Money and 大学: Mistakes students make with finances
We review financial advice for 大学 students and detail how to avoid common pitfalls.
对许多年轻人来说， 大学 是培养他们独立性的机会吗. It's also a time when they take on responsibility for their own finances. It's important to develop healthy money habits during this time that can set your financial future on a solid foundation. Here are three ways to avoid some of the most common personal finance issues for 大学 students.
制定一个现实的预算
预算是关于如何花钱的计划. 没有计划, it can be easy to overspend and leave yourself without enough to cover the essentials, 比如食物和房租. 开始做预算, tally your income and fixed expenses separately — the latter are the expenses you have to pay each month. Any leftover money is what you can spend on discretionary things, 喜欢音乐会, 活动或夜宵. 别忘了 包括成本 这不是每个月都发生的, like your bus ticket home for the holidays or what you expect to pay out of pocket for tuition every semester.
慎重对待信用卡
Credit cards aren't necessarily harmful if used responsibly — they can actually be a positive tool to build your credit score. But if you don't pay off your balance each month, you can quickly accumulate debt at a very high interest rate. 如果你打算使用信用卡, get one with a low credit limit so you aren't tempted to overspend, and then make sure to pay off your balance in full every month. If you find yourself in a situation w在这里 you can't pay the balance in full, strive to pay more than the minimum — if you don't, interest rates can cause your balance to increase quickly.
有意使用贷款和奖学金
It can be tempting to use your student loan and 奖学金 for nonessential expenses, especially if you have money left in your monthly budget. 而不是, consider using the extra to start repaying your loans — even if you aren't required to make payments yet. It will save you money in the long run by reducing the interest payments on your loan, and will help you get started with good debt repayment habits. If you want extra spending cash, consider part-time work instead.
Making financial mistakes as a young adult can have a big impact on your financial future. Learning to budget and live within your means now can help establish a lifetime of healthy financial habits.
