How To Budget For Your New Sorority

When it comes to Greek life one of the biggest things that comes up is affording Greek life. I am not going to lie, it can get a bit expensive, but it's all about being conscious of how much money you have to spend and keeping to a strict budget. Here are some tips on keeping your budget together and how to budget for your new sorority.

1. Always budget a little more than you think you'll need: The sticker price of your new sorority might not be the only charges you face. You might want to go to a semi-formal or a pageant; you might want that extra shirt you never thought you'd want. Also some fees just pop up that you never thought you would have to handle. Make sure you are always prepared for more.

2. Learn to say no: If you can't afford an event and you don't have to go don't be afraid to say no. If you can't afford that shirt that isn't mandatory you don't have to sign up for it. Being in a sorority shouldn't break the bank so if you don't have to sign up for something and you don't want to sign up for it, don't.

3. Check for national and local resources: A lot of sororities offer a ton of resources for members in the form of great scholarships for dues. Also a lot of local sorority councils might offer a scholarship to the new member of the year or other people so that they can pay their dues. With paying your dues every little bit counts so if you can find a great scholarship it might make affording sorority life easier. Some sororities also have special consideration opportunities for those in the chapter who can't afford the whole of their dues.

4. Adjust your lifestyle: If you eat out a lot, cut back on going out. Eating in saves a lot of money and don't forget to use your meal plan if you have one. Instead of eating off campus every night, be sure to actually use the meal plan that you have. This also goes back to learning to say no, if your sisters want to eat off campus and you can't afford it, it's okay to say I'd rather stay on campus today.

5. Remember that sororities cost: When you join a sorority you are committing to every part of that sorority, even the boring parts like paying dues. Paying your dues in full and on time is important to the existence of your sorority. Sororities are expensive to run; especially when you are dealing with a sorority with a national organization. When your sorority has a national organization you have those bills and then you also have a ton of local dues that go to things like t-shirts, important events thrown by your chapter, and keeping your chapter afloat. There are many ways to make a sorority more afforadable, but in the end you also have to realize this is what you signed up for when you signed your bid card.

I hope this was helpful for you. If you have any other ideas on budgeting for new sorority women please leave them in the comments below!