How to Manage Your Finances Well as a Student

Being a student is not easy especially if you don’t come from a wealthy family. Aside from the tuition fees, there are lots of other items that you need to pay for. You have to pay for your projects, daily expenses, and even allot some money for relaxation and entertainment. Thus, with the limited amount that you have, studying can be very overwhelming.

This is why a lot of students work at the same time. They use the money that they earn to cover the expenses that their allowance doesn’t cover. Though this is a good way to earn more money, it might really affect the studies. Some working students have a hard time balancing their time in school and at work. The worst part is that despite working and studying, the money that they have is still not enough to cover their expenses. If you face the same problems, here are some of the tips that you can follow to avoid these financial dilemmas:

• Live within the budget that you have set. If possible, don’t go overboard. If you know how much you have, try to as much as possible live within that amount. If your current money is not enough for all expenses, try to list the priorities. The others can be paid later. Don’t break your budget at any point just because you have found a new dress online or because your friends want to invite you to a weekend getaway.
• List people or institutions that you can easily run to if you don’t have any option left but to borrow money. However, stay away from lenders that will just make you suffer more. If you know people who can help you because they have extra money, but won’t do it just to suck money from you, then go to them. There are also lending firms that are friendly to students. If your university has a program for students who are not financially well off, then you can avail of this program.
• Excel in your academics. If you wish to get a scholarship, then prove your worth. Make sure that you pass all subjects with flying colors. Some scholarship programs even come with an allowance. You can only get them once you are on top of your class. This might sound difficult if you barely have time to balance your work and study, but it is definitely possible. You can also research on other scholarship programs available outside the university. Lots of nongovernment organizations and private companies offer scholarships for deserving students.
• Don’t be embarrassed of your financial status. The problem with some students is that they try to paint a different picture of themselves in front of their classmates. They wanted to show them that they are wealthy and are not in need of money. As a result, they buy lots of expensive clothes or dine in restaurants, even if this is beyond what they can afford. You just have to be real and not be embarrassed about it. After all, you go to school because you want to learn and not because you want to brag. If you can’t have a new Chanel, so what? As long as you have a functional bag that you can use to study, then it is good enough.
• Always save money. There are instances where you don’t have that much projects to spend your money You also have the summer breaks which last for quite some time. During this period where you can save more than you spend, try to save as much money as you can. When you need this money, you know that you have kept some. By then, you won’t have to worry when the situation is really tough.

Students who work really hard just to get themselves through college deserve all respects in the world. If you are one of them, then you just have to push further. Rest assured, once you have already gotten your degree, life will be a lot easier for you. For now, you just need to be more patient. Try not to spend a lot of money no matter how you are tempted to. College is just for four or five years. You have the rest of your life to splurge!

Photo Attribution:

Featured and 1st image by By West Midlands Police from West Midlands, United Kingdom [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

2nd image by See page for author [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons