Shopping is one of those things that a lot of college students enjoy and do often, but it’s such an unnecessary expense. If you break down typical college expenses, starting off with the essentials (tuition, room and board) then moving to some standard personal costs (eating off-campus, money for weekends), shopping for clothes and other relatively frivolous stuff falls far out of the realm of accepted expenses. Depending on your budget, shopping can be something that’s an OK occasional indulgence, but if you’re trying to be frugal on a college budget, shopping can really burn through any cushion of cash you might have.

As a college guy, you might not expect me to shop a lot – wrong. My first year at school right outside of Boston included a fair amount of trips down Newbury Street, often longing after and sometimes buying stuff I blatantly couldn’t afford. I thought I could make allowances in my budget for an occasional splurge purchase, but cash disappears quickly. Suddenly $100 that I thought I could lean on for some weekends to come would shrink down to $30 after a purchase at Calvin Klein or Vineyard Vines, and then the weekend would the kill other $30. All of a sudden, I’m out $100 – and sometimes I’d already mentally spent that money on something else. The lesson I learned – I can’t afford to buy that stuff, period.

A college student has no business spending money on stuff they don’t need, never mind high-end retail. Apart from the occasional retail therapy session, or shopping trip for a special occasion, don’t go shopping. It’s simple. You don’t *really* need the stuff, and while a new pair of jeans is way more exciting than an Econ textbook, the textbook is more important. Prioritize your money. Learn how to window shop; that’s fun, and while it might kill you to not buy something you fall in love with, remember – you’re a college student. You can’t afford it.

If you’re going to ignore this advice every now and then (which believe me, I don’t always practice what I preach), shop at places where you can get discounts. If you’re an Urban Outfitters fan, shop in the Bargain Basement – most stores have one. Go to Filene’s Basement, and search for sales at Macy’s. A lot of college towns have cool thrift stores where you can find some pretty cool stuff on the cheap. Shopping online is always an option – check out our recent post about deal-a-day sites for more info.

Edhance is another great tool for college students. It’s a program that offers student discounts and/or cash back when you shop at retailers who are partnered with Edhance. Membership in the program is totally free – you just sign up at Edhance.com, and your credit or debit card will connect with Edhance. Every time you purchase something through an Edhance retailer, you automatically receive that discount or cash back. It’s a great, effortless way to save money, and believe me, the discounts add up.

Remember, you’re on this blog because you’re looking for ways to save money at college. Maybe you’re going to compare some loans after reading this, or maybe you already have. Maybe you have your aid package already, or maybe you’re just applying. Regardless of where you are, try and put this advice in some perspective, and think of it the next time you go shopping: are those jeans or shoes really worth whatever you’re thinking about paying for them? Can you afford to spend $100 on a shopping trip when you have several thousand dollars in federal aid or private student loans? I think that question’s an easy one. You have far more important things to spend money on, like your education and your future (not that the occasional new purchase is a sin!)