“I’m a broke college student.”

Is that or is that not the most commonly spoken statement by every college student, ever?

You see, as college students, we have a HUGE problem with the word “no.” Here are some of the questions that lead to the destruction of every college student’s bank account:

• Do you want to get food?
• What kind of alcohol do you want for this weekend?
• Do you want to get clothes for this weekend? I literally have nothing to wear.
• Do you have gas money?
• Do you want to get decorations to make our place look nice?
• Target?
• Do you want to have a “Treat Yo’ Self Day”?
• Can we PLEASE get food?!

I think this is a universal issue across all college campuses. Despite the fact that you are “broke,” when people ask you to do things that cost money, you cannot say “no” – especially with food.

I would spend the last of my life savings on Chipotle, and that is no lie.

And no one has a decent job. You could have work study, but the pay is horrible. An off-campus job just seems like too much of a hassle. Your parents are constantly on your case, because seriously, what the hell are you spending all your money on? Looking at your bank account and cringing after breathing a sigh of relief that your card was not declined at Chipotle pretty much sums up the life of a college student.

The rational part of your brain screams “no” to spending more money. You always seem to rationalize the irrational “yes” that somehow escapes your mouth. You have been super stressed lately. You seriously are going to stop spending money after this weekend. You will have a great job over Christmas and summer break. You can’t starve to death, right?

None of these excuses will cut it for the ‘rents, though. You despise asking them for more money.

In all honesty, Mom and Dad, I just don’t have time for a good job! Between classes and homework and tests, it all just piles up! Plus, I need a car, which means gas money, which just hurts my bank account more …

Your parents don’t accept your bullsh*t. Sometimes, if you’re lucky, you find a deposit in your account of a little extra money. This is rare, so savor it.

Of course, you’re in college to earn a degree, but what is college if it’s not fun? You have to make a few sacrifices here and there that involve spending the moo-lah. My grandpa always tells me, “Study hard, but make sure you’re having fun. Make sure you have a lot of fun.”

However, you are well aware of the fact that this is not real life. In the real world, you have to hold a real job that allows you to earn real money in order to spend money. You realize college allows you to act selfishly and be self-centered at times. Nevertheless, there are times when you are rational. There are times when you legitimately have 83 cents in your account and you have to say no. There are times when you feel guilty for spending money. There are times when you have an anxiety overload and can’t even attempt to swipe your card because you might literally burst if you spend more money.

So, fellow broke college students, remember to thank your parents profusely when they do give you a little extra cash. Remember to attempt to be rational when it comes to swiping your card.

Until real life knocks on your door, you can practice the art of saying the word “no.”