Think it’s impossible to save money while in school? Think again. (The Student Series)

Being a student is not a cheap venture. The costs seem to pile up when September rolls around, and it can seem almost impossible to make a budget. There’s always hidden costs and forgotten necessities. Unfortunately, there’s no avoiding it, but there is a few ways you can save money this year even though you’re a student.

The number one way to save money when you’re a student is to not spend it. Seems simple, right? Now, before you close the browser, we’re not suggesting you stop socializing or encouraging you to neglect buying some of the things you need. Not at all. We’re proposing you make a pact to get the best deals possible when you’re shopping this year. The best way to get the best quality for the lowest price is shopping second-hand.

If you’re into thrift shopping already, you’re off to a good start. If you’re not into pre-loved shopping quite yet, that’s okay. Everyone has to start somewhere, and thrifting can be incredibly overwhelming. When visiting thrift shops and second-hand stores, there’s often a plethora of options (which is awesome!), but they aren’t always organized efficiently. This is a large reason why a lot of people skip the thrift store, and bee-line to the big box stores.

If you’re going to save some money this school year and shop for pre-loved merchandise, you need to learn the tricks of the trade and get organized when shopping. Here’s a list of the best times to go to the thrift store, as well as some other hot tips that may be helpful.

Shop on Tuesday

Thrift shops get tons of items on weekends, when folks have the time to drop off their excess stuff for re-homing. Once the staff spends the weekend and Monday sifting through all these items and getting them on the shelves, there’s racks and shelves of treasures to discover. Consider going to the thrift store on a Tuesday to score greatest stuff. Stores are often really busy during the weekend too, so it’s harder to root through the piles to find the hidden gems.

Avoid the thrift store in October

Although October is right around back-to-school, we suggest skipping the thrift store during this month if you’re looking for a relaxing shopping experience. Stores are often crowded and hard to navigate this time of year due to Halloween.

Shop when the seasons change

Most seasoned thrifters know spring cleaning time is a prime time for finding the best stuff, but don’t underestimate people’s desire to declutter with the change of every season. Right before Christmas, as winter begins, many people declutter and make room for the incoming Christmas gifts.

Shop often

Second-hand shops don’t change their inventory the same way regular stores do. There’s new pieces going in and out every day, sometimes even every hour. You have to shop frequently for the best finds, so if you want to save some money this year, you may have to shop a little more often.

Shop online. This is our biggest and best tip.

For busy people (like students), not being able to browse online inventory is the biggest downside to thrift shopping. It’s hard to shop often and to schedule your shopping for specific days and times, so being able to access items online is a huge help.

There’s various platforms that offer the ability to buy and sell online. Try downloading Curbza. The app offers an incredibly easy way to buy and sell online by dividing the marketplace by categories and networks. All you have to do is click the search icon and type in a keyword that you’re looking for. It’s the most efficient way to buy and sell online. If you think it’s just like the other buy and sell platforms, check it out for yourself. There’s more security features and a focus on being user-friendly.

In no time, you’ll be thrifting from the comfort of your own home. You can even sell any extra clutter you have kicking around to make some extra cash to save this school year. Curbza has a two-click posting process, and also let’s you post your items in a private network if you want to be a bit more secure. You can always find out more about Curbza at curbza.com.

As you can see, there’s many ways to make the most of your thrifting experience. Whether you choose to visit thrift stores or to browse second-hand items on your mobile phone from anywhere you can snag a wifi connection, you’ll be saving cash.

What’s your hottest thrifting tip? How do you score the best deals? Share your knowledge with us below. Happy thrifting!