Lets face it, college is expensive. Budgeting is pretty much necessary. Regardless of how much one does save up their money, I think it is safe to say that every student has identified themselves as a “broke college kid” at some point in their academic career.

As a college student, it can sometimes be difficult to budget your money. Speaking from personal experience, I’ve told myself many times to save up then somehow find myself going out to dinner with friends (for the third time in a week…oops).

According to affordablecollegesonline.org, “43 percent of students don’t track their spending while 58 percent said they aren’t saving money each month.”

Of course students must financially prepare for college and consider the cost of tuition, room and board, food, school supplies, and extra expenses that come with things like social activities.

Some students may struggle when it comes to planning and budgeting. So, where does one begin? There seems to be a number of ways that one can go about it.

Budgeting Apps

It’s quite easy for people to do things from the comfort of their own smartphone. Luckily, there are several apps that can help college students or really anyone to track their expenses and budget their money. Some of the apps to choose from include Intuit Mint, YNAB, and Clarity Money.

Write it out

If apps aren’t your thing, the old fashioned pen and paper is always an option. For many, it can be helpful to write out and plan your budget each month. Take time to consider and save for your monthly expenses so you can spend accordingly.

Use on-campus resources

The WTAMU campus community is fortunate enough to have an on-campus resource that can help students make the best financial decisions with the Buff $mart Program. According to the Buff $mart page, the program aims at “helping students improve their understanding of financial literacy and empowering them to make informed choices to improve their financial well-being.”

Social media accounts

There are several accounts on platforms such as instagram that encourage and inspire others to save and make smart financial decisions. These accounts also post helpful tricks and tips that help followers plan and improve their budgeting skills. A list of accounts can be found here.

Regardless of which direction you want to go, there is more than one way to save your money. As a college student with a million things going on at once, it can be challenging, but it is definitely possible and students should be open to using any and every resource.