It is no secret that senior year is the most expensive year of senior year. Between graduation, prom, college applications, and worrying about paying for college the following year. As this school year comes to a close, here are some tips from a graduating senior to all my underclassmen friends on how to have a cheap senior year.

1. Try to get a job.

I know that it's difficult to find jobs sometimes and that it can be very difficult to try and balance school, work, and extracurricular activities, but, if you have the time and the means, having a job in senior year will make it easier to cover many of the senior year costs.

2. Take advantage of early sales and any discounts.

Things like prom tickets, cap and gowns, and senior week activities will go on sale months before the event takes place and there's often times a discount if you buy it early. Also, tickets for events like prom also tend to have discounts if you buy the tickets in a pair, so, if you aren't going to one of these events with a date, see if a friend will buy their ticket with you so you both get the discount.

3. Budget for the necessities.

There are certain costs in your senior year that are necessary. So make sure you are putting money away for things like cap and gown or the SAT or ACT early so you don't have to worry about trying to find the money last minute.

4. Look for the deals.

Major expenses like prom dresses may seem impossible to find deals on, but if you look hard enough, they're there. You can use sites like Rent the Runway that let you rent designer dresses for much lower than what dresses with cost you in stores. Check clearance racks to see if there's anything there. Most stores will also offer free hemming and adjustments if your dress doesn't fit perfectly. There are even a few foundations that do free dress giveaways, so look into any of those near you. If you're someone that likes to go to the games at your school, most sports offer a season pass that's only the cost of a few regular tickets, but will get you into all of the games.

5. Skip the unnecessary costs.

If you're short on money, try and skip on some of the more unnecessary costs and put the money towards something else. Do your own hair and make up for prom, or see if one of your friends will do it. Skip the limo and drive yourself or carpool to prom. Miss a couple sports games or plays.

6. Don't be afraid of FOMO.

A lot of people end up doing all of the senior activities so they never have to face missing out on something. If you're afraid you won't have the budget to go to everything, don't go to everything. Pick the things you know you want to go to and do those things. You don't have to sit through every football game if that's not something you're going to enjoy spending your money on.

7. Check to see if you're eligible for any waivers.

Some of the biggest costs of senior year are things like college applications and testing like the SAT or ACT. If you qualify for free or reduced lunch or you think your parents might not make enough to cover these costs, see if you can get fee waivers from your guidance counselor that will cover these costs for you.

It may seem like senior year is sucking all the money out of your pockets, but it doesn't have to be that way. There are many ways to make sure that you can make it through your senior year with little money left in your pockets without feeling like you skipped out on everything. It's just a matter of budgeting and picking what is most important to you.