You ate out every day this week. You bought new clothes you didn’t need.  Now you’re avoiding checking your bank account.

Every college student has been there. That’s why the Zeta Theta chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha hosted a workshop last week teaching students how to be smart with money.

Making small lifestyle changes is one way to save money. This can include walking instead of driving on campus or eating at the cafeteria or at home instead of eating out.

Erika Oby, a sophomore biology major, suggested cancelling subscriptions to streaming services as a way to save money. Another attendee suggested subscribing to services like Netflix or Hulu jointly with your friends and sharing an account to make it cheaper for everyone.

Averyona Williams, a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha, said apps like Intuit Mint are a great way to keep up with your finances. The app allows you to budget your money and see how much you’re spending versus saving.

You can budget your monthly amount to spend on things like groceries, gas, bills and credit card payments.

Jayla Thomas, a senior elementary education student, said she added an emergency fund to her budget.

“I feel like as soon as I start saving, something bad happens and then I don’t have any money for it,” Thomas said.

Another student suggested budgeting some of your money for traveling in case you ever want to take a trip.

Williams also gave a few tips on credit. She said everyone should check their credit score often and avoid signing up for multiple credit cards. 

Loans were another important topic at the workshop because many students take out loans to attend school.

Williams said it is important to make all of your loan payments on time and avoid taking out the maximum amount of a loan unless it is necessary. 

“You will have to pay this back in the long run,” Williams said. “So you don’t want to spend your whole life in debt trying to pay this money back.”