Live at Home

• This isn't too appealing to students looking to live the college life, hang out in dorms and participate in activities around the clock on campus, but it is the best way to save money in college. Living in the dorms often costs about $8,000 per year. If you live near school, stay at home and pay just the cost of transportation to and from college. Even if your parents charge you rent, the cost will likely be small compared to what you pay on campus.
  
  

Avoid Consumer Spending

• If you spend just $30 on yourself each week, this adds up to more than $1,500 per year. Rather than eating out in restaurants, just use the meal plan you bought or purchase groceries and cook for yourself. Invest in a coffee maker so you don't have to buy a cup of coffee every morning. Colleges offer many types of free events and entertainment, so don't bother spending money to travel to and attend movies or concerts off campus. Rather than buying music, books and movies for yourself, check them out from your a library or borrow them from other students.
  
  

Save on Textbooks

• Textbooks can cost $1,000 per year, or sometimes more. Rather than buying new books from your college's bookstore and letting them gather dust when you are done with your classes, consider renting books or buying used and reselling them when you are done. Textbook rental services typically rent books for less than half of what it would cost you to buy them. If you buy books, try buying from other students or looking online at peer-to-peer textbook-selling websites. When you are done with a book, sell it to another student or list it for sale online to recoup most of your investment.
  
  

Other Tips

• Students can save in many small ways beyond the big three. For example, students whose families don't live near campus can consider renting an apartment near campus with a few roommates, which is often less expensive than living in the dorms. To save on banking, look for free checking accounts and don't run a balance on credit cards, which costs you in interest. Purchase used clothes at thrift stores or organize clothing swaps with other students with similar style to get an inexpensive new wardrobe. Rather than having a car on campus, students can bike to most places and use public transportation to get anywhere too far to bike.