As springtime rolls around and many seniors are contemplating which colleges they are going to commit to and how they are going to pay for those colleges, the stress of figuring out how to afford the bills can be quite overwhelming. College life definitely isn’t as glamourous as one might have assumed. If you follow this advice, though, you just may find ways to save money and survive while you rough it in the dorms.

10. Invest in a Costco Membership – It might seem wasteful to purchase one of these cards, but just think of all the free samples your little scholarly heart will be able to scarf down. On a college student’s budget, a Costco membership is definitely something to invest in.

9. Upgrade Your Mattress – Stuff your worn out dorm room mattress with your crushed dreams. That way, you’ll be able to get a good night’s sleep.

8. Can’t Afford Cable? – Watch your savings account deplete over time. That should be engaging.

7. Reuse Textbook Receipts – Why waste money on Kleenex when you can wipe away your tears with the massive stack of receipts from your textbook purchases.

6. Get a Job – Yes, trying to get through college is one tough job already, but someone has to pay those tuition fees right? Make yourself acquainted with the phrase “Will Work for Food”

5. Don’t Waste Money on Hair Care – It’ll all be falling out from stress anyways right?

4. Beat the Heat – If your dorm or stuffy lecture hall is lacking an adequate A/C system, don’t sit there and suffer like the rest of your peers. Fan yourself with your fat stack of student loan bills.

3. Make Up for Lack of Appliances – An iron doubles as a stovetop, a blow dryer a microwave, and for those summer nights when you and your roommates are feeling like barbeque, a tennis racket can double for a state of the art grill. Use the hardened souls of your peers in place of coal.

2. Run Away from Your Responsibilities– This way you save a ton of cash on gym memberships, and you give the freshman 15 a run for its money.

1. Bottle Your Tears – Save money on water by bottling your tears. With tuition fees, your classwork load and the pressure of becoming an adult all resting on your shoulders, there will definitely be a lot to cry about.