Budgeting for the College Kid

In a time of saving money and proper budgeting, I am so tired of hearing all my friends say, "Dude, I am so broke." So here are tips for keeping the money in your pocket while still keeping a solid lifestyle and reputation for the college kid.

Walk

If you can walk from off campus, do so. Not only is this "Greener" but it spares having to pay for on campus parking, fuel, car maintenance and other expenses. If you don’t like walking try biking, or rollerblading, these are all simple economic options to driving. If you’re too far for any self powered options, Public Transportation is very often provided by the university or town/city.

Budget it out

I use Excel spreadsheets a lot because they help me lay things out quickly with the use of formulas and their quick copying. So break it down, look at how much money you have, what will you make (working somewhere) and allot it out. Set caps on Gas, Groceries, Beer etc. The more you prep for what you need, the more you can have for partying.

Cook at Home

Stop going to Cookout, or whatever your late night quick meal is (Unless you budgeted that one in there) and start cooking at home. Yes, groceries are becoming more expensive but take a look at the How To Wiki for Shopping and Cooking at home Frugally and get some helpful tips. Also Opensourcefood.com is a gathering of recipes from people who post them, kind of like a wiki for recipes. If you don’t know how to cook much try that.