Reality of Budgeting as a College Student

Yes, I am the college student who walks into class with a Starbucks drink in hand at least 1-2 days a week. I am never shocked when someone asks, "You got Starbucks... again?!?!" Guilty. I typically blame my Starbucks spending habits on "the lack of sleep I got from the night before", or "so and so wanted to go, so I had to go too!" Guilty, again. 

Anyone who knows me well, or anyone who pays attention to the number of times I bring Starbucks into class, may assume I make poor financial decisions. Well, they're right. Which is why I chose the marketing side of business, rather than finance. But no, really, one of my biggest goals for 2026 is to learn how to budget better.

Honestly, I have this goal every year. But this year, it's important I actually do it. As a freshman in college, I have a lot of things I need to save up for. A car, tuition, a future apartment, and most likely many other things. As I get older, I am beginning to understand the importance of saving money. Therefore, I have been doing my own research the past few days on the most college-friendly way to budget, without completely sacrificing the things I enjoy. 

While researching, I came across an article titled "The Student's Guide to Budgeting in College" by the source BestColleges. It's four step budget plan consists of 1.) Break down your total income 2.) Assess and Categorize Your Expenses. 3.) Crunch the Numbers. 4.) Create a College Student Budget.

After writing each of these steps down and plugging in the numbers, I am now able to see exactly how much I should be budgeting per month. There are many helpful resources college students can use when wanting to create a financial plan. As someone who loves to spend money, it will be hard, but completely
worth it for me to save.