The Strategic Collegiate

T he vast majority of college students, and even young adults, do not have a budget. I didn't have a budget for a very, very long time, and I'm entirely certain I'd have more money in the bank if I did. Why don't we do something that we know we should and makes complete sense? The answer is that budgets seem difficult, boring, and restrictive, when college is about spontaneity, fun, and passion. In this article, I'll help you make a budget and teach you some behavioral tricks to help you stick to it.  Disclaimer for legal purposes: This is based on my personal experience as a college student and I'm not a professional in personal finance. MAKING A BUDGET     You can make a simple budget using Excel or Google Sheets. Open one up and start two columns on the left: a category of purchase and next to that, the total. Download your statement from the last month from your bank, and go through every purchase, categorizing it and updating your total. It might look somet...

  A s a college student like me, money is probably on your mind frequently. I've covered funding your college by working and earning scholarships, and taking out loans if necessary, in my post, " Funding Your Education ." But those are just the tip of the iceberg. In this post I'll be discussing ways to save and make money in addition to your work paycheck. Disclaimer for legal purposes: This is based on my personal experience as a college student and I'm not a professional in personal finance or investing. SAVE MONEY     Do NOT buy your textbooks from the University bookstore without price shopping first. I actually got in trouble for telling this to students while working for our bookstore - whoops! - but it killed me to see freshman walk in and buy the first hardcover, brand new copy of the book they needed for every single class.  The only things you can't find secondhand for cheaper are online codes, like STEM or online classes might require, and the ...