As every college student knows, money is crazy hard to come by. Even if you have a job it’s close to minimum wage until you hit junior year—maybe. Unless you’re daddy’s rich girl from Greenwich, Connecticut, you really have to watch your spending habits. It usually breaks down like this—food, food and alcohol. Even when you work hard to not spend money on the unimportant things, you have to be smart about the things you’re actually buying. You buy cheap food and you definitely buy cheap alcohol. As far as beers go it’s usually Keystones or Natty’s, but here’s a list of the best, and at the same time worst, cheap liquors.

5. Canadian Mist

The poor man’s Crown Royale. Coming in a sleekly designed, plastic bottle a handle of the “Mist” runs you about $20. A pretty small amount to pay in order to become a Canadian guy pregaming a hockey game.

4. Georgi Blue

If you’re going to buy Georgi, I hope it’s Georgi Blue. Hard, hard vodka plus blue food coloring equals Georgi Blue. I know what you’re thinking, but the blue coloring does not mean it tastes like a blue raspberry slushie. Sorry. It’s 100 proof straight vodka that only costs $13 for 750 mL.

3. Skol

Skol is the vodka of my high school past. It fits the mantra of youthful binge-drinking—cheap and effective. It tastes like rocks or something though. If you’re willing to drop the tiny amount of money Skol costs, you’re probably not willing to drop money on anything else.

2. Early Times

The poor man’s Jack Daniel’s. The bottle literally looks exactly the same as the Jack Daniel’s bottle. The advantage here is that if someone only looks at you and your bottle for a quick second, they might actually think you’re a respectable human being. The handle of Early Times is a little more expensive than Canadian Mist, but that Kentucky aroma is so so worth it.

1. Potter’s

The bottle says that this vodka goes through a “Four Stage Ultra Filtration” process. The initial vodka must taste like straight gasoline. Potter’s has a tendency to make your face turn red if you drink enough of it. But hey, it’s $11 for a freaking handle. When you’re in college, you cannot deny that kind of deal.

Have fun, be safe.