We all know having an apartment isn’t just a one-payment deal. It’s a monthly committment filled with little extra price tags we may not always expect. Here are some ways to save cash in your home-sweet-home.

You never truly realize how immense the costs for the “small things” are until you move out of your parents’ home and live on your own for the very first time. My own bank account took a hit when I first moved out—that is, until someone asked me, “Have you tried the dollar store?”

It’s a tough call, but if you feel that you’re being used and confronting the situation hasn’t helped, then maybe you’re better off spending your time and wealth with real friends—friends who give back as much as they get.

We all know at least one: the friend who loves to tag along for drinks and conveniently “forgets his wallet,” or that co-worker who borrows $10 here and there and just happens to overlook the very important act of paying it back.

Leaving your parents’ home, either for school or for work, means one thing: from now on, you’re in charge of all your meals. Take-out and pre-packaged meals may seem like good alternatives, but taking the time to learn how to cook at home is a healthier and more cost effective choice.

Between lectures, assignments and your Facebook addiction, who has time for a job? But let’s face it, we all need some cash to compensate for the weekend. Here are five creative ways to keep the cash coming in.

But if you thought that all you were risking by posting that one shot of you wasted on your friend’s living room floor were countless job opportunities and the respect of your boss, think again. It could also cost you the ability to be approved for credit.

It can be hard to impress the opposite sex on a night out given our limited resources, but worry not, fellow fiscally-challenged friends! Here are a few wallet-friendly date ideas that are sure to impress your sweetie.

I admit that their functionality is limited and they’re not exactly sleek or very pretty. They’re not portable, either. But they’ll save you lots of money in the end.

The task of upgrading computer software or hardware is one that I face with an odd mix of excitement and trepidation, since it usually sets me back several hundred dollars. On a limited student budget, it can be a pretty big expense to shoulder.