The transition from school to college is stark in many ways, and your spending habits are definitely no exception. College means a lot of things for different people, such as moving out, being independent, driving, and new beginnings. Living in a world that is so costly and with you becoming independent, you will surely start to feel yourself investing more, and in several situations you will find your spending spiralling out of control. So, here are 5 ways for you to avoid exactly that from happening.
1. Plan, plan, plan.
Once you get your income, you need to plan how you will spend it. Allocate rough figures to how much you want to spend on different things like food, books, coffee, cinema tickets, and so on. Even if you don’t want to save but just want to have enough money for you to pass the month, per say, smoothly, it is always smart to plan ahead to make sure you don’t end up completely broke by the last 10 days.
2. Be rational.
Even though you might want to allocate more money to leisure activities, make sure you don’t end up leaving $5 for food, for example. Be smart with how your organise yourself or else you will be stuck in a vicious cycle of being broke. Also, if you really want something, such as a lipstick, but it will obviously cost you a lot and you already don’t have much left, it’s better to wait till you get more money. Don’t deprive yourself from satisfying your wants, yet don’t put yourself in trouble.
3. Learn that it is okay to say no.
Going out sounds great, but when you know it will cost you a lot it is okay to back down. It can also be a chance for you to rewind, watch your favourite shows, and maybe even catch up on work. Try not to let your FOMO get in the way of you living a smart and healthy life!
4. Find what suits you.
If you’re not getting a lot of money, that’s totally fine. But make sure you accustom yourself to that! Instead of going to that exclusive restaurant that serves small sizes of food that isn’t even that good, you can find an independent café and support them, while paying much less anyway. Same goes for other things such makeup, where you can replace getting the Kylie Jenner $30 lipkits, you can replace it with a much cheaper dupe, of the same quality.
5. Don’t be scared.
It’s okay to go broke for a month, or two, you will get back on your feet. It’s okay to splurge every once in a while because it will make you feel better and will help you preform well in other aspects of your life such as your college work! It’s okay to learn from your mistakes, so don’t be scared of making them.
These tips should help you in college, and even in different stages of your life.
Good luck!
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