A lot of us have heard about the starving college freshman, right? You have no idea how true that can be for a lot of college students.
I attend a college where the vast majority of the students are well off and able to pay four years worth of tuition in one single check. I don’t know about you, but money never came that easy to me or my family.
There are a lot of expenses that go unaccounted for in the flashy college brochures. A lot of expenses. Like the type of expenses that cause a tiny dent in your wallet that, over time., make a big dent. I mean laundry alone is $1.25 per wash and $1.25 per drying. I don’t have that many clothes so I am forced to spend about $5 on laundry each week. I know that doesn’t sound like a lot, and before you start accusing me, no I am NOT frugal. It’s just that those $5 could have been used differently.
If I wanted to leave the stressful campus environment I’d have to shell out $6 just to get to and from Boston. That’s right: six whole dollars.
Oh gosh, don’t even get me started on textbooks. Textbooks are massively expensive. We’re talking about up to $300 per book. For all you high schoolers out there I suggest you apply for scholarships that can help cover the cost of textbooks because it will come in REALLY handy. Another option is to buy used textbooks or borrow the editions that your school library has in circulation.
I’m telling you, these little expenses add up. There’s a magic word that swoops in to save our day, and that word is: budgeting. I never really appreciated the importance of budgeting. If you keep your expenses in order then you won’t run into any problems, which is exactly where you want to be in your college life.
I work eight hours every week and do odd jobs here and there such as tutoring and babysitting. What I do is deposit my paycheck and then use my odd-job money for cash. This is my fool proof way to surviving my college year without breaking the bank.
I hope I haven’t scared you away yet, what I’m trying to say is that for those of us who have to work a bit harder for the privilege of an education also have to work at discipline with our budgeting and savvy textbook shopping. Be smart about the way you manage your money on campus because when you graduate from college you’ll already know how to keep your finances and order; you’ll be a successful adult!