Textbooks

Textbooks are a necessary evil and an expensive one at that. The prices of textbooks are rising at an insane rate. Their cost has risen about 815% in the last three decades, which is higher than the increase in tuition over the same period (source). So, what to do?

Well, we are definitely not suggesting you crib notes from the guy who sits in the back of class and can't seem to stay awake through a thirty minute lecture. Seriously, don't do that.

Here's a better alternative: rent your books or buy them second-hand. There's a robust second-hand market for textbooks. Your school store probably has a used section and you should check out online vendors as well. (Obvi). While you might have to contend with over-zealous highlighting from previous owners, the cash you save will be worth it.

Cars

No one wants to be stranded on campus while all the cool stuff happens elsewhere. A car is an expensive investment in your social life, though. Owning even a tiny sedan can cost you up to $7,000 per year if you drive 15,000 miles or more (source).

We recommend you explore public transportation options and use your car only as a last resort. You could also sell it altogether and use the liquid funds for practical things like tuition or rent. It'll be hard to part with, we know.

Credit Cards

Nobody carries cash anymore. How would you even fit boring green currency into your trendy new wallet? Nope. We live in a plastic world now.

There's only one small drawback to using cards for everything: the veritable mountain of debt associated with reckless credit card usage. 50% of college students have four or more credit cards and collectively owe around 30% of their income in related debt (source). Yikes.

So why don't you pay yourself a small cash allowance every week, and save the rest of your income for later? If you do accrue credit card debt, be sure to pay off your balance as quickly as possible. 

Oh, and when your college team wins The Big Game, it will be tempting to charge a huge pizza for your entire dorm to share. Just don't do it, dude. The moment of glory will fade quickly, but your horrifying debt will not.

Gadgets

College students are notoriously obsessed with new gadgets, gizmos, and thingamabobs. We're guessing that your backpack could double as a shrine to Apple products...and that you could teach us how to use that app everyone is talking about. You know the one.

Students own an average of 6.9 gadgets per person (source). That 0.9 probably comes from a Windows phone because non-iPhones barely count as gadgets. 

Anyway, the list of expensive-things-to-buy goes on for all of us: smartphones, video game consoles, mp3 players, printers, and more. Not only do these items often have high sticker prices, they also encourage further spending. College students spend a lot of money purchasing entertainment apps to play on them, too (source).

We're not trying to send you back to the 13th century. In fact, a few gadgets can help you a whole lot when you're actually trying to learn something at school. Just keep perspective and don't go overboard chasing the latest, greatest trends.

Stop Having So Much Fun

No, picking up the entire series of Legend of Korra on Blu-ray isn't an investment. Despite the obvious awesomeness of the show.

Discretionary spending, which accounts for everything from entertainment to vacationing, represents 40% of the college student's budget (source). Surprise, surprise; you can save serious bucks by cutting down on how much you spend on fun.

College campuses are a hub of free events and activities, so why don't you take advantage of those? You'll probably miss that scene once you graduate. We know we miss it. 

You can also take advantage of the communal nature of the college experience to save some cash here and there. Buy group tickets. Eat family-style meals. Make your housemates chip in for those Cheetos of yours they're always eating when you're not home.

College might be the last time in your life that it is completely acceptable to be broke, so while it's fun to rock out with your pockets out, you better look toward the future, Shmooper.