Photo courtesy of Photopin.com
The broke college student cliché is painfully real for most of us. Being in college is this new, exciting adventure where we all get to challenge ourselves and find out exactly who we are; making new friends and new memories in the process. Living in Southern California for almost all of my life has ups and downs. One of the ups is that I live so close to everything. I have access to several beaches, touristy spots, local spots, and an insane amount of new food places to try. With the ability to get to all these places easily, it’s become more difficult to deal with the FOMO mindset.
What is the FOMO mindset? For those of you who do not know, FOMO is an acronym for the phrase “fear of missing out.” This mindset is particularly prevalent with our generation because with our access to technology and communication; we’re constantly seeing new places to go to or hearing about someone else’s experiences on social media. Aesthetically pleasing pictures of the perfect places to take pictures with friends to document new adventures and mouth-watering pictures of food that you’re dying to try can be seen throughout every social media platform. With all these images and possibilities, some college students struggle with trying to stay within their budget but also have fun with their friends and take part in new adventures. I’ve struggled with this dilemma myself and I can safely say I’ve beaten the FOMO mindset while also being part of the plans my friends and I make.Photo courtesy of Photopin.com
First, you have to ask yourself whether you actually have a strict budget or if you just say you’re “broke” but in reality you aren’t and you spend money all the time. If you find yourself in the second category, then try to be stricter with yourself on how much you spend. You aren’t helping yourself if you constantly spend money on things you don’t need or restaurants you don’t even like. Which brings me to my next point: you do not have to spend money when you go out with friends.Photo courtesy of Stocksnap.io
Whenever my friends go out to eat, I know I want to go out with them as well. But I don’t necessarily want to go out with them to eat, I just want to go with them to be with them and hang out. Let’s say they’re going to a fast food place, you should know you aren’t obligated to get food as well. You can get something small like a drink if they’re eating at the place, but if they’re taking it to go, don’t even bother buying anything. You probably have a meal plan you can use or a kitchen to make your own food. Save that money for a time when you’ll actually need it to be with your friends. If you’re going to a casual, sit down restaurant, you can still get something cheap like an appetizer and a drink. If it’s really in your budget, treat yourself and buy a meal. Don’t eat just to eat, spend your money on food when you’re hungry. By saving money from fast food places and go-to spots, you’ll have the money you saved to spend the next time you and your friends go out for an impromptu or planned adventure for a certain unique food place.
If you go to the store with your friends, don’t feel obligated to buy something because everyone else is. Is it hard to say no to something you saw and loved? You could imagine yourself wearing those shoes and you’ve already started thinking about the different outfits you can make based on those shoes. Guess what? You have to ask yourself whether you actually need them. Do you need another pair of black booties? Probably not. Do you need those pink heels? You might say yes, but then ask yourself how many times you’ll wear those heels and for how much longer can you wear them? Are you graduating soon? If yes, that means you’re probably going to be entering into the workforce and more often than not, pink heels are not the most helpful footwear for jobs. You can save the money you would use during those shopping trips and save up for something bigger or more practical. Photo courtesy of Pexels.com
Remember to never feel obligated to partake in activities you don’t want to; if you don’t see the point or you aren’t comfortable, do not go along with what everyone else is doing. Be strong, remember that your comfort and your happiness is what’s important. If you aren’t comfortable or you just don’t like what everyone else is doing and you decide to stay, but not partake, remember that you aren’t missing out. If you were to do something even though you were uncomfortable, you’d be missing out on your opportunity to continue to being yourself and being yourself is more important than avoiding FOMO. For the past three years, I’ve made sure I was smart with my spending habits and with staying comfortable with what I was doing. Pushing yourself out of your comfort zone is one of the purposes of going to college and growing up, but that doesn’t mean you have to compromise who you are, what you believe in, or what your long term goals are either.