Flickr user Eli Duke
As a grown-up, I can hardly manage my budget wisely at times, especially when you are a woman being in love with books, online courses, and all the “know-how” in the educational and writing fields. Just imagine how hard it would be to keep all the expenses under control, if you were a college student.
To prevent unexpected costs, you’d better help your kid get into the habit of planning daily expenses. It would be even better if you demonstrate how it works in practice and show why it is worth doing. The more examples you can provide, the more persuasive you will be.
By teaching how to manage money, you make a great investment into your kid’s future. Otherwise he or she would certainly face the same overspending problems as me in the past. So, these are a few practical tips, which I find helpful when dealing with money as a college student.
Planning Some Budget for Impulse Purchase
It’s very important, indeed. Remember the time when you went to college? Did you have many spontaneous ideas on what to spend your allowance on? Put yourself in your kid’s shoes and think of what moderate amount of money can cover these unplanned costs. When disregarding this, children tend to feel more pressure and therefore become more inclined to break budget limits. You are sure to know the real value of getting rewarded, so let your student get encouraged too. This will positively affect their performance and motivate to further upgrade their budget-planning skills.
To simplify the task, help your child choose a mobile app that would be easy-to-navigate and fast. Check out Slice, CheckPlease Lite, Pocket Budget, or something alike to find the right solution.
Keeping Track of Student Discounts and Sales
This can turn to be a rather engaging activity. Draw up a list of the stuff that might be required during a current academic year and start surfing the web. Pick up the stores with the biggest assortment to offer and add their sales dates to a calendar on your kid’s device—or better yet, encourage them to do it themselves. Additionally, you can set reminders to schedule shopping time and prepare a shopping list well in advance.
To avoid doing this on one’s own, use the search bar to type in “discounts apps” and find the one that matches your child’s needs the most. Now many apps have an intuitive interface and divide all the stores and online services into a number of categories like takeout & delivery, adventures, clothing, etc. Personally, I find the apps with a separate section for current deals of great help too.
Track freebies. There are lots of concerts, movies, performances, or outdoor activities arranged at no cost. It doesn’t mean though that they are worse than their paid alternatives. The only thing left to do is to stay well informed.
Exploring Sources of Extra Income
If your child is good at math or writing, this can become a good source of extra income. While tutoring, students can polish their own knowledge and help others avoid pitfalls.
With a huge number of opportunities to do work remotely, college students can intern too. This may also help obtain a new experience and acquire practical knowledge as well as earn extra money to be spent the way your child wants.
For those students who adore writing, guest posting might become both pleasant and lucrative. There is a myriad of blogs out there welcoming such contributions.
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So, take time and create an action plan together. Be a good mentor for your kid to ensure success in their endeavors.
Interested in additional budget and personal finance posts? Check out our other articles below that help colleges students manage their money.
And be sure to use College Raptor’s free match tool to discover potential financial aid and personalized net price estimates at schools around the country!
| Lender | Rates (APR) | Eligibility | |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
6.97%-15.03%* Variable
5.99%-14.00%* Fixed
|
Undergraduate and Graduate
|
VISIT CITIZENS |
 |
6.37% - 16.70% Variable
4.50% - 15.49% Fixed
|
Undergraduate and Graduate
|
VISIT SALLIE MAE |
 |
4.98% - 16.70% Variable
4.07% - 15.66% Fixed
|
Undergraduate and Graduate
|
VISIT CREDIBLE |
 |
6.07% - 11.31% Variable
4.39% - 10.39% Fixed
|
Undergraduate and Graduate
|
VISIT LENDKEY |
 |
6.22% - 16.08% Variable
4.09% - 15.66% Fixed
|
Undergraduate and Graduate
|
VISIT ASCENT |
 |
6.54% - 11.08% Variable
3.95% - 8.01% Fixed
|
Undergraduate and Graduate
|
VISIT ISL |
 |
5.62% - 18.26% Variable
4.11% - 15.90% Fixed
|
Undergraduate and Graduate
|
VISIT EARNEST |
 |
4.98% - 12.79% Variable
8.42% - 13.01% Fixed
|
Undergraduate and Graduate
|
VISIT ELFI |
