Hello BMW
  • Home
  • Auto
  • Business and Management
    • Real Estate
    • Finance
    • Marketing and Advertising
  • Fashion
  • Shopping
  • Health and Fitness
    • Food and Drink
  • House and Home
  • Tech News
    • Internet
    • Online Business
    • Web Development
  • Relationships
  • Wedding
  • Travel and Leisure
Home  /  Education  /  A Smart College Budget

A Smart College Budget

Linda Blair June 13, 2018 Education Leave a Comment

It seems that being in college goes hand-in-hand with being perpetually broke. Most of us just assume that for those four (or five, or six…) years, we will rarely have two dimes to rub together.

Part of the reason that has become the norm is that so many college students are bad at budgeting. They have come from a home environment where their parents have paid most of the essentials, leaving them to use their own money for clothes, music, dates, and other recreational choices. If they don’t learn to cover the needs first, they can go broke spending on their wants.

Getting through college in good financial shape requires a good budget from your first day on campus, and it’s even more important near your last day on campus as you begin planning to move for a new job. Take some time away from the library and Frisbee golf on the quad to make a plan for your money.

You May Not Know Exactly What Graduating Will Cost

As tight as it may be toward the end of the semester when last summer’s cash is running low, things can be even tighter after graduation. You’ll be going for job interviews and potentially relocating for work–all at a time when you may not be able to work.

Budget carefully for trips to interviews. If hired in another city, get some idea of what moving will cost. Unload your cool homemade furniture onto friends and family and other bulky, unneeded items to minimize the size of your load. Work with North American Van Lines to get an idea of what a given move of a given size would cost. Start making a plan to get enough money for that.

Last Summer Has to Carry You

If you arrive on campus with money built up from a summer job and don’t plan to work during the semester, you need to look first at the things you’ll have to pay for before you get to the next semester break or other opportunities to make money. If you don’t have enough to cover tuition, books, rent, and so forth, you will probably need to start looking for work during any year, and especially as a senior when a move is ahead.

If you do need to work, don’t just go get a job. Look for opportunities that can help build relevant experience for resumes, and try to structure your schedule to include enough work hours to get you through without requiring too much of your study time (and social time).

And Oh Yeah, Student Loans

For the last four years, you may have been utilizing student loans. Properly managed, they are a great way to fund your education. Like any loan, though, they do have to be repaid eventually.

Student loans typically include deferment, which means you may continue to borrow while you are in school without being required to make payments. Once you graduate, the deferment will end and you’ll need to start paying. It is vital that you borrow only what you need, and that you know what kind of payments you will be looking at after graduation.

A lot changes in your college years. You go from being heavily (or fully) supported by your family to being 100% independent, taking care of your own income and your own bills. The transition is a steep climb for anybody, but the challenge is even greater when you aren’t prepared for it.

As you start college, you can really benefit from building a budget, and it can continue to help you if you update it as you progress through your education. Incorporate the costs that you know will be added each year, and be sure to have a plan in place that can help you cover those costs without undue difficulty.

Previous Article
Next Article

About Author

Linda Blair

Related Posts

  • Are there advantages to completing a Day Skipper course?

    Are there advantages to completing a Day Skipper course?

    January 21, 2025
  • Students, Living And Learning Together In Exeter.

    Students, Living And Learning Together In Exeter.

    November 20, 2024
  • Quick Craft Ideas for Kids

    June 23, 2024

Leave a Reply

Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Recent Posts

  • Understanding Three Types of Anti-Corrosion Coatings
  • Hear The Word Of The Lord
  • The Artistic Touch of Wrought Iron: Where Metal Meets Magic
  • The Strategic Advantage of Working with an IT Partner: A Business Essential
  • A Beginner’s Guide to Management Accounts

Categories

  • Business and Management
  • Cars and Trucks
  • Education
  • Entertainment
  • Fashion
  • Finance
  • Food and Drink
  • Health and Fitness
  • House and Home
  • Internet
  • Jobs and Careers
  • Law and Orders
  • Lifestyle
  • Marketing and Advertising
  • Online Business
  • Parenting
  • Pet
  • Real Estate
  • Relationships
  • Reviews
  • Shopping
  • Technology and Gadgets
  • Tips
  • Travel and Leisure
  • Web Development
  • Wedding

Tags

2021 Blue Bodybuilding Bridal Business business ideas Decoration Design education Financial health Healthy House House and Home Ideas Important Improve innovative Internet Kitchen los angeles Lose Weight net worth New York nia renee hill photography physical planning profitable business ideas Public recommendations Relations release date Retirement sink small washrooms social network strategies Stress travel Web design web development Website wedding Yoga

Pages

  • Contact US
  • Private Policy
  • Sitemap

Archives

  • June 2025
  • May 2025
  • April 2025
  • March 2025
  • February 2025
  • January 2025
  • December 2024
  • November 2024
  • October 2024
  • September 2024
  • August 2024
  • July 2024
  • June 2024
  • May 2024
  • April 2024
  • March 2024
  • February 2024
  • January 2024
  • December 2023
  • November 2023
  • October 2023
  • September 2023
  • August 2023
  • July 2023
  • June 2023
  • May 2023
  • April 2023
  • March 2023
  • February 2023
  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • May 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
Theme by ThemesPie | Proudly Powered by WordPress