Being a college student can be tough, especially when you start talking about money. As you begin school, you realize expenses quickly add up, but the key is being responsible with your money. We have three financial tips that can help you throughout your college career.
Create a budget
First, create a budget by looking at the expenses you will be responsible for each month. This could include food, activities, utilities and bills. Also, think about any form of income you will receive month to month. Then set limits and stick to those goals because it’s easy to forget or decide it’s too difficult. However, you will thank yourself if you stick to the budget.
Use an online service
Doing finances can be quite complex. Don’t spend too much time cranking out excel spreadsheets when you can use an online service or app. Previously, we’ve talked about using a financial app like Mint to keep up with your finances. This app offers many great features like bill tracking, budgeting and even sends you alerts when it finds things you should be worried about.
Minimize student debt
This one is huge and if not minimized, could hang around for a while. While student loans are beneficial and play a large role in allowing many students to go to school, it can also be a pitfall for students who don’t stay on top of paying off the debt. Begin paying off what you can as soon as your loan lets you. That way you begin cutting down on the interest immediately, thus saving you money down the road. Also, make it an automatic payment each month so you never forget about it.
With some personal financial planning, you have nothing to worry about when going to college. Take a look at your monthly spending habits, plan ahead and you will be well on your way to healthy finances.
