By: Sai Igiede, Zuckerberg College of Health Sciences Well-being
It’s Sai, your local well-being leader, and today, we are going to be talking about finances.
As a college student, being stressed isn’t fun. And when you add low funds, it can feel very daunting! Whether you want to spend less money because of a cool trip you’re saving for, or you want to decrease your spending habits. This post is for you!
First, you have to ask yourself a few questions:
- Why am I saving?
- Is there a specific amount in mind that I want to save?
- Do I want to set a limit on how much I spend?
These are some of the questions you might want to think about when it comes to your own personal finances. Let’s use me as an example. I want to start saving my money because I don’t make a generous amount of income. Something I could do, and I highly recommend this for anyone, regardless of their circumstance, is
- The Financial Seed
The financial seed at UML is also a great resource that helps with not only financial literacy but also things like budgeting. It is free for students, staff, and faculty members as well. I highly recommend this as well!
2. Creating/Using a budget sheet
When it comes to finances, a lot of people try to do all the mental math in their head, which can work for some, but I know for me, it doesn’t. I try and try again, yet fail every time. So I started to use a budgeting Excel sheet that looks at my income, how much money I would like to spend, how much I want to save, and pocket change for emergencies (like a random boba run with friends at 3am). There are a lot of free budgeting templates online if you are also not comfortable making one yourself.
But Sai, what if I still want to have fun while saving money? When it comes to saving money, a lot of people equate spending less money with not having fun/events. Whenever my boyfriend and I want to hang out, we are always thinking about some cool, cost-effective activities within Lowell. Some examples are:
- Picnics
- Painting
- Thrifting
- Going to the Movies
- And many more…
Managing your finances can be stressful for a lot of reasons. However, making sure you have a plan in place can definitely make you feel not only less stressed but also more organized.
Until next time,
Sai