•  You could switch to a cheaper video streaming service instead of paying an expensive cable bill.
•  Apps like True Bill, Bobby, and Subby can provide a list of your subscriptions.

9. Make value purchases.

Shop for store brands instead of name brands. Generic brands tend to be cheaper than their well-known, name-brand equivalents. Look for store-brand items instead—the dollars and cents you save will add up over time!

•  Instead of buying a famous brand of canned veggies, look for the store-brand or generic-brand option instead. Some common store brands are Great Value, Market Pantry, and Up and Up.
•  Foreign brands tend to be cheaper, too.

10. Go food shopping later in the day.

Save money on rental fees at the library. Aside from books, many libraries carry movies and video games, too! Stop by your local library before buying or renting a new movie or game.

•  In most places, you can get a library card for free.
•  You might be able to find some textbooks at the library, too.

12. Create a monthly budget.

Set aside money for groceries, utilities, and other necessities. Create a budgeting spreadsheet for yourself—the columns can represent each month, while the rows represent individual aspects of your budget. Try to develop a budget that covers your educational costs, like classes and books, as well as your living costs. This way, you won’t spend too much on specific categories!

•  You might budget $100 a month for groceries, $40 for a cell phone plan, and $75 for clothing and toiletries.
•  Consider making a second spreadsheet that charts how much money you’re making, whether it is financial support from family, scholarships, or a part-time job. This way, you can compare your monthly budget to your monthly income!
•  Make sure that you aren't living beyond on your means or relying heavily on a credit card to make ends meet.

13. Quit smoking.

Regular smoking can really add up. Try quitting with nicotine patches, sprays, and gum. As you wean off of cigarettes, consider switching to e-cigarettes, which aren’t quite as hard on your lungs.

•  If you smoke regularly, quitting could save you at least $2,000 each year.

14. Pay your bills on time.

•  If you think you’ll need a bill extension, call your creditor before the due date to see if you can work something out.