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Savvy Studenthood Doesn’t Mean Skimping

April 17th, 2018 Posted in student finances
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Becoming a student is an exciting time for any young person, with a lot of changes coming their way. You will have loads of newfound freedom, a chance to learn about something you love, and, most importantly, your first opportunity to manage your own money. Finance is probably the scariest part of getting into this part of life. Having never managed it before, you will have a lot of learning to do, and not much time to do it. Of course, though, if you’re savvy enough, you might not have to have a hard time at all.

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What You Spend: In reality, most students have little reason to spend money on anything other than rent, food, and the other essentials which come with life. Of course, you will probably want to spend something on yourself, too, but this shouldn’t cut too far into the money you have. Companies like Urbanest can help you to find student accommodation in luxury locations and with beautiful interiors, and they don’t have to cost more than what you would get with the university itself. Often having bills included, this can save huge amounts of money, and you won’t have to compromise on your living situation to achieve it.

Books, Books, Books: One of the most expensive parts of studying is the paperwork which you have to buy to go along with it. With some books costing as much as a new smartphone, it’s easy to see how it can be hard for people studying to afford these materials. In most cases, though, you can find very similar content in the form of e-books. Digital books like this are best read using a tablet computer, but this will only cost the same as a couple of your core texts, and may be able to save you money.

Something On The Side: While the life of student can be a very stressful one, it often isn’t very busy. For a couple of months each year, everything will be full steam ahead with your work. But, for the rest of it, you will either be slowly learning or away on long breaks. During these times, you have a great chance to make some money, and it will only take finding a job or starting small business to do it. With some extra finance in your pocket, it will be a lot easier to get through the year with a good amount of money saved up. Of course, it can be worth dropping this once you have gotten back into your studies.

Hopefully, this post will inspire you to start working harder than ever before on your studenthood spending. By finding ways to make things cheaper, make some extra money, or even get things completely free, you will make it easier to avoid compromise in your living. When everything is new and life is getting overwhelming, being comfortable will be very important, and a lot of people will find it hard to learn how to look after their money when they aren’t earning anything.

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College Is The First Step To Fantastic Finances, What Comes Next?

November 14th, 2017 Posted in student finances
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We all know that to get a decent salary in life, you need a college degree. Yes, there are exceptions to this rule, but for the most part, that’s the hard truth. A degree will get you in at a ground floor position in a company, and if you do exceptionally well in college, getting great grades, it might even be a prestigious company. What is often not discussed is what comes next.

It’s worth pointing out that we said a decent salary, not a great one. We also said a ground floor position not a key figure in a company. We should be teaching students and perhaps even kids that their journey to financial success isn’t over once they have that degree in hand. There are a few other things that they will need to do to gain the income level they hoped for. Let’s start by thinking about making sure that they do stand out on the market.

The Side Hustle

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Side hustles like blogging, writing or freelancing aren’t about making money. Anyone who tells you that these types of activities (completed in your spare time) are going to have a substantial impact on your finances is lying. But that’s not the point of them. The point of side hustles is to show initiative and to show some skin to your employers. By doing this, you can make sure that you stand out on the market and that you do look like the type of person that they want in their business.

Remember, for the best positions, employees aren’t looking for someone who is green. They want an individual who had experience even before they left college. That’s how to ensure you’re considered for the position that brings that big paycheck.

The Additional Degrees

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The first four years of college should never really be the end of your learning path. You should, in your spare time be looking for ways to boost your official qualifications further with additional degrees. You might think that this means you have to go back to college, but that’s not true. Even industrial degree likes engineering can now be obtained online. a masters in engineering management online will give you the qualification you need to soar in this industry. It won’t just gain you access to a position in the company, it will ensure you are considered for a top role in the business.

Nothing Less Than Your Best

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Last but not least, you must make sure that you are always giving your best in any position you take on before or after the end of college. It’s unrealistic to think you’re going to get your dream position in your ultimate company straight after you leave school. There’s going to be a lot of positions that you use the fill in the gaps. That’s fine as long as you treat them with the importance that they deserve. You can not afford to mistake these jobs as a place where you can complete the minimum work until something better comes along. References matter when you want to succeed and get your income to the highest possible level.

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Money Math: Valuable Lessons To Learn At College

June 21st, 2017 Posted in student finances, teaching students about money
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When you leave school, there’s every chance that you can solve equations, plot graphs, and measure angles, but many college students have limited experience when it comes to managing money. In school, you’re often taught how to solve problems, but these aren’t issues that will necessarily crop up in real-life situations away from the classroom. If you’re preparing to go to college or you’re moving on to the next stage of your course, this guide should come in handy.

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Evaluating your accounts

Going away to college is an excellent time to look over your accounts and determine whether they still work for you now that you’re about to become a college student. If you’ve been with the same bank since you opened your first account, you may find that there are other options out there worth considering. Look at accounts that are geared towards students. Some features, such as online bill payments and low daily balance limits, may be particularly beneficial if you’re swapping high school for college. Before you start your course, take a few minutes to have a look online, explore your options and choose the best account for you. It’s not hard to open a new account, and in many cases, you can do this online.

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Learning to budget

When you go away to college, there’s every chance that this will be the first time you’ve had to budget properly. Whether you’ve taken out a student loan to help with your fees or the cost of living, or you have an allowance from your parents, it’s essential to learn to budget as quickly as possible. When you’ve got money in your account, it can be very tempting to spend it, and you don’t want any nasty surprises when you go to an ATM or check your balance online. It’s very easy to get carried away at the beginning of the semester, but remember that your money has got to last several weeks.

There are many different ways you can budget. Some people prefer to stick to tried and tested traditional methods, such as noting down outgoings in a notepad and updating your spending record with a simple pen. Others use apps or spreadsheets. Whatever technique you prefer, you need to write down exactly how much money you’ve got coming in and what’s going out. Remember that with loans, you’ll usually get a lump sum, rather than regular payments. When you’ve got everything written down, you can ascertain how much disposable income you have. This is the money you have available to spend on socializing or buying new clothes, for example.

From a budget you’ve done for the semester, you can then break this down into a monthly and weekly budget. This will give you a figure to stick to every week. If math isn’t your strong point, don’t worry. You don’t have to sit and work out complex calculations for hours on end. There are really useful features like a fraction calculator and budgeting tools online that make life much easier. If you find it hard to control your spending and keep track of how much money you’ve spent in a week, one option is to take your weekly allowance out of the atm and keep it in a safe place. It’s usually easier to monitor spending when you have cash.

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Understanding loans and credit and planning for the future

When you’re a student, you may not even think twice about taking out a loan or filling in a credit card application. The trouble is that the decisions you make at the beginning of your college journey could affect you long after you’ve graduated. In many cases, college isn’t a viable option without a loan, but be careful about borrowing too much money or getting into debt that you can’t afford to repay. With college loans, it’s common to start repaying your loan when you start working, and you have an income. However, the terms differ according to the type of loan, and if you’ve taken out a private student loan from a bank, rather than a federal fund, you may be required to start your repayments much sooner. If you take out additional loans to your student loan, this will increase your debt, so make sure you can afford the repayments. If you miss payments or you get into a lot of debt, this affects your credit rating.

The average US student accumulates around $30,000 worth of debt over the course of their college career. This is a significant figure, but if you’re sensible with money and you understand the impact of borrowing, you should be able to manage your finances in a way that makes college affordable. As soon as you start working, and you’re earning a certain amount on a regular basis, you can start paying back your loan.

The trouble with accumulating debt comes when you can’t afford the repayments. If you’ve taken out a loan or you have credit cards, and you can’t meet the minimum payment every month, you’re likely to encounter penalties and charges, and your credit score will be affected. If you have a low credit rating, this will make it more difficult for you to borrow money in the future. This may mean that you’ll struggle to take out a mortgage and it may also have negative implications for your employment prospects, as many companies carry out credit checks.

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Going mobile

In this day and age, many of us rely on our phones to carry out a range of simple, everyday actions, including checking our bank balance. If you’re a student, it’s really useful to have access to mobile banking. This enables you to check your balances whenever and wherever you want, make payments and get in touch with your bank. If you don’t already have online banking, download your bank’s app now.

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If you’re preparing to go to college, you’re probably looking forward to broadening your horizons, taking on new challenges and forming friendships, but don’t lose sight of the importance of managing your money. Work out a budget that will see you through the semester, keep an eye on your accounts, and think very carefully about borrowing money. Use apps to take control of your finances, seek advice if you need help with debt, and make sure you’ve got the best account before you leave home.

And finally to make your money go further you may want to take advantage of the many discounts and savings available to students. For a comprehensive list visit the simple dollar

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Rules To Follow When Living On Your Own For The First Time

June 13th, 2017 Posted in Money Tips, student finances
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There are many transitions in life you make and you grow up and increasingly become aware of the greater responsibilities on your shoulders. It will dawn on you one day when you’re packing your bags full of clothes and everyday living items; you’re going to have to take a giant leap into the big wide world. One of the most difficult and daunting transitions from teenager or student is the coming of age as an adult. Living on your own will be tough for a smorgasbord of reasons, however, managing your personal and property finances by yourself will be the most harrowing challenge. The chances are good that you’ll be limited by income, but counter to this is the abundance of information and access to advice at your pleasure. Follow a few rules, mixing simple and complex solutions to problems, and you can navigate your way through life averting catastrophic setbacks.

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Budget before you move

Before you’ve moved into a new apartment or shared house, make a budget that reflects your current income, the monthly costs to live in the property such as rent, your expenses such as insurance, or phone bills, and finally your expenditure such as the weekly food shopping or on new clothes. Use this budget you create to see you through the first month or couple of week. After you feel settled in into the new place, take a look at your bills and go back to the drawing board to rebudget accordingly. Keep in mind some properties have utility costs which are seasonal, such as air conditioning which you might have used in the summer.

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Top of the range tech isn’t a necessity

You don’t need to have all the latest gadgets and appliances around the home, and a lot of young people make silly financial choices that they could do without. Don’t try to reconstruct or emulate in any fashion every part of how you used to live before, such as the need to have a laptop or tablet. Your parents of the university may have provided you with the technology all the other students had, but rather than wanting electronic accessories; you should focus on skillets, plates, cutlery and varying sizes of pots and pans. However, if you’ve been hired for a job that is well-paying, modern studio apartments have all encompassed utensils and connectivity as standard, such as here. Simply download the app required on your smartphone, and you can adjust the heating, set the time for the washing machine or dim and turn off the lights.

Cooking for yourself

There’s an endless wave of information on the internet for beginners just learning how to cook for themselves. Groceries are the most unpredictable, fluctuating part of your budget. Identify what your essentials are, such as bread, milk, and cheese dependent on your tastes. Cooking in bulk will save you money and time. Rice, pasta expand when inside your stomach, so you will feel fuller when eating this food type. Vegetables have a high water content as consequently, also fill you up with relative ease, not to mention the health benefits their exert. A better financial option is to cook in large quantities and freeze the excess individually. Buy airtight boxes and vacuum sealed bags which will preserve your food for up to 5 days at a time. Generally, the price per portion goes down when you cook this way because you save on energy bills and food prepping.

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