Budget could be considered as an essential tool when we want to reach important goals. In this case, we should prioritize on using our scarce resources efficiently and effectively. Because many students are not yet working and earning money, they should have a proper budget. In fact, budget is a wonderful freeing tool that allows us to graduate from college debt free. Despite the sources of income, students should live within sensible budgets. It’s important for children to know how to budget, so the skill can be applied during their time in the college. In this case, they should know about proper budgeting and there are components that they need to consider. They need to have focused goals, highly targeted fund allocation, accurate fund tracking and regular evaluations. For each month and semester, students should predict their income. Sources of revenue include parents, savings, grants and scholarship. There should be goal limits that they need to designate for each semester. In this case, students will know if their income could cover their expenses.
However, it could be necessary for them to take loans to deal with financial shortfalls. However, they should know how to repay the loan during and after college. As an alternative, students could defer their college education for one year to get enough money through scholarship, grants and work. When selecting their education paths, students should choose consciously and set realistic goals. In general, it is possible for students to graduate debt free. Armed with proper financing and good goals, they should be able to make decisions that won’t increase their debts. Specific spending categories should be pinpointed and they need to be able to use income the proper way. Routine spending may include tuition fees, accommodation, entertainment, groceries, cell phone, Internet, books, transportation and others. Accommodation and tuition fees can be quite costly and in some cases, it is better to choose local colleges, so students could live at home. In general, good colleges don’t guarantee success after graduation.
There are crucial issues that students need to consider. Budgets should be controlled through conscious decisions and they should know about the spending driver for each budget item. As an example, budget for books could be adjusted if students could purchase used books, purchase online version, share books or borrow them from the library. Also, smartphone budget could be based on specific habits, such as whether students call and text often. In general, habits and behaviours could drive expenses and they need to be controlled. Fund tracking is essential if students want to stay within their budget. There are many smartphone apps that can help students create, maintain and evaluate budget. The important benefit about using these apps is the ability to evaluate our spending habit. We would know how to change our focus and behaviours when it is needed. In this case, it could be necessary for students to sacrifice some entertainment and unnecessary consumption to ensure a debt-free graduation.
