This is a guest post from Erica K. from over at Copperseal. Go check out her blog and then follow her on Twitter! She’s an art student studying in Savannah who loves photography and blogging. Check out her insight below!

Congratulations, you’ve been accepted to college! Apart from severe lack of sleep, an immense increase of alcohol intake, and the joys of sharing the shower with a total (and most likely hairy) stranger, you’ve started to notice that your wallet is becoming more of a pocket warmer than a resource. It’s no secret that the cost of college doesn’t stop at tuition; classes need supplies and your raging hormones need to be constantly entertained to balance work and play. What do both things have in common? Money. Here are some simple tips to help keep both you in college and the money in your wallet.

1.  Keep track of your funds. The biggest mistake college students make is spending superfluously. Cataloguing what you spend and what you earn is going to help you tremendously with knowing what parts of college are taking the most of your money. Not the spreadsheet guru? Mint.com is a great tool to keep track of your finances for you! The sign up takes less than five minutes, and it places your costs of attendance in a neat little pie chart for you simple, visual learners (and in college, that’s everyone).

2.  Do your research. Many students make the mistake of going straight to their school’s primary book store to buy their supplies. Don’t hesitate to look around! If you wanted to buy a car, would you go straight to the maker’s lot and buy the first one you saw? (If so, I don’t think this article applies to you). Textbooks are notorious for taking the biggest chunk out of your wallet – but that doesn’t have to be the case. Buying used books has been given a bad rap. If the book includes all of the pages and is at the most only minutely annotated? Get it! You’re sure to save at least 25% on book costs. There are also sites to help you find the best deal on books such as Half.com. Remember, college is all about getting the best deal – make it happen!

3.  Make lists. Apart from charting your finances, being prepared before going to the grocery store is going to keep the extraneous costs down. It’s kind of like getting food while you’re hungry – that cart is going to fill up quick with things you’d rather have in your belly at that moment! It sounds a bit “granny-ish”, but a grocery list is a necessity! Treat all shopping like a mission; you’ve got these things that you need right away, and that’s all you can allow yourself to buy. Get only the supplies you need for the week, and get out of the store before that jumbo pack of Crunchy Cheetos catches your eye!

4. Cheat the Laundromat. Everyone knows you can’t wash darks and lights together (although every once in a while you’re sure to come across Jimmy’s Fruit of the Looms as pink as a Panther on the laundry room floor). But it’s not rocket science to realize that separate colors can indeed be dried together – if the load isn’t too big. You’ll start to notice how easy – and free – washing clothes at home used to be. Laundry takes a big chunk out of everyone’s wallet (unless you’re not into being…clean…) so drying two small loads together saves you tons of money over time. Just make sure you don’t try to cram in two normal loads into one machine; sure you saved a dollar then but you’ll open the door to find your clothes still swamped in soapy water. Trust me, this is from experience.

5.  Share the wheels. You’re out of high school and you’re bringing your ride to the big U – now how are you going to pay to keep those wheels rollin’? If your college is an enclosed campus, you’re lucky to only have to use your car to run errands and go out (and hopefully go to work). But, if you have a campus dispersed throughout a city – or just a really really big campus – that gas gage is going to be your worst enemy. Carpooling with friends to class and everywhere else is the first easy solution to your tank dilemmas. Make sure it’s clear how much it’ll cost you to drive them to and from per week beforehand so that arguments are avoided. Giving more sporadic rides? Some students place a “money pot” in their car for occasional riders to donate into for helping them out. That way each person gives what they have and you’ll be surprised the profit you’ll make if you have a jam-packed car to that famous pizza joint!

Remember, college is all about a good time but it’s more importantly about having it for less! Keep conscious of your savings and you’ll spend less time worrying about cash and focusing more of your stress on the whole reason you hopefully went to school in the first place – a higher education!