As a college student, balancing finances is definitely difficult, but a life skill that I am trying to get better at. College also represents a time of transition, especially when it comes to money, as students start focusing on long term savings and even getting higher paying jobs than the ones they might have had in high school. Because of this, there is a sense that nobody knows what a “normal” amount of savings is, how much their peers are earning, or what college students are spending their money on. In an effort to promote financial transparency and help other students struggling with these same questions, I tracked everything I spent in a week!
To start off, I feel like it’s important to state that I have 2 jobs on campus, and I work about 10 hours a week. On average, I earn $300 every 2 weeks. Some of that money gets put into my savings, but most of it helps to fund the day-to-day expenses of being a college student. I work as a waitress in my hometown over the summer and on breaks, so most of what I earn from that is what I put towards savings, tuition, etc. I am also not including any recurring things I pay for/bills because it is hard to figure out exactly what all of those things would come out to per week. Without further ado, let’s get started with Friday.
Friday March 24th
On Friday, I went to visit my boyfriend and friends that go to Worcester State. While I was there, we all went out to dinner at The Boynton (highly recommend). I got an appetizer and an entree that added up to $26, including tax and tip.
Saturday March 25th
While my boyfriend was busy, my best friend and I went to a cute little plant store called Seed to Stem in the Kelley Square area of Worcester. I bought 2 crystals (one for me and one for my roommate), and split the cost of parking with my friend. All of that added up to $8.
Once I was back at Stonehill, me and my roommates ordered a pizza. Including the delivery fee and tip, I paid $15.
Sunday March 26th
After some convincing, I bought a shirt from my friend’s clothing company that he started for a class that he is in. Not that I really needed a $15 shirt, but hey, I’ll support a small business I guess.
Monday March 27th
In celebration of my 6:30-9 class getting cancelled, my roommates and I went out for ice cream at Dairy Queen. I got a small vanilla in a cup with cherry dip and rainbow sprinkles! I kind of forget exactly how much it was because I paid with cash, but I think it was around $5.
Tuesday March 28th
No spending!!!
Wednesday March 29th
No spending!!!
Thursday March 30th
On Thursday, I went to Target to get some miscellaneous things I’ve been needing for my dorm. Suprisingly, I didn’t buy too many unnecessary things (except Reese’s Eggs, but in my opinion those are incredibly necessary). Everything ended up being $18.
My roommates and I went to Chick Fil A for dinner, where I spent $12 on a grilled nugget meal.
Friday March 31st
To finish out the week, my roommates and I went to Target to get some items to make cookies. I bought a pack of sugar cookie dough and some sprinkles that totalled $6.
In total, from the week of March 24-31st, I spent $105!