In Her Campus’ series Where’d My Money Go?, we’re taking a look at what one college student spends in a week on campus. In this piece, Jill, a senior at Trinity College, shares her weekly spending habits.
“Bad with money” might not be the most endearing trait to have, but it describes me to a T. Everyone has their faults, and if mine is being a shopaholic, so be it. I blame my carelessness on the location of my school. I’m currently a senior at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, which is about 15 minutes from my favorite mall. For two years, I’ve worked as a writing associate for my school’s writing center, so that’s been my main source of income. A typical week for me involves seven or eight hours of work, where I earn an hourly rate of $14.50. Some of this money goes towards my Spotify, Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+ subscriptions, and the rest goes towards groceries, takeout, and — when I feel like treating myself — clothes. I’m unwilling to admit how much I spend on coffee per week, as it would outweigh the combined cost of my subscriptions.
Since I’m prone to making frivolous purchases, staying under budget is always a challenge. I usually set a budget for the week every Sunday night, which is usually somewhere between $60 and $100 (depending on what’s happening at that time). I try to write down my purchases in my notes app, though I usually forget to update them halfway through the week. I know that there are apps that are more useful for these purposes, but they, too, constantly slip from my memory.
Now that I’m publicizing my purchases, I feel like I have more accountability in keeping my list up-to-date. Hopefully I’ll feel pressured to spend less and remain within my tentative budget of $100. I’m going to be a bit more flexible with this budget, seeing as I still have a lot of Christmas shopping to do. At the same time, I plan on going goblin mode this week, as I’m in the midst of finals. Staying inside will either help limit my spending or send me into an online shopping spiral, so I guess I’ll find out which way I’ll end up soon enough.
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SUNDAY
1:30 p.m.: I had an Uber Eats promo that I refused to let go to waste. I got paneer tikka masala, a mango lassi, rice, and garlic naan…which, in the end, would’ve costed the same without the discount code. What can I say, I had a craving. I ended up making two meals out of this, so I guess it was worth the hit to my bank account. $27
Daily Total: $27
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MONDAY
Courtesy of Jill Schuck 3 p.m.: I started my Christmas shopping right after class. My Amazon Prime free trial ended (sad), so no free shipping for me. If you’re my grandma, stop reading this now… I got her an Apple Watch wristband. $14.50
4:15 p.m.: I feel like a pretzel is obligatory for every mall visit. The smell of Auntie Anne’s lured me in, and I ended up buying a small order of cinnamon sugar pretzels with icing. As you can see, I secured the bag. $6
Daily Total: $20.50
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TUESDAY
4:30 p.m.: I’m going back home soon, so my friends and I are trying to plan what to do during break. Somehow, we landed on a 4D Polar Express show. Not going to lie, I’m a little too excited for it. $9.25
Daily Total: $9.25
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WEDNESDAY
11 a.m.: Her Campus very generously sent me a Grubhub gift card for a lunch-and-learn Google Meet (yay!). Low on groceries, I decided to order both breakfast and lunch, which was a gingerbread smoothie and an açaí bowl. Both were delicious, though they certainly didn’t keep me warm in the New England winter weather. $15
Daily Total: $15
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THURSDAY
Courtesy of Jill Schuck Today I drove home for winter break, and though I didn’t spend any money, I did spend an hour sitting in traffic. The pain was worth it to see my dog again.
Daily Total: $0
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FRIDAY
1:15 p.m.: Totally forgot to send in money for my sorority sweatshirt. My bad. $6.99
Daily Total: $7
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SATURDAY
Courtesy of Jill Schuck 12:30 p.m.: Just stopped by my favorite place in the world, Barnes & Noble. I went in with the intention of buying some Christmas gifts, but ultimately left with only one book and a Starbucks cold brew. I also spent a bit too long admiring the gorgeous covers. I’ve never seen a bookstore so mobbed — but nevertheless, I survived. $24.65
2:30 p.m.: Apparently, today is my big day for Christmas shopping. My cousin wants to take up drawing, so I got him a sketchbook and some pens. Move over, Picasso. $26.39
6 p.m.: I swore off spending for the rest of the day. That is, until I found the perfect gift for my aunt at a winter market. I bought her a DIY cross-stitch kit that, honestly, I’m tempted to steal for myself. $38
Daily Total: $89.04
Weekly Total: $167.78
OK, so I may have gone a little over-budget. I sort of expected to splurge a bit on gifts, which was where most of my money went. Gift-giving brings me so much joy, but what doesn’t is checking my bank account after a day of shopping. Aside from the presents, I seemed to stay in my usual ballpark. I wasn’t charged at all for my subscriptions and didn’t buy any groceries, bringing the weekly total down by a considerable margin. Friday was also pay day, and since I covered some shifts the past two weeks, I ended up earning more than usual. It still wasn’t that much, but every bit helps. And on the bright side, seeing how much I spent might incentivize me to be tighter with my money this week. Unless, of course, I take advantage of last-minute holiday sales.
