I tried to use node on a $5 DigitalOcean dropplet a couple of times but whenever I tried to run npm to install something, it would run out of memory and be kill

I tried to use node on a $5 DigitalOcean dropplet a couple of times but whenever I tried to run npm to install something, it would run out of memory and be killed. Frustrated with this experience, I have stayed away from Node.