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I do not have trouble saving money.
Despite that I paid for my entire college tuition over the past five years without help from my parents on a minimum $8-10 wage part-time job, my savings bank account still has enough funds to pay off my student loans after one year at university. Being a design student requires more than just the average student budget and this is what I’ve figured out so far:
photography by s2photo
1. Get a Piggybank
In my scenario, I have two – a kitty bank for spare pennies and change, and a little house for spare bills. Why is this helpful? For starters, there’s less weight in your wallet dragging your pants down or your purse. Also, theoretically if there’s less in your wallet then you’re less likely to spend impulsively for unnecessary items: if you really wanted it, you can go back later after thinking it over.
Even if you can’t afford to shop for a little bank (also available at the dollar stores), you can use a simple jar to store the coins. Also: its so much fun to jingle around when its full! Bouncing it about and feeling how heavy makes me feel like I’m quite rich (scientifically, of course).
2. Save Your Receipts
Maintaining a paper trail of spending habits helped me realize how much I was parting with every week. Since I started working, I always picked up my bi-weekly pay stub, added the total to a notebook, and subtract my expense as they accumulated (with a footnote one-word description).
Sometimes I would have something left over at the month and sometimes I didn’t. Having a visual reference helped me keep track of my spending because it helped me set a goal for how much I wanted to save (or spend). After a month would pass, I would staple the receipts together and store it in a shoebox until tax time rolled around.
photography by krakencrafts
3. Banking
I setup two bank accounts to curb my spending. One bank to handle my debit transactions (and usually had less than $100 in the account), and another bank with a savings account. This way, if my debit card was stolen I could freeze the account and would not be cash-less.
Also, when paycheck time rolled around I would put a small amount in the debit but put the bulk amount into the savings account at the other bank where it could accumulate interest. The credit card I currently own is also associated with the debit card’s bank, which meant I could build a credit and pay by writing cheques and maintaining the other bank account.
photography by k4ren
3. Food
I am a ridiculously skinny person yet I am always hungry (I tend to eat small portions but can eat many small portions at a time 
. Bringing a bag lunch or sandwich to school and work helped me resist overspending on expensive food at the cafeteria, and as always, if there was any leftovers I could always finish it later. If I was running late, I could always start munching early to avoid spending.
Fruits like apples, bananas, and other reliable staples are healthy alternatives and also dairy products (but just not yogurt if you can refrigerated). Stopping by the bakery is fun too, and the experience of grocery shopping helped me determine what I liked eating and which coupons I could use.
photography by berly816
If you must drink coffee, bring a thermos. If you have brewer at home, use it. Or you can dish out an instant coffee mix (its surprising how little amounts of powders can create a huge jolt). As a former barista, I found that mixing steeped tea with hot chocolate helped alleviate the caffeine headaches. Otherwise, drink water.
Usually if your stomach’s feeling a little empty it could be that you’re just dehydrated and it will fill you up. A friend used to reuse plastic water bottles, then later nalgene-types, and now she’s on the hunt for the metal variety (I recommend Sigg). Sometimes if I need a kick I’ll buy juice, too.
photography by rocketcandy
4. Books
Design books, or any types or genres of literature has been around ever since we stopped relying on our memories and turned to languages & media (I think the first archival document was the dragon/oracle bones in China that pre-dated the Dead Sea Scrolls. woo!). Second-hand bookstores or previous editions are quite as good, with only a few discrepancy between publications (I would check with your teacher first).
Libraries are also stocked with design magazines dating back years (there are also annual library book sales, in case you were wondering), and sometimes if you’re lucky there are online PDF versions of the book (sorry, kindle).
Usually, if a friend already has a copy of the book you can photocopy necessary pages and share with friends. Another alternative if you’re at the computer a lot? Scan/photograph pages for later readings when you have time.
photography by rocketcandy
5. Clothes
If you’re like me, you probably had no idea how or what was this f-word and imitated your friends (or TV). Reading fashion magazines and observing people in locations out of my safety circle opened my concept of fashion
It took me a while but instead of loitering outside stores I would go in, have a chat with staff and try something on before deciding to buy it 
Even if I didn’t buy anything I would stop by again next time and see if it was cheaper or something else I liked.
In colder climates, layering clothes helps. Wearing your supply of summer tees over long-sleeves, or a few basic casual jackets that can be worn inside a overcoat. I like to wear button-pins or jewelry as accessories that add details to plainer clothing. Learning how to coordinate colors is an asset for designers.
I tend to avoid the malls except for necessary like socks and shoe cleaners. Strip malls and discount box-giants (ie. Winners) is usually much cheaper. Now I tend to re-scissor my clothes or create new designs with clothing felt markers.