College students are notorious for being poor, which is why it’s important to be a smart shopper — someone who knows how to budget, save money and still look fabulous. If you’re looking for ideas on how to make the most of your money the next time you go shopping, here are five tips to help you out:

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1. Set a budget.

Limiting how much you spend on clothing is not only good for your wallet, but will prevent you from making frivolous purchases. Your budget could be $50, $100, or more depending on your personal finances, but set a monthly limit on clothing purchases– and stick to it!

If you have trouble keeping track of how much you spend, try using an online budgeting tool like Mint, which will alert you when you’re about to go over your monthly spending limit.

2. Buy what you need, not what you want.

Before you purchase something, ask yourself if you truly need the item or it’s just something you want to buy. Every few months, look through your closet and make a list of items that you need — like wardrobe staples — so you can easily differentiate your needs from your wants. Take that list with you when you go shopping to keep yourself from making unnecessary purchases.

Of course, it’s okay to buy some items just for fun every once in a while, but make sure you’ll actually wear these clothes and you aren’t getting them just for the sake of buying something.

3. Buy clothes on sale.

Have you bought an item for full price, only to spot it on sale a week or two later? If so, hear me out on this: when you see a full-priced item you want, wait until it goes on sale to buy it. It may seem like a pain, but waiting for the price of full-priced items will save you a lot of money in the long run.