With summer approaching fast, we all start planning our summer activities in our heads instead of studying for finals. But before summer hits we all need to be financially fit! Look at where you are now with your finances and where you need to be. What are you working to save for this summer and what are activities are you wanting to do? Set summer GOALS for yourself and then set forth a plan that matches your goals. Here are some tips to getting your finances fit before summer:
- If you don’t have a budget now, start one. There are so many great apps out there that can make tracking your spending easier and budgeting a breeze, like mint.com. Knowing where your expenses are going is very important and doing that now will help you better prepare for the summer months. You can use your budget to calculate how many hours you need to work this summer to cover all expenses and how much you need to put aside for savings. Putting money in savings helps pay for those fun activities over the summer without cutting into the important things like rent.
- If you are needing to save extra money fast before the end of the summer, cut something out of your budget for one month. It’s hard to do no spend months, but it is easier to give up just one thing for a month. That could be cutting something like buying coffee or eating out for the month.
- If you buy a coffee every other day, that would save you around $50 for the month.
- If you don’t want to completely cut something out of your budget, setting aside $5, $10, or $20 each week from now until summer will have built you a small fund of savings to spend on the fun activities for summer break.
- If you need extra ways to make income, over the summer there are a lot quick opportunities for college students. You could hold a yard sale, be a babysitter, or be a handyman/painter for your friends and neighbors.
To be financially fit for summer, planning ahead is the key! If you have any question or would like to meet with a counselor to help set up your budget, please visit our website to make an appointment. http://www.k-state.edu/powercatfinancial/.
Gretchen Holthaus, Peer Counselor I
