A majority of college students are faced with tight budgets, low incomes, and empty pockets each year. In these bad economic times, it is important to remember how valuable it is to constantly save those bucks. Here are some quick tips to keep in mind when faced with money setbacks.
 Take your spare change to a CoinStar at your local Wal-mart. Although they charge 8.9 cents per dollar, you’ll get actual dollar bills and a lighter wallet. Then, put your spare cash into an envelope at your house, or better yet, into a savings account at your bank. Do that with all of your change, and you’ll start watching your savings grow with every penny earned.
Don’t bring too much money to the bars. That way, you won’t be tempted to buy drinks that you can’t afford. It will also help limit yourself to how much you should drink.
 If you don’t have a campus meal plan, bring your meals from home. This will save you from spending hundreds of dollars on those overpriced restaurant joints on campus. We all know that a PB&J doesn’t always sound appetizing, but when you think about how much you’ll be saving from doing so, it doesn’t sound so bad after all. Mix it up one day and make a tuna sandwich. Try it for a couple of weeks. You’ll begin noticing how much of a difference it  makes to your wallet. 
 Next time you go out to dinner, order a glass of water instead of a sweet tea or Coke. Not only is water free, but it’s healthy and good for you. Once it starts becoming a habit, you’ll realize how much you’ll save by simply ordering water instead of the alternatives.
 Let’s do a little math. Say you go out to eat every day and you get a large sweet tea each time. At most restaurants, it’s about two bucks. Multiply that by seven for the whole week. And multiply that number by 52, the number of weeks in a year. That comes to $728 dollars a year that you’d be saving if you refrained from drinking sweet tea every day. That’s a lot of money.
 Don’t shop hungry! We all know that probably the worst time to go grocery shopping is when you’re starving. Wait for your hunger to subside before going to get food. This way, you won’t be tempted to buy more food items than you initially wanted. 
 Walk or ride a bike to campus. This will help you do three things. First, it’ll save you money that you would be spending on gas if you drove. Second, you’ll be burning calories and getting a workout for the duration of your walk or ride, therefore, getting ahead on that spring break body that you want by March. Lastly, if you walk or ride your bike to class, you’re more likely to feel alert during class. The exercise will help get your mind in focus and ready for your classes.
 Unplug all of your electronics whenever you leave your house, mainly your televisions and lights. You’d be surprised just how much you’ll save on your next power bill. It’s not hard to do, once it becomes routine. Plus, you’ll be helping out the environment by saving all of that energy. So really, it’s a win-win situation.
 Once you get accustomed to carrying out these concepts and noticing how much you’ve saved already, you’ll start recognizing other ways to be frugal in your life.