Yippee!! It’s almost time for Santa to squeeze his big belly down chimney’s around the world and deliver lots of presents to all good girls and boys. Well, it would be nice if all those presents came from a reindeer drawn sleigh direct from the North Pole, but unfortunately they do not.

And there certainly won’t be a jolly fat man wearing red and white handing out everything on your family’s Christmas wish list.

So…. Best start saving now.

I know, we are not yet quite done with carving pumpkins and eating turkey but the next few months will flash by and soon you will find yourself jostling in the crowds on Christmas Eve racking up debt on the credit card.

If you can, saving a little bit each month truly helps by the time December rolls around. Maybe, if you are really organized or have a large amount of people you need to buy for, make a budget at the beginning of the year so you know what you need to have saved by the end of the year.

There are so many costs you have to think of while in college, and so many unexpected expenses that manage to surprise us when we least expect. But the holidays fall on the same date every year so there are no excuses!

Check out these three tips for saving money in college. If you trim the fat from your spending a little bit here and there and stash your cash, you will soon have a nice lump sum in time to say “ho ho ho”.

1. Streamline your spending: Every dollar counts so keep a track of where and on what you are spending it on and get creative with trimming the fat. If you find yourself spending $20 a week on coffee – start taking a flask to class. There are plenty of ways to save a few bucks, you just have to think outside the box.
2. Get creative with leisure time: Hanging out at shopping malls, bars, and restaurants can get expensive as it is far too tempting to spend money in these places. Try limiting these types of excursions and opt to hang and friends’ places or invite people to your place. All you need is a few snacks, drinks, and good tunes and the party can get started without breaking the bank.
3. Use your best assets: Good at one particular subject? Then get off the couch and sign up to be a tutor. There are loads of students struggling that would only be too happy to pay you for your time and brain power to help them make the grade. Also, this time you spend earning money, means you are not spending any!

Also throughout the year it is good to keep an eye out for sales.

So many shops and companies offer great deals these days so just keep Christmas in mind all year round. Much better to buy something when it is on sale and to keep it in a safe place for a few months than to pay full price December 24.

Being smart and prepared will help you save lots of money in time for Christmas and you just may have some money over to celebrate with on New Years Eve!