Elm Staff Writer
As a college student, finding time to make money can be difficult, and holding on to it can prove to be an even bigger challenge. However, there are ways to improve your financial situation that do not involve working 20 or more hours a week.
The first step is to find a job if you do not already have one. The Career Center on campus is a great resource for an on-campus job or even ones off-campus. In addition, pay attention to your email inbox and clutter folders because emails are sent out multiple times a year regarding job openings around the College. Alternatively, try selling or making your own products. There are many websites such as Ebay, Amazon, and Etsy that allow you to create an account and sell your old clothes and hand-crafted objects like paintings and jewelry.
Once the income is coming in, the next step is to learn to save more than you spend. Planning a weekly and monthly budget is an essential tool to keeping track of your finances. Excel spreadsheets allow you to color code different categories and apps are available that can do calculations for you. By keeping track of money spent, you may find yourself shocked at the amount you are spending which will make it easier to pull back. Instead of splurging multiple times a week, limit yourself to one day out of the seven.
Lastly, another great trick is to save all your five dollar bills and put them aside in a jar for the entire semester so that by the end you will have accumulated a large sum of cash to celebrate somehow surviving another semester. You may be surprised at how much money you can save by following a few simple tips and tricks.
