(written by Rising STAR, Krystal)

Hey Bloggers!
 
Things have calmed down a lot in the college process. Now that I’ve chosen a school, I've got everything almost all set and ready to go! Lately, I've been thinking about how I am going to manage my money when I get to college.

I have a current job that I will work at this summer and that will help me earn some money  I plan to put half of each paycheck in a savings account so that I will have money for expenses I come upon throughout the school year. I also thought about getting a job on campus. Maybe a work-study job if they offer me one; I haven’t completely made up my mind yet. I plan on trying the first semester out and if I'm not feeling overwhelmed I will consider getting a job on campus. I will make my final decision by talking with my peers, teachers and my parents  about how I could manage my time – balancing classes, work, fun, and all the other things that fill a college student’s day.  If I were to get a job, I may consider working on the weekends only so that the job doesn’t interfere with my school work during the week.  It is always good to plan ahead financially – you might want to put some money away towards your tuition, books and other educational expenses.

Once I have a job (and even before that if I want my summer money to last!) I will have to control what I spend. My advice to everyone would be to understand and recognize the difference between a “want” and a “need”. Needs for a college student might be transportation, book and laundry money.  Wants might be tickets to the latest concert on campus.  Can you get by without going to the concert?  Probably.  But can you get by without clean clothes.  Probably not.

My friends at the Center for College Planning recommend these websites for getting your finances in order – www.spendster.org , www.smartaboutmoney.org , and www.mymoney.gov .  Check them out!

Budget for your future today!
Krystal