Why is it necessary to track all your expenditures if your goal is to spend less to avoid financial problems while in college?
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Imagine several situations in which a friend asks you to join some activity that would break your budget. Write down positive, upbeat things you can say in these situations instead of glumly saying “I can’t afford it.”
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List as many ways as you can think of to locate job openings for which you might apply.
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Who should you talk to if you are having difficulty paying for college or meeting your expenses?
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It’s never too early to think about summer jobs. Go online to check out summer jobs and internships you might find interesting. Check out the application process and deadlines and write these on your calendar for the winter or spring to remind yourself to apply early.
Go to the following Web site and take the “Finance Quiz To Test Knowledge Of College Students”—then check other resources on this site for more financial information you may need:
For a more comprehensive analysis of your spending habits and financial knowledge, try this quiz:
http://moneycentral.msn.com/quiz/savvy-spending-quiz/home.aspx
Spending
I spend too much money every week on
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My action plan to spend less includes the following:
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Lifestyle
The area of my lifestyle where I know I spend more than most other college students is
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I can make these adjustments in my lifestyle to reduce this expenditure:
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Job in College
Ideally, I’d like to work no more than _______ hours a week.
What I’d most enjoy doing is
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I can learn more about possible jobs close to my ideal by
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Saving Money
I believe I can realistically save this amount of money a month if I watch my spending:
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This is where I will put my savings:
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I will allow myself to spend this money only for something major like:
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Budgeting and Tracking Spending
Here’s how I have kept track of what I spent in the past:
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So that I can maintain a budget now and in the future, I know I need to record every expenditure. I will do this by
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Credit Card Use
In the past, I usually used my credit card to buy things like
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If you have not always been able to pay off your balance every month: I will try to avoid using my credit card as much by taking these steps:
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