Article: Students throughout the US complain that high textbook costs are a major burden on their finances. This can be avoided to some extent by hunting for better prices online. Sites like Amazon, Chegg, BigWords, AbeBooks, and DealOz can help you with book price comparison and purchasing discounted or used books. Thrift stores sell used and donated items at prices far below retail stores. Going here to add anything to your wardrobe is an easy way to save money.  It can take time to find the right clothes in thrift stores among all of the donations. Take time to peruse what's available until you find something you really like. Make an activity of it and go thrifting with friends so it is even more fun. Ask other students about which thrift stores in your city or town have the best clothes. Often different thrift stores have a reputation for having more of certain kinds of items (clothes vs. electronics, etc.). Whole Foods and the like have a number of wonderful products, but simply aren't affordable for people on a budget. Search for any low-income stores in your city or town (i.e. Aldi) and shop there. As organic and non-GMO products are becoming the norm, even low-income stores can offer high quality foods. There are a number of bulk product stores around the US. Consider investing in a membership to save on buying food in large quantities.  Even if you don't join a bulk store, you can still buy food communally. If you have roommates or live with family, pool your resources and buy food for everyone in single purchases to save money. For foods with long shelf-life (pasta, grains, canned goods, etc.) you can save a lot of money by buying them online. A number of online food stores exist with prices below retail like Thrive Market. Likewise, any vitamins you may need can be found at discount online. With any online purchases, be sure to look for digital coupons with a simple search engine query. Frozen food can keep for a long time and can also save you money. Research shows that you can save up to $600 a month buy choosing frozen meats, fruit, and other foods over fresh. Snacks, vegetables, fruits, breakfast foods, entrées, deserts, and drinks are all available in frozen form. This applies to groceries and medicine. Stores and pharmacies often have generic or store brand versions of anything made by brand name companies.  Studies show that experts often buy generic brands more often than your average shopper. That is to say, Pharmacists bought generic medication more often, and chefs bought generic brand foods more often.  Ask your pharmacist if they have generic version of your prescriptions before making any purchases. Renting studio apartments as a student can be a huge expense. Look for people you would be comfortable living with and search for cheap apartments together. Splitting the cost of rent between two to four or even five people can save you a lot of money each month.  Make sure that you choose responsible, trustworthy roommates. Talk to the landlord of any building you're considering living in and read over the lease. Look for any additional costs like security deposits or paying first and last month's rent. Many businesses in and around colleges offer discounts to students. Be on the lookout for these and use any opportunity to benefit from your status as a student. Movie theaters, bars, restaurants, and exercise centers among many other businesses offer student discounts. The longer in advance your buy plane, train, or boat tickets, the more likely they will be at a lower price. Also be sure to run comparisons between all different companies offering tickets. There are a number of websites online like Kayak and Skyscanner that do this for you.
What is a summary of what this article is about?
Buy textbooks online. Buy clothing from thrift stores. Buy groceries from low-income stores. Buy groceries in bulk. Buy frozen foods. Buy generic brands. Live in house shares or apartments with roommates. Take advantage of student discounts. Reserve travel plans long in advance.