By Halle Bergman
Correspondent
Saving money in college is easier said than done. I have heard so many friends say “I’m a broke college student” that I realize the very real budgeting challenges most of us face. Nerveless, there are things that you can do to have a better control over your limited financial resources.
A good first step is setting reasonable and achievable goals so that you don’t feel like a failure if you struggle with some aspects of your finances. Simple things like not going out to eat and going to the dining hall can add up to big saving, possibly allowing you to have a little extra money later for occasional things that you might enjoy. Not buying an expensive drink before or between classes can also save money. Buying a reusable water bottle that can store beverages that you can enjoy can save a lot of money over the course of an entire semester.
Setting a realistic budget and being smart about it can create habits that allow you to develop positive life lessons that might carry through all times of your life. If you learn how to budget wisely and realize what you need or don’t need, you will be rewarded with less stress because you will limit some of your money problems.
Some people are fortunate enough to not have a worry in the world when it comes to money, but so many of us must watch every move we make without debit or credit cards. For students who get no help from their parents, the challenge is partially more difficult. They’re completely on their own when it comes to making money and paying for college. In those instances, being consistently smart about spending is incredibly important.
Saving money id genuinely hard for almost everyone. Still, you can sometimes find bargains to stretch your resources. Also, free stuff can sometimes help put, too. I have learned to take advantage of the “free stuff” while in college. Whether it’s one of the free soup meals available on campus or just a free t-shirt giveaway, anything can help. Now, there deals and bundles you can get with being a college student, like the Hulu and Spotify deal. A lot of other things can really reduce the amount of money you spend. As one example, something that could save a bunch of money would be to not bringing your car to school so that you don’t have to pay for gas and be worried about parking tickets or paying for a campus parking permit.
My mom has always told me to not spend money foolishly. I have learned that the hard way. If you are not paying close attention, money can go too fast, and you don’t realize it until a lot of it is gone. I have learned the hard way that you must keep yourself accountable.
Something that might help would be getting a job, but balancing school and a job might not be a good idea for everyone. If you decide to get a job, be careful to limit your hours so that you have enough time to succeed in all your classes.
One difference between high school and college is the amount of free time you have. If you find that you have extra time, you might as well fill up that free and stay busy with a simple job that puts a little extra money in your pocket. Then you’ll be able to spend what you want and treat yourself a little bit without stressing yourself out by racking up debt.
Overall, a broke college student is often a real thing. It’s hard to take control and not blow your money, but smart budgeting is possible. If you learn from your mistakes and help each other out when it comes to spending, it is possible to do a lot more with limited amounts of money then you might realize.
College prepares us for the real world. When it comes to saving and spending our money, the habits we develop while we are in college might determine whether we will be stressed out because we overspend all the time or whether we feel positive about out money management skills because we are wise about setting reasonable spending priorities.
If you take charge of your spending, you have a much better chance of being happy about your time as a student. In addition, you could possibly set yourself up to be a much more successful person in the years after graduation.