Many people assume frugality and college go hand in hand. After all, who hasn’t been subjected to the phrase “starving student” at least once in current pop-culture? College kids are often known to bunk three to a room, eat Top Ramen, and pinch pennies at every opportunity. But students often scrimp and save on miniscule purchases only to overlook the savings that can be obtained on big ticket items, specifically the college laptop.

Each year laptop computers become bigger, faster, stronger and cheaper. A quick Google search will produce a slew of websites whose single purpose is to find the best laptop for college students. These sites can be useful in providing comparative research, but students can often find the best deal and save the most money by using a little elbow grease and implementing a few practical steps.

First, don’t overbuy. A good college student doesn’t need the distraction of a laptop computer capable of taking down Warchief Orgrim Dromhammer in World of Warcraft. Stick to a 2.5 GHz Dual Core processor with 3GB of RAM memory and 160GB hard drive. Better yet, call your college advisor and ask if the college has recommended minimum requirements, most do.

Next, do a little legwork. Craigslist and eBay are inundated with scores of perfectly good laptops that are being quickly swapped by tech nerds who have to have, and can easily afford, cutting edge technology. A year old laptop will perform just as admirably and costs hundreds of dollars less than a 2010 laptop right out of the manufacturer’s box.

Financing college is often a struggle for many students, but it’s a struggle you will look back on with fond memories later in life. In the meantime, saving serious money on your laptop today will mean eating less Top Ramen tomorrow.