(NC)-When it comes to planning for school, a budget is usually the last thing on a student's mind, but it's an important first step in planning for life on campus - and life away from parents. To keep on track and save money wherever possible, here are a few things that might help keep money in the bank for that spring break trip to the beach:
1. Determine a set amount to put aside from your summer job pay cheques. Setting up automatic transfers to a savings account will ensure you save what you set out.
2. Estimate how much money you'll "need" vs. how much you'll "want" and stick to the "need" amount as much as possible.
3. Check your budget on a weekly or monthly basis to ensure you are staying on track. If you overspend one week, plan to make up the difference the next week.
4. Invest in a reusable water bottle or coffee mug and fill it at home to save buying the items at stores for an inflated price. You will make back the cost of the mug in no time.
5. Going to the computer lab on campus can take a lot of time and printing there can be costly. Make printing easier and affordable by having an all-in-one printer in your room. Using a Kodak ESP 5 AiO, will allow you to print, copy and scan for less because it uses low-cost ink - while not compromising quality or performance.
6. Buy used textbooks or get books out of the library to save on expensive textbook costs. At the end of the year, sell your textbooks back to the school for additional savings.
Credit: www.newscanada.com