Some background info: I'm Luna, a 21 year old in my last year of college. I have never really had to manage my own money, but I want to learn how to now so I can be in good shape after I graduate and not let money control me.
My school allots each student a yearly stipend of points, which is included in our tuition. Since we do not get reimbursed for unused points, the goal is to pace yourself so you have enough points to last the whole year. However, since meal prices are outrageous (we just switched food providers), I'll have to balance cooking meals at home, buying cheaper groceries elsewhere, and not spending too much time in the kitchen.
Since I use invisible points for most of my daily expenses and a credit card otherwise, it's hard to stay frugal. One of my first goals is to get a more tangible sense of my money, as well as the amount of debt I have.
I plan to monitor my spending habits and not splurge on items simply because I'm stressed and want entertainment and new clothes. I also want to maximize my time so I can get what I need to do done and not go crazy.
I'll be keeping a journal of my habits and write occasional articles about college student finance and organization. Thanks for reading and stay tuned!
Finance in a world of invisible money
October 8th, 2007 at 05:21 pm
October 8th, 2007 at 09:54 pm 1191880455
October 9th, 2007 at 05:09 am 1191906548
October 9th, 2007 at 04:22 pm 1191946968
Joan: We can use points at the campus grocery store, which sells school, house, and hygiene supplies as well as food. Otherwise, we can use them at school cafeterias, but that's it. We get 1478 points per semester, which we could think of in dollars if that's what you mean. If we run out of points, we can add some at a rate of one dollar per point.
October 9th, 2007 at 06:18 pm 1191953884
October 9th, 2007 at 08:21 pm 1191961267