Why is it we always have to spend money? As young adults it seems like everything comes with a cost because nothing is ever really “free.” Hanging out with friends, going out on the town or even enjoying some local music always has some cost attached to it, making fiscal responsibility difficult.
As we all build toward financial independence and a degree for a future career, one of the most important details to consider is money. Will we have enough of it to pay bills every single month? Will we be able to live the same lives we have grown accustomed to in the semi-sheltered financial window of college?
These are the questions that must be asked in order to prepare for the future that lies ahead of us all.
No matter what the occasion is with friends, it feels like there is always some pressure to purchase something, whether it is at a coffee shop, clothing store or anywhere that accepts the plastic card tied to our extremely fragile bank
accounts.
Those small $20 purchases add up fast and ultimately could be the difference between paying for the monthly cellphone bill or going a few weeks without service until we have learned from our mistakes.
Ultimately, everyone is going to have some amount of debt. There is no question about that, but the point here is why dig the hole deeper when we can actively dig ourselves out of it instead?
It’s OK to make a weekly or monthly budget and be strict about it, even if it risks the carefully constructed social life of going out and attending events with friends every single week of the semester.
Nothing worth having comes easy, but by limiting one’s unnecessary expenditures, the benefits down the road will literally pay dividends.
Personally, wasting money I do not need to spend hurts. Not physically, of course, but it is rough having to waste my hard-earned paychecks because my friends have more disposable incomes, or rather, less fiscal responsibility than I do.
College is not the time to be wasteful with money. It is the time to spend it wisely so you can insure your car and have a little left over to go enjoy a few outings with friends.