Your four years at college can be the best years of your life, but also, the brokest. Paying expensive tuition and housing fees, while not having the time to work and earn income means that we all need to cut costs where it counts. If you’re having trouble finding cash, I’m here to help.

Food and toiletries will be the most frequent consumers of your income, so it is well worth your time to take into consideration what you are buying. A cost-efficient item should last a long time, work well and of course have a low price. I have a few go-to places where I know I will be saving money.

The Power of Trader Joe’s

There is a magical land that exists where the food tastes great, is typically all natural or organic and is still cheap as hell. Trader Joe’s stock primarily includes their own brand of products, meaning there is no middle man providing the stock and increasing their prices. This is the same reason that store brands are always cheaper – except Trader Joe’s products are actually delicious.

You can pretty much buy any regular food item in a Trader Joe’s version. They also provide a lot of easy-to-make products that are perfect for college students without the time or resources to cook a true homemade meal. You can buy frozen brown rice for $2.99, in which you get about six servings that just have to be microwaved before it’s ready to eat. I like to mix that with their $2.99 pico de gallo and the fully-cooked carnitas to make a taco bowl.

The Power of Bed Bath & Beyond

I love Bed Bath & Beyond. I could write a book on how to take advantage of their deals. Even though Target or Walmart usually has better pricing than BB&B, they offer “Low Price Guaranteed,” meaning they offer the lowest price available on any products they sell that other stores do too. If they don’t, they will price match for you.

Becoming a coupon hoarder isn’t necessary when RetailMeNot.com has a 20 percent off coupon ready for you to use. I like going to their Harmon Store section to buy my toiletries, because I know that I can get the lowest price for my face wash, moisturizer and more, in addition to an extra 20 percent off with a coupon. The cost of toiletries can add up over time – but so will your savings.

The Power of Drug Store Brands

I recently learned that this is true – store brand Ibuprofen is no different than Advil. You might think that the extra cost is due to better manufacturing or other pharmaceutical nonsense, but there is really no difference in the effectiveness. If you’re like me, and take over-the-counter medication daily, start buying store brands. It will change your life. I used to buy Allegra, which is a whopping $22.99 for 30 pills, but I was shocked to discover the generic CVS brand: a 30 count costs $16.49, over $6 less. That will add up to over $72 in savings over a year, and I can attest that the medication is just as effective.

Making these small changes to your shopping can make a world of difference over time. You’ll find that you have more money to work with later when you take a little extra time to consider what you spend it on now. Happy shopping!