If you are struggling under the debt of student loans, you are probably trying to conserve as much money as possible. Did you know that some purchases can actually save you money? By conserving your finances in the little things while in college, you may be able to save up more cash to put towards your student loans. This, in turn, can help you in the future to regulate these loans to an affordable rate. According to The Huffington Post, America owes a total of more than $150 billion in private student loans. The average student loan borrower owes about $10,835 in student loan debt. Many people aren’t able to cover these high costs, and end up paying the interest rate every month, which causes them to lose money in the long run.

In some cases, student loans aren’t even dischargeable in a bankruptcy. It depends on your situation and the laws in your state, as well as the state that you went to school in. All of this to say, you will want to conserve money in every area if you plan to tackle these student loans. Some simple dorm room gadgets could actually reduce your spending and help you to put more money towards paying off your debts. The first of these items is a filtered water bottle. Most college students purchase cases of water bottles weekly, or drop $1.75 into the school vending machine when they are thirsty. By buying a filtered water bottle, you will be able to use the tap water on campus and not be worried about drinking in unhealthy substances. These water bottles can save a significant amount of expenses, especially over the course of four years.

For those who have to pay their own water bills at an apartment or off-campus housing, the water pebble could end up saving you hundreds. This innovative little device is placed in the shower, and monitors the amount of water that is used during your washing time. If your shower is shorter than your previous one, the little pebble flashes from green to red. Essentially, the pebble can help you to take shorter showers, which can reduce your water bill significantly. Another smart purchase is a space heater. This can save money on heating bills, and is very easy to set up. Some dorm rooms may not approve a space heater, so you will want to check before you commit to this purchase. Another smart purchase is a nice coffee maker. If you have a coffee maker in your dorm room, you will be less likely to head to Starbucks during a late night study session. The average college student spends about $60 per month on coffee alone. Those who have a daily Starbucks habit can spend up to $1,000 per year on their caffeinated beverages.

There are also other places that you can conserve cash as a college student. For one, the average student spends about $50 on beer each month. In total, American college students spend $5.5 million on beer alone each year. Nationally, students spend $341 million on video games each year, and $658 million in movie theater tickets. They also spend about $3 billion annually on movies and music-related purchases. A large amount of a working student’s income goes to a cell phone bill, which can be over $100 because of the 3G services that come with smartphones. Every little purchase can add up until a college student cannot afford to pay any of their loan expenses. If you have student loans, try to search for ways that you can conserve. If you still need aid meeting your debts, talk to a financial advisor or a bankruptcy attorney to look at your options!