Editor Livie Hall shows how to get the most our of your money when living on your own.
By: LIVIE HALL
Opinions Editor
People are told their whole lives to grow up. Looking forward to the first car, the first apartment and the real big-kid job are all things adolescents hope for. They cannot wait to get out of high school and move out of their parent’s house.
What they are not always told is how much this newfound freedom is going to cost. In reality, it costs a lot and all of the big-kid money is going to pay for all of these things before it can pay a tab at the bar.
In order to budget properly, students must make a list of absolutely everything to pay for. This includes bills, rent, car payments, etc. Everything that costs money must be accounted for. Once a list has been made, the next step is to calculate a paycheck.
A job is what will make or break a budget. Students need to have a job that pays enough to cover all expenses. When renting an apartment, they require the renter’s income to be triple the amount of rent. It’s good to use this method for other expenses.
Do yourself a favor and shop smarter. Big Lots has great kitchen pieces and cheap snacks – at awesome prices. Walgreens has good deals on make-up and hair products and Aldi is the ultimate money saver. Everything at Aldi is around one dollar and the savings are unbelievable. Someone can get away with spending $70 when they would have spent $150 at Schnucks.
However, there are things you need to spend some extra money on. Produce at Aldi is pretty risky, so the best bet is to stick to Schnucks. Ladies, cheap make-up from Family Dollar can make your face break out. Head over to Wal-Mart and spend $12 on Neutrogena.
Living alone is really trial-and-error. Take advice from friends and family to get on the right track. Spending money on food is hard not to do, especially when in college during the day and working at night.
Spending $70 once a month at the grocery store ends up being cheaper than grabbing a $5 meal in the drive thru.
It gets to a point where being an adult is all it’s cracked up to be. Once the financial situation is grasped, it gets easier to save and spend wisely. Being broke with friends ends up being a fun part of life. Late nights at Courtesy Diner, Redbox evenings at home and thirsty Thursday drink specials become weekly events. Find fun in the little things. There is no need to pay a $10 cover charge and $6 for a drink.
These are the best years of life. When the 50th birthday hits, these are the times to look back on and smile. Being a real grown up is challenging, but it brings strength and understanding vital to the years to come. The point will come where that bar tab has a few shots of rail vodka and greasy pizza. Until then, save up and budget on. Cheers.
