As I was making a three-and-a-half-hour commute from PK (my hometown) to Plainview, I caught myself in deep thought about the financial issues going on in my life. As many other college students can relate, I’m broke. This year I have taken on many finances I have never thought about until they were my responsibility. When I made the decision to move out of my dorm and into a house, I hadn’t thoroughly considered the relationship between all the expenses a house comes with and the money I had in my bank account.
MISTAKE NUMBER ONE RIGHT THERE.
Secondly, I moved out of the dorms even though I still had a contract with Texas Tech for housing (…yes, dumb I know), which means I still have to pay for another semester worth of housing on campus.
Lastly, even though I basically had just enough money to pay rent and monthly bills along with groceries, I still spent money on things I could have done without for a while. Diving into the world of finances has been a harsh awakening for me. I allowed ignorance and avoiding reality to get the best of me. Despite everything, I still know moving into a house was the right move.
While I was thinking of how all these situations factored together, I felt weirdly calm about my entire situation despite the fact I have spent the past two months letting fear control my life. Fear of losing all my money and having to depend on my parents to help me, fear of my roommate not trusting in me to pay my bills, fear in having to forget about all of the material things and focus on what I had to get done, and fear in having to step up and be a legit adult.
In that moment of hopelessness, I felt like God was placing his hand on my shoulder telling me everything will be okay. I am grateful to have a job that will get me through this, parents who believe in me, a boyfriend who showers me with encouragement, and friends who let me know I’m not the only one with this struggle.
As some of you who have yet to really enter into the world of adulthood, take a minute and consider what you are doing to prepare for the journey you are going to embark upon. Here are some tips on how to be successful in your first few months of living on your own:
1. Just because your parents help you with most of your finances does not mean you should spend your checking/savings account on those $150 shoes you have been dying to have because they are the latest trend.
Before you move too fast and pull out your card and make that online purchase, take into consideration if you really need them. If you love shopping (like me) and keeping up with what’s hot maybe set aside savings from each month and treat yourself.
2. Get a part-time job, something that works with your already busy college schedule, so you can start saving up.
I know getting a job when you don’t need the money seems useless, but it will be worth doing in the long run. Not only will you be making money, but getting a job receiving your very own paycheck is extremely rewarding.
3. Start trying to rely on your parents a little less.
Make a goal to start paying for all your meals when you eat out, pay for your gas, or buy your groceries. Doing this will prepare you for when you take on many more finances. When you know you have to pay for something you become more aware of how much you spend on a weekly or monthly basis.
4. Lastly, let the fear of having to limit your spending control your responsibility.
You will truly learn money isn’t what buys happiness. For me, that wasn’t something I was able to learn until I really stepped into adulthood. It is better to try and understand the concept before, it will save you lots of sleepless nights. Entering into adulthood can be an exciting time in your life, so don’t let fear override your life!
