How to Ball on a Budget

Look y'all. Everything about college is expensive and spending money is extremely easy since you have so much to spend it on. And if you're like me, you will cut corners at every opportunity you're given- whether it be renting books instead of buying  them (or buying all of my books at all, haha), or knowing when to calm down on my weekly Chick-Fil-A runs. But as you get older, you realize that nothing is ever free (colleges might as well charge you for breathing!!) So here's a list of things to remember when you wanna make your money stretch:

1. Take advantage on campus transportation
- This is an amazing option if you don't have your own car. You know those fees on your account that don't even seem real? That's what this helps pays for. And even if you do have your own car, gas is NOT cheap, so make sure to park your car when you can.

2.  Cook, don't eat out!
- If you have a kitchen, use it! Sure it may seem expensive when you're doing a major grocery haul, (even that doesn't need to be expensive if you shop right!) but it'll be so much more worth it in the long run instead of going to Chipotle and Starbucks 6x a month. In some cases, shopping and cooking your own food could even be healthier.

3. Don't be afraid to buy offbrand.
- This one's pretty self explanatory. Sometimes this option has to be the way to go.

4. Make a list.
- What I do each month is make a list of everything I know I need to buy and the things I just want. Most of the time, my "want" list is much longer than what I need. Making a list allows me to prioritize what's really important and what could wait.

5. Just don't spend money!
- This one seems the most obvious, but it's just that simple! Every time you get some money, put some aside for your savings. That way, when you really need money to spend, you can actually have it and not have to worry about it.

There ya go! 5 easy ways to ball on a budget! Strut your stuff, ladies! Have any other suggestions? Let me know!