| The beginning of a new year at college is filled with | | | | evening of fun. Find lost cost or free ways to have a |
| expectations of cool courses, new friends, catching up | | | | good time with friends or on a date. Binging on |
| with old ones, and something that that never seems to | | | | entertainment is a sure-fire way to blow your budget. |
| change for freshman or seniors alike; a limited cash | | | | Don't carry all your cash when you go out, you'll be |
| flow. How to successfully oversee your student loans, | | | | tempted to spend it. |
| credit cards and cash-on-hand can ease some stress | | | | -Look for sales on personal care and hygiene items, |
| and allow you to concentrate more on acing your | | | | and stock up when the deals are especially attractive. |
| courses. | | | | Look for effective generic brands or combine |
| Your mantra should be "it's not how much money I | | | | manufactures coupons to boost savings. Ditto food |
| have, it's what I do with it". Once you can map out | | | | and household necessities. |
| what you spend money on, how to save it, and how | | | | -Explore resale, consignment and vintage clothing |
| to stretch it, you'll be ahead of many of your | | | | stores. Most new cloths loose a far amount of value |
| classmates. Being chronically out of money is as | | | | once you walk out the door. Good and funky buys are |
| common for millionaires as it is for those starting out on | | | | available if you willing to look for them. Estate, church |
| their own, once you get the spirit of money you can | | | | and garage sales can be treasure hunts for quality |
| manage it instead of it managing you. Look at handling | | | | stuff at bargain prices. |
| your money as a part time job, once you do you'll | | | | -Borrow the minimum in student loans, you might want |
| have much more of it. Here are some tips to get you | | | | an extra cushion but try to pay miscellaneous |
| started. | | | | expenses and non-educational ones from |
| -Make an computer file to keep track of all your | | | | out-of-pocket. Do you really want to finance your |
| spending. A spreadsheet works good, list the | | | | college lunches for the next ten years? |
| categories of your spending and the date and amount | | | | -Make working while in college a given. It will give you |
| spent. Don't be surprised at what you spend your | | | | some additional income that you won't have to pay |
| money on, it's always an eye-opener. Keep a notepad | | | | back. Plus it shows to you summer employer or |
| or enter amounts into your blackberry when you make | | | | internship prospect that you're vested in making your |
| a purchase to enter later into your spreadsheet. | | | | own way financially. |
| -Get a free copy of your credit report, you're allowed | | | | -Buy used books for courses if you can. Sell the ones |
| one each year from the three large credit reporting | | | | you no longer use back to the bookstore or put all that |
| agencies. If you find inaccuracies take the time to email | | | | unused stuff you accumulate on ebay. |
| or write them to clear them from your record. Check | | | | -Balance you checkbook or debit account each time |
| out: | | | | you receive a statement, don't forget or procrastinate |
| -Credit is a given for the rest of your life. Learn how to | | | | on entering checks and debits, bank fees on |
| use it, and the signals when it is being abused. Open a | | | | overdrafts are killers to a budget and sometimes |
| department store account and pay balances on all | | | | repeated ones can force a bank to close your |
| purchase in full each month. If you can't pay a balance | | | | account. |
| in full for a big ticket item each month think twice | | | | -Save a little each month. Even if it's twenty-five |
| before buying one. Resist taking on major credit cards | | | | dollars, you'll feel better knowing you have achieved a |
| with high lines of credit, it's too tempting. Figure the real | | | | goal and have some back-up reserves. |
| cost of charging that new sweater or pair of shoes if | | | | -Don't loan friends money. You don't have the luxury of |
| you don't pay it off right away. Look for credit offers | | | | excess funds and your friends don't probably have the |
| that charge the lowest interest rates. Don't have more | | | | excess to pay it back. |
| than two credit cards. You might want to help a friend | | | | -If you're used to shopping and spending money and |
| out, but don't let anyone put charges on your credit | | | | need a fix, find items around a dollar in cost to get the |
| cards. | | | | consumption buzz. |
| -If you live off-campus, pay your utility bills on time, they | | | | -Identity theft is on the rise and the Internet is the |
| effect your credit history too. Telephone pre-paid | | | | number one place for your to be stolen. Only use |
| calling cards are an inexpensive way to call long | | | | secure payment sites and never give account |
| distance. | | | | information in emails. |
| -It's easy to get carried away when you're out for an | | | | |