管理你的钱

Learning to manage your money wisely is one of the most important skills you'll learn in life. 不管你的学位是什么, how well you follow lessons in budgeting and money can determine your success or failure in the adult world. As a college student, it is more important than ever that you learn good budgeting skills. Establishing a healthy relationship with money now will help you practice for the paydays of your future career. By following the simple advice below, you and money are likely to get along just fine.

设定目标

It is inevitable — you will likely need to learn the fine art of penny pinching while you’re in college. You’ll be faced with lots of temptations to spend your hard-earned cash, so setting short and long term goals will help you stay focused and reduce impulse spending. Short-term goals may be as simple as saving for holiday shopping or school 供应. Long-term goals may include things such as saving for study abroad, 购买你的第一辆车, 甚至为旅行或特殊活动存钱. Either way, setting goals is an important component of achieving success with money!

需求和欲望的区别

The terms "need" and "want" are often used interchangeably. 然而, as a college student this distinction will be a very important one for you to make. Do you "need" a Starbucks venti coffee or do you "want" one? Do you "need" to buy that biology book or do you "want" it because you don't want the hassle of renting? Many students feel that having a car at school is an absolute necessity, but consider the additional costs you'll accumulate with a car on campus:

• 停车许可证$300
• 油钱，因为你载着大家到处跑
• 可能增加的保险费用

通过看“需求vs. “想要”，更清晰一点, you will be able to save big on the indirect costs of attending college. 你无法控制学费, 住宿费、食宿费和学校收取的费用, but you can control the miscellaneous and transportation expenses associated with life as a college student. 下载我们的“需求vs. “需要”工作表(PDF) 开始整理你的优先事项. 

密切关注收入与收入的关系. 费用

Understanding the basics of your cash flow will help you manage your money and reduce unnecessary spending. The physical act of tracking your expenses on a weekly and monthly basis will allow you to see where your money is going and allow you to better analyze your spending habits and pitfalls. 我们创建了一个 收入及开支工作表(PDF), but you can create your own version with formulas by using a spreadsheet. 

只借你绝对需要的东西

你并不孤单. Most college students find they need to take out loans to pay for college. 然而, the key here is borrowing only what you need versus borrow what you can and "want" (there we go again — a "need" versus a "want"). Because the Cost of Attendance (or student "budget") is built as an average for each student, there are costs built into that borrowing capacity you can control. 永远不要借超过你绝对需要的钱. 

Here are a few things to consider when it comes to borrowing:

• 明智购物和消费. 书, 供应, transportation and other miscellaneous costs are all categories that can be reduced if you're a frugal spender, 购物者和旅行者. 如果可以避免，就不要借钱支付这些费用.
• 一边上学一边工作. Contribute any cash you earn with on-campus or break-time jobs toward your bill and toward miscellaneous expenses to reduce the amounts of your loans.
• 四年内毕业. Too often students drop classes without considering the long-term consequences of doing so. Each semester you add to your college experience significantly increases your debt and decreases the time you'll spend earning money. Buckling down now with your studies and seeking academic help when faced with difficulty will definitely "pay."

Think about the long-term gratification of less debt when you graduate versus the short-term gratification you'll feel with a little extra spending money in hand. Loans are a long-term commitment that you should consider very seriously. 

资金管理工具 

有许多强大的工具可以帮助你管理你的钱. 现在就利用这些资源, you'll learn valuable lessons that will set you on the right course for your future. 

• 薄荷, 2009年被Intuit收购, is considered by personal finance news and business forecasting publication Kiplinger to be the best of the best of online money management tools. This online tool is a great resource for you to start using while you're in college. 一旦你创建了你的帐户, 薄荷 links with your bank accounts and tracks your expenses, 储蓄和投资都在一个地方. You'll see a real-time snapshot of your finances and can set up reminders to pay your bills on time. 薄荷还提供有关储蓄的基本财务指导, budgeting and eventually contributing to and growing your retirement — once you land that job with awesome benefits.
• 360度金融知识, 由美国注册会计师协会颁发, is a site providing valuable articles and guidance on money matters. Interesting articles like "Financial Tips for Twenty-Somethings" and "What Baseball Can Teach You 正规澳门赌场网络 Financial Planning" deliver content in a digestible format.