Can I afford these shoes? Can I take a trip for spring break? Should I go out to dinner with my friends? As a freshman in college, money is always on my mind. But don’t worry, there are many ways to make and save yourself money.

In order to make yourself feel better about buying things, I recommend getting yourself a job on campus. The little extra cash can be good for spending money or helping to pay for your tuition. It can definitely be hard to balance schoolwork and a job but I highly encourage it. Look into finding a job you are passionate about. Your job should be something you look forward to in between classes. Once you find a job, figure out the amount of hours that are good for you to work. You don’t want to work too many hours during the week because then you will not have time for homework and studying. 

I also suggest taking advantage of all the free opportunities that are on college campuses. Check out your school’s schedule that will provide you with dates and times of events. There may be a singer or comedy show presented at your school. Most events offer free food. You would be surprised! Doing things on campus can be great because you are getting the most out of your experience. After all, you paid to go the school! Take advantage of what is offered. If you want to leave campus, look into see if your school has a bus system that can bring you to local areas off campus. There might be a calendar of events for your local town with free things to do.

Another thing to look into is scholarships either offered online or through your school. There are many broad scholarships opened to all undergraduate students and scholarships that are offered for a specific major or minor you may be in. Utilize search engines of scholarships through Fastweb, Scholarships.com and College Board. If you can’t find much success online, consider going to your college’s office of financial planning where they can help you. They may be able to give you tips for programs through the school that offer you money. You just need to ask around school and dig deep because scholarships are not always easy to find. 

Now, if you want to shop there are so many ways to spend your money wisely. If you have a Target near your school sign up for Cartwheel rewards which gives you discounts on Target items. Also sign up for Unidays which offers student discounts from stores like Urban Outfitters to Levi’s jeans and so many more. It is a really great way to save you money. You may also want to consider looking into selling your clothes. There are great websites out there to help you such as Poshmark, Thredup and Ebay.

While you are in college try not to stress money. You will figure it out!