As a naïve high school student, I rolled my eyes each time someone spoke of the infamous poor college student. I had a job; I wasn’t going to be that student and I could definitely maintain financial stability through college. Wrong. Even though college encourages independence, it seemed that this disappearing money situation was urgent enough to call home. I confirmed no one was, in fact, borrowing money. It was all me, the poor college student, a title I never thought I would identify with. As the year continued, I learned some tips:

1. Don’t run on Dunkin.

Yeah, don’t get me wrong it sounds so professional and so smart when you order a fancy coffee but the longer the name, the higher the price. Steer clear. Even if you can cut back your coffee intake to five a week and only order medium iced coffees, do it. Let me break it: a medium iced coffee from Dunkin is $2.67 x 5 a week is $12.80. Not too bad. Multiply that by the 16 academic weeks in a semester and you’re looking at $204.80 buckaroos for a simple caffeinated pleasure, yet arguably still worth it.

2. Don’t be in a Relationship.

Everyone wants a significant other, but don’t misunderstand this, it's purely the budget speaking. The Instagrams are undoubtedly coveted by more than half of the undergraduate population. But, take a step back; think about how much they are spending on each other. Birthday presents? Money. Anniversary? More money. Christmas? The most money. Add in all those little dinner and cute dates and my guess is the total is probably more than my year-to-date pay stub. So, next time you look at the couple holding hands in the library, take a minute to consider their shallow bank accounts and then thank sweet baby Jesus you are single.

3. Bottled water.

No one can deny the pure joy of taking a swig of a perfectly chilled Poland Spring water bottle. But think about it, you are paying for just the plastic and the water in your sink is the exact same. For some reason, I’ll agree, water out of a plastic water bottle has a special place in my heart, but so does cash. So if "a little party never killed nobody" as Fergie claimed, then a little tap water in a reusable water bottle shouldn’t either.

4. Tone down the Saturday night confidence.

Every college student has dabbled in the art of liquid confidence, if you catch my drift. This likely causes the overestimation of the amount your checking account has to offer. So, fast food it is. You name it, we buy it. Chinese? Sure! Chicken fingers? Obviously. Pizza? Are you joking? Even better. Well, even though your Saturday-night-self will thoroughly approve of these choices, I’ll take a shot in the dark and say Sunday morning you will be far from thrilled. So maybe cut back on the fast food; your bank account and waistline will appreciate these choices.

5. Ask for extra rolls.

If you decide to treat yourself to a nice meal at the fine restaurant known as Bertucci's, good for you. But my recommendation is to ask for extra rolls, and a lot. A) They are free B) they’re unlimited C) they make a great snack for later in the day, and if they get a little stale, that’s totally fine too, just toss them in the microwave and they’re good as new.

6. Cash back.

I am convinced cash back is the eighth wonder of the world. I didn’t know it existed until ATM service fees were increasing and my hard earned money was decreasing. It’s a great invention, usually free, but there’s usually a limit on how many bills you can get. So, I learned this trick where you can do more than one transaction and get double the amount. Or if you’re really poor, just buy gum and you can still get cash back. If you need more, get more gum. No service fee and minty fresh breath — it’s a win-win.

7. Park in the right spots.

I go to a small school, which causes jokes to arise about how safe it is. We leave buildings with our laptops sitting out, but god forbid you leave your car in the wrong spot for a hot sec and you are out at least $25. The rule is white lines for students, yellow for other, but you would be astounded at how faded those lines can be. Is it white with a little pollen or is it yellow with a little snow? It’s impossible. Stay tuned and you will be able to determine the color when you are christened with four parking tickets in four hours. We love you Campo, but chill on the tickets.

8. Borrow clothes, Spare UPS.

Obviously, you’re going to want to look dope. Everyone feels that. But at the same time that shirt you saw online for "only" $20, I would be willing to bet all of the money I don’t have that the girl who lives in your suite already has the shirt. So wear hers. This brings me to my next point.

9. Don’t buy textbooks

As a sophomore, I can confidently state that your professors dream big when it comes to what textbooks we have the money to afford. Basically, we can’t buy any books. Often time professors put all of the material online anyways, but if you do have to buy textbooks that are mad expensive, hit up the great website of Amazon or Chegg to get the biggest bang for your minimal buck. Or plant a tree real quick and print it offline so you save the environment and get a free textbook all at the same time.

10. Take naps

College almost immediately turns you back into a kindergartener. We like naps, snacks and call our mothers upset when something doesn’t go our way. But that aside, anytime you are sleeping, you aren’t spending. So go for it, snug up. Take a nap and you will spare yourself the expenses.

Being poor in college is socially acceptable and, like I said, inevitable. College is the only time it is possible to find humor in your $13.02 checking account. So embrace it. Spend big, live large.