This past few weeks were the first of many for some of my friends who are off to college. And while it is exciting to finally get started, and get back into the routine of things, it is also setting up the opportunities for students to begin blowing their money while away.
So to go ahead and set you up for success, we are going to show you where it’s easy to waste that money at college, and hopefully help you avoid going down that path.
To do this, we will get help from Broke Grad Student. In a recent blog, he lists 10 Stupid Ways College Students Waste Money. Lets look at a few of them.
Going over on cell phone plans.
It’s easy for anyone to get carried away with their cell phone habits – not just college students. However, with so much going on, you may just keep putting off keeping tabs on where you are. Be sure to keep a check on your minutes and text messages. These add up a lot quicker than you would think. If you do find yourself going over your limits frequently, it may be time to upgrade your plan.
Eating out too often.
We know that it’s easier to just grab a quick bite to eat. However, we also know that it’s cheaper to not do so. Of course, we’d hate for you to miss that valuable time hanging out with your friends. Why not eat something before you go, and then maybe order something small to snack on while with your friends.
Drinking too much.
This too is an easy way to spend a lot of money that isn’t necessary. Similar to eating out, it may be best to just have a few drinks after you leave the restaurant. Again, it will be much cheaper than buying them at the bar.
If you find yourself spending more than you should in some areas, then maybe it’s time to set up a budget. Geezeo makes it practically painless!
Related:
Campus Cribs : Should Students Buy Instead of Rent?
Young Generations Feel The Pressure
Student Loan Justice
September 21st, 2008 at 9:48 pm
[...] AmberJones presents Wasting Money While At College posted at Geezeo: Free Online Personal Finance Management Software, Budgeting Tools, Financial Advice and Community, saying, “Students can learn early on how to live frugally as long as they don’t fall into these easy ways of wasting money.” [...]
February 17th, 2009 at 11:56 am
I need to have my college kids read this post. Only we will rename it “How to stop wasting DAD’s money”! Every time I see a random purchase, food wrapper, beer bottle etc I recall that I bought it, but did not enjoy it!