So many times throughout any given day, week, month, I find myself saying, “I can’t do ______ because I’m broke,” or “I can’t buy _____ because I’m broke.” And I hear everyone around me saying it too. Now, this isn’t a total lie, because I sometimes have less than $10 in my checking account and I truly cannot afford to do anything that costs money at that time. However, I still have money in my savings and a small paycheck that will come in every other week to fund my clothing and food cravings. I’m sure that everyone else out there who’s “broke” is living the same truth—we have the money (or at least some of it), but whether or not it should be going to something that isn’t gas, food, rent, or tuition is an entirely different question.

But that got me thinking. None of us are truly, completely broke, without a cent or possession to our name. We’re just, y’know, ballin’ on a budget. That’s when I realized—I have so many tricks that I’ve learned over the years, before I was really low on income and really high in necessary outgoing payments (for me this is mostly study abroad things at the moment, which are quite expensive when added up), on how to save money, without even trying.

This isn’t a bunch of ways to save money, like putting $1 in your savings account every day (which is a good idea, now that I think about it). This is a bunch of ways to spend less money when you spend it. These are some tricks to shopping, ‘cause sometimes you just need to shop. This is a list of tricks that are mostly for shopping online, but if you’re like me, most of your shopping is online anyways. This is a lazy girl’s guide to ballin’ on a budget.

Trick #1: Walk Away

I mean “walk away” in two different ways. First, before you buy something that you really, really want (or think you really, really want), leave it where it is. Wait a few days, hours, whatever, and if you still really want it, after you walked away, you can consider it to be a little more worth the price. Maybe. Then you can buy it.

The real way I recommend that you walk away is when online shopping. Put whatever you’re trying to buy in your cart, enter your contact information (if you don’t already have an account on the site), and then minimize/close the window. Nine times out of ten, the company will send you an email within the next 24 hours that contains a coupon code. While it may only be around 10% off, that’s still an extra order of fries or a gallon of gas. You’ll give yourself more time to consider your purchase (a very adult thing to do) and you’ll get more money for french fries. Win win.

Trick #2: Check ThredUP and Poshmark

ThredUP is an online consignment store. They have brands that range from Forever21 to Gucci, Target to Free People, J. Crew to Guess—seriously, all sorts of brands that fit every budget and style of clothing. Everything is in either perfect condition (sometimes with tags) or looks like it was worn a maximum of ten times. ThredUP has already discounted the item from its original retail price, usually quite significantly, depending on its condition. Then they offer coupon codes and they have a clearance section.

Poshmark is more on the side of EBay in terms of second hand items, since individual vendors sell the items. There are also used makeup items available, which I cannot guarantee will always be a safe bet, but there are ways to sanitize makeup in case you choose to go that route. Still, you can find used clothes on there for cheap, so if you have a specific pair of sneakers you’ve been eyeing but can’t seem to drop that whopping number of dollars on them, check Poshmark. They might have some for a markdown.

ThredUP and Poshmark are also great ways to promote sustainability, since you’re buying “used” clothes, and you’re spending less money than you would be buying things directly from retailers.

Trick #3: Wait

This isn’t quite the same as walking away, but it can go hand in hand. When it comes to items that are not part of a brand’s permanent collection: check back on the site—or back in stores—once a week for a few weeks to see if the product goes on clearance, and if it does, grab it then. Most items will eventually go on clearance if we are talking about clothes. If we are talking about makeup or cult classic items (take the Adidas Superstar sneakers, for example), they probably won’t go on clearance. However, there’s probably going to be some sort of sale at some point. Wait for it. These types of sales will probably be around holidays, or just at random times, a la flash sale. Sign up for emails to be updated. Again, if it can save you a mere 10%, that’s more french fries.

Trick #4: Sign Up for Emails

A lot of times, signing up for emails can save you money. For example, Colourpop Cosmetics (AKA my favorite brand for affordable makeup) will give you $5 off your first order if you sign up for emails, and on Colourpop, that’s a lipstick or an eyeshadow—free.

Trick #5: Get Friends Together

Sometimes, free shipping isn’t something that’s offered until you spend more than $50 or so, and a lot of times you’re not spending $50 on every online order you place. Grab a friend, sibling, family member, roommate, whomever you please, and ask if they want to buy anything on the site too. That could put you to the minimum total for free shipping, and if it doesn’t make you qualify for free shipping, now you have a person (or two) with whom to split the cost of shipping.

Trick #6: Prime

Amazon Prime offers free TWO DAY shipping on everything that’s noted to be Prime eligible. While a Prime subscription might cost money, you can get a free trial. For the average consumer, the subscription is $99 a year, and you get a 30-day free trial. Consider taking that free trial during a time when you know you’ll be ordering a lot online, like around Christmas or the holidays in general (or if several people in your life share a birth month), to save you the shipping cost. Or, if you’re a student, you get a 6 month free trial, and after that, Prime is half off. It might seem like a lot of money to pay for “free” shipping, but it really adds up if you’re someone like me who realizes they need a specific color shirt for game day in two days, or you live on campus and can’t take two hours out of your day for a Walmart run, so generally you’re ordering a lot of crap online.

Also, two day shipping. That’s fast shipping.

And, Prime includes other Amazon services like their video streaming, which has television shows and movies that aren’t available on Netflix (Teen Wolf, for example).

Trick #7: Use a Cash Back Service

Specifically, I’m thinking of Ebates here. Ebates offers cash back on your online purchases, from your favorite large-ish online retailers, and a few times a year, you’ll get a check in the mail with that money. All you have to do is have the Ebates add-on installed on your browser, or go to the website you want to shop on via the Ebates site. They offer different percentages of cash back on sites that can vary by the day. It’s not quite getting paid to shop, but it’s getting a random check in the mail of your own money that you probably forgot about.

Trick #8: Student Discounts

So many places offer student discounts that you’re probably not even aware of. Waffle House, Forever 21, Apple, Spotify, Burger King, Jiffy Lube, Kate Spade, Chipotle, FedEx. They all have student discounts. Seriously, just check before you go or before you pay, and you can save some money. At Chik-fil-A, you can get a free drink.

Trick #9: The Kids’ Section

This trick will not apply to all people, but you’d be surprised how many people it can apply to. One great way to save money in the kids’ section is in kids’ shoes. If you are a women’s size 5-8, you can save money by buying the kids’ version of your favorite shoes like Vans, Converse, Adidas, Nike, etc. Rule of thumb, subtract 2 from your women’s shoe size to get your kids’ shoe size.

Another way to buy kids’ clothes is usually in kids’ sweaters/sweatshirts and flannels, i.e. things where fit probably won’t matter. Buy a boys’ L or XL or XXL (if you can find it) for flannels or sweatshirts, or a girls’ L/XL/XXL for cardigans. Sometimes, if you’re lucky, you can get girls’ skirts (Target has the cutest girls’ clothes and I totally recommend shopping there). This trick, again, does not apply to everyone, but if you’re a size M or smaller, consider checking the kids’ section for cheaper alternatives at your favorite retailers.