There are plenty of resources out there for college students looking to save some cash while attending school. Many of the little tricks and tips are sound advice, but quite a number require ascetic living–and quite a few more save trifling amounts of money. While it does all add up in the long run, I’ve found that some tricks just aren’t worth the time. Here are five no-brainer ways to save a little green and make ends meet.

1. Hide Your Credit Cards. It’s just too easy to get in over your head with a credit card. Whenever I leave a credit card in my wallet for a night out, it’s only a matter of time before it gets pulled out. It’s always late in the evening, when I’ve blown through the cash I brought with me–and definitely already had enough. A credit card can be very useful when you need some emergency funding, but when you’re living hand-to-mouth like most college students are, they all too often get used for impulse buys. Bottom line: Leave ‘em at home.
2. Shop the Bargains. I’m an outdoorsy guy, which means that I’m borderline addicted to gear. If it weren’t for the myriad price-comparison sites and shopping outlets, I would never have racked up enough equipment to do anything other than go for an overnight hike in good weather. I also saved a boatload of cash hitting thrift and discount stores for clothes all through college. There’s something very satisfying about getting three shirts and two pairs of jeans for only $50.
3. Buy It in Bulk. You open the pantry and find it bare. Maybe there’s a bottle of hot sauce and some cooking oil–whatever you find, you aren’t making dinner with it anytime soon. Next time you see a sale at the grocery, stock up. Get pasta. Get rice. Get canned and frozen foods. Let me specify a few things here. Get dry pasta. Get plain rice (personally, I prefer quinoa–it’s not the best for Asian applications, but it’s much healthier than regular rice). The canned and frozen foods should be ingredients, not meals in themselves. You may not think you can cook, but making noodles, steaming broccoli, and mixing those together with a can of cream of broccoli soup can make an easy, tasty meal. Try out different iterations, and find more cheap and easy recipes that you like.
4. Stay Home. Please note that this tip does not say “stop having a social life”. Going out to the bars and clubs can be a blast, but between covers and $10 drinks, you’re better off having friends over (oh, and having friends over is a great impetus to clean up the house a little). When it comes to drinks, brewing your own beer or wine is not only fun–it’s cheap. Rather than spending $50 yourself on booze and awkwardly dancing next strangers, get together with a few friends and get a pony keg and boardgame or three. You’ll save money and have a great time.
5. Get a Cheap Hobby. When you aren’t sure what to do with yourself, things often turn towards spending money. Whether you decide to go out to a movie or out to a club, aimlessly wandering around the city and spending money is easy to do. Chances are, there’s some lovely nature that you could be tromping through within a reasonable distance. Go for a hike. Go play frisbee. Take up chess. Get involved in your community. There are plenty of things you could be doing that don’t cost much.

There are, of course, other money-saving tips. You’ll save a few bucks buying your textbooks used online–make sure you get the right edition/translation. If you get rid of your car, you’ll save on gas, insurance, and maintenance–if I can do it for three years in Reno, which isn’t the most bike-friendly of cities, you can do it almost anywhere.

Transferring from Online Education to Campus

Another cute trick that, admittedly, I haven’t tried, is starting school somewhere cheaper than where you plan to finish. If you start your degree with online courses, there’s no commute, no parking, and fewer school supplies. You can get your general electives out of the way and then transfer to your dream school to finish up. This requires keeping that GPA up, but I’m sure you’ll be fine. Especially since online degree programs usually offer a flexible enough schedule that you can work–and play–while taking a full load of classes.