Shopping Tips for Students

One of the most important lessons young adults learn is money management and personal finance. In some cases, they have a flair for it, but in others they must learn these lessons the hard way. Most of the population, not just the young, struggles to make ends meet. For most families this is a daily and constant struggle. Learning early is one of the essential keys. One element of personal finance and budgeting is learning when, where, and how to spend money.

When

It is probably best for most college students to spend as little money as possible. There are many individuals on this type of budget and often there is not enough money to go around. For those who do not necessarily struggle with money on a daily basis it is still a good idea to learn exactly when it is okay to do so.

The best time to spend money is on pay day just after meeting all of the weekly budget criteria. This is the best time to determine if there is any money to spend and exactly how much there is. It is better to avoid spending money during impulse shopping trips. There is absolutely nothing wrong with window shopping for those individuals who have self-control. For people who have none, it might be a better idea to only go shopping with money and only with the money which is available for spending.

Where

Regardless of whether a budget is strict and tight or it is a little less restrictive with available shopping fund, it is always better to get the most value for a hard earned dollar. While a few individuals were and are lucky enough to be born with the clichéd silver spoon in their mouth, in most cases people have money because they work hard for it and spend wisely.

It is better to buy groceries from a prepared and planned shopping list from local grocery store sales. Depending on what items are needed, it is much less expensive to shop at dollar stores than popular department stores for household items. The least expensive place to shop for clothes is thrift shops. Most college campus areas have several clothing thrift stores geared specifically at college student fashion. These places sell used, name brand fashions at a fraction of the original retail cost.

How

            Money spending and shopping is always best done through a planned and established budget. Impulse buys and grabbing items on the way through the checkout line almost always means trouble. Premeditated spending is much kinder to budgets. Take a moment to contemplate if the item is actually necessary. If it is not, ponder further on whether the money is available or if it will be sorely missed and something important will be sacrificed to obtain it.

Thinking critically is one of the first lessons that most all colleges courses teach. It is also one of the most valuable. Decisions should always be carefully thought out and weighed before they are implemented. In many cases, giving a purchase careful consideration can keep young adults out of budget trouble.

Downtown Ann Arbor student apartment for rent