managing money in college ?

I have some great advice about how to manage your money in college. I just graduated, so I know a few things about what you should do to save your money, and sanity, while balancing your college courses.

Have you opened a student bank account yet? If not, you should definitely open one. I would suggest with Wachovia because I’ve had them for years and I’ve never had a problem with them. They gave me a free checking account, a debit card, and a free savings account. You can even go online to manage your account. Here’s more information about student banking:

http://www.studentfinancedomain.com/student_banking/student_banking.aspx

Do you have a credit card? Okay, credit cards can be bad, but it’s all about how you manage them. If you get one first credit card and use it to make small purchases, and you make sure you make your payments on time each month, then you’ll build a good credit history. When you have good credit, then later when you want a loan for a car or a house, you are more likely to get one. Here’s more information about student credit cards and how to use them:

http://www.studentfinancedomain.com/credit_cards/student_credit_card.aspx

Also, you should definitely build a budget. Here’s a great source for how to build and manage your budget:

http://www.studentfinancedomain.com/budgets/student_budget_plan.aspx

Hope this helps! Good luck!

Do not get credit cards, even though they they seem like a help, they are a burden later.

As far as saving money, it’s hard, but it can be done. Depends on how much you make, and how much you have to spend. Are you living on campus, or are you living off campus? Are meals included in your schooling?

I tried to cook my own food when I was in college, rather than eat out daily. That adds up to a lot. A lot of foods you can eat to save money, are instant potatos, Ramon noodles, macaroni and cheese, hamburger helper, tuna fish, scrambled eggs, etc.

I’d make a budget and stick to it. Try not to stress though, college can be a lot of fun. I’d love to go back.