In most cases being a college student means living on a cheap budget. Some students pinch pennies while others take out student loans to get by. CampusGrotto.com developed a list of the top 50 tips for saving money that all college students should live by. Check them out below…

FOOD & DRINK
1. Cook your own meals – it’s healthier and you’ll save money.
2. Skip the meal plan – Cafeteria food usually isn’t good anyway.
3. Stay away from vending machines. Bring your own snacks to class.
4. Bring your own lunch.
5. If you do have a meal plan – use it. Don’t waste money buying food.
6. Ramen Noodles!
7. Try to stay away from soda.
8. Don’t make Starbucks part of your regular routine. It’s too expensive.
9. Buy food in bulk with your roommates and take advantage of bulk discounts.
10. There are plenty of events on campus that offer free food… Follow the “Free Pizza” signs.

HOUSEHOLD EXPENSES
11. Get a roommate in order to cut down your living expenses.
12. Start shopping at Wal-Mart, Dollar stores and even thrift stores.
13. Check out neighborhood garage sales.
14. Put on more clothes instead of turning up the heat during the winter.
15. Buy generic brand items.

TEXTBOOKS
16. Buy used textbooks.
17. Check out online deals for textbooks. Many textbooks even have e-book versions.
18. See if your textbook is at the library before you buy it.
19. Sell back your textbooks.

TRANSPORTATION
20. Use public transportation. There are usually student discounts.
21. Don’t bring your car on campus. It will just serve as an extra expense with the cost of insurance and gas.
22. Ride your bike.
23. Use campus shuttles to get around.

ENTERTAINMENT
24. Instead of paying to get in clubs, hit up some house parties.
25. Check out free activities on campus like movie night.
26. Borrow movies from the library.

COLLEGE EXPENSES
27. Be sure to fill out the FAFSA form each year.
28. Remove added fees to your college term bill like fitness fees.
29. Check out dorm room charges and consider getting an apartment.
30. Be careful at the school bookstore – their prices tend to be outrageous.
31. Consider going to a community college to complete your core classes and then transfer into a four year college.
32. Don’t use your student loans for anything that’s not school related.
33. Test out of your core classes. Many schools offer tests for a small fee to fulfill certain class requirements.
34. Finish college early if you can to save on tuition.
35. Apply to financial aid early to get the most aid.
36. Keep your grades up so that you can qualify for more grants and scholarships.
37. Get a job as a resident advisor so you can get free room and board.
38. Take as many credits as you can each semester.
39. Research scholarships.
40. Take advantage of student services like health care and transportation.
41. Take advantage of freebies like on-campus meals and the library.
42. Get a campus job through work study programs.
43. Research tuition prices before you make your final decision where to go to school.

MONEY TIPS
44. No impulse shopping. Only buy what you need.
45. Stay far away from credit cards.
46. If you do have a credit card, continue to use cash. Don’t run up your credit card bill with trivial things.
47. Open up a savings account.
48. Track your spending.
49. Take advantage of student discounts.
50. Make it a goal to try and save money.