I wish somebody had told me these things before I went to college.  I am not even able to tell you how much money I lost in my first year of college alone, over things I never used.  Here is how to avoid that same issue:

• There’s no such thing as a free lunch, but there is such a thing as a meal plan that your parents pay for.  Don’t go grocery shopping or order out food.  I know, it’s hard.  Especially when you love cooking (like me).  If you must go grocery shopping, then only do it a few times a year.  But if your college has food available on campus that works with a meal plan, take advantage of that instead.  My issue with the food on campus is that I tend to get hungry in the middle of the night when the dining hall is closed.  So when I go for dinner, I take a paper or plastic plate and I fill that up with good, refrigerate it in my mini-fridge, and then heat it up in the communal microwave (or not, if it’s meant to be cold).  It’s a way healthier alternative to going down to the vending machine and eating chips at midnight.

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• There will be alcohol at parties.  A lot of people are really eager to buy alcohol, but at any given party, there will already be booze.  So unless you are the one throwing the party, don’t throw away your money to buy a handle of cheap vodka (and if you must, emphasize the CHEAP and just mix it with orange juice).  
• Wear the same clothes again and again.  Buy accessories or pieces in your outfits that can work with many other pieces.  So, if you’re a girl, leggings or skinny jeans. If you’re a guy, a nice pair of dark wash jeans.  Nobody will notice if you have worn it several days in a row (pants also don’t get dirty as easily as shirts).  Just wear underwear.  Going commando three days in a row is probably not the best idea.
•  Don’t be afraid to buy cheap clothes.  A lot of people think the only good clothes you can buy come from J-Crew or something more expensive than that.  Consider amazon as an option for shopping, where I got a $140 dress for $15.  Also thefifteendollarstore.com is a great place to buy seriously marked-down items that were originally very expensive.  Now they are all just fifteen dollars.  Forever21.com, although given a lot of shit for being “tacky” is actually not tacky, as long as you pick the right pieces.  You will have a more diverse wardrobe if you’re willing to explore other possibilities.
• Find creative date ideas.  First of all, I know that few people actually date in college, but if you must, think of an idea that doesn’t necessarily break the bank.  The girl will probably be very amused by something creative and inexpensive, like a picnic in the park, unless she’s a gold-digger, which case, you’re better off.
• Take condoms from the health center.  If you’re in a long-term relationship, the cost of condoms can pile up after a while, and instead of not using them, go to the health center at your college, which more than often, gives out free ones.  The only exception to this rule is if for some reason you find the health center condoms hurting or breaking, or if they’re all too old.  Other than that, the only sacrifice here is being embarrassed while you take them, but seriously…none of us are virgins at college and nobody has the place to judge.
• Buy cheap hair products.  I know it sounds hard, but that also can be done easily.  There are so many girls I know who will only use Fekkai hair products, or Aveda, or Redken, when in reality, you can get a similar look from Garnier fructis, Organix, and Pantene.  I have been dying and washing/conditioning my hair with drugstore products for four years, and it’s not falling out or breaking off.  It may not be perfect, but I don’t think designer shampoos would help that.  Actually, the more expensive shampoos I have tried left me unimpressed for the most part.  And here’s a little idea: if your hair is really damaged, you don’t need to go out to the salon and get a deep-conditioning treatment.  The “ethnic hair care” section of the drugstore has deep-conditioners formulated for relaxed African-American hair.  Even if you’re white, these conditioners will go above and beyond the call of duty.  I use them all the time.  For more information on cheap drugstore products that work, check out my other article here: http://www.beyondjane.com/Shopping/The-Best-Recession-Friendly-Drugstore-Beauty-Buys.693933
• Remember, you’re in college.  This isn’t the time to be daddy’s little girl and spending a bunch of money.  This is the time to find yourself.  So if you have to go without real pearl earrings (which, by the way, look the exact same as fake ones unless you chew on them, and who would be doing that?) it’s no big deal.  Spend your time and energy on building skills for the future, not on spending your or your parents’ money.