Take Charge of College Expenses

Halfway through their first college semester, many students face a turning point in their financial journey. The reality of living away from home starts to sink in, and there are often unexpected expenses that need to be accounted for. This is a good time for a financial checkup and to start budgeting. 

If your student drives to campus daily, they probably know gas isn’t cheap. Mid-first semester is a good time to remind them not just to monitor gas, but maintenance and car insurance as well. Biking and using public transportation can save money, but they’re not free. 

Joining a fraternity or sorority is another costly expense often overlooked until the first semester. Costs of membership dues and expenses can go into the thousands. And, many campus clubs also require fees. 

Your student may realize spending time with friends comes with costs. Have they saved fun money for movies, coffee, snacks and even road trips? Now that they have a clearer picture of how much a social life costs, those expenses can be woven into a new budget. 

Navy Federal Credit Union has tips to make your student’s financial adjustment to college easier. 

• Create a routine. College is the time to learn to make good financial decisions. Encourage your student to start by recording expenses and extra money from part-time jobs or gifts, and recording expenditures weekly. Saving receipts and using a budgeting app like Mint or You Need a Budget (YNAB) can help track spending. Online banking and setting up alerts keeps finances top of mind and readily accessible. 
• Consider prepaid cards. Prepaid cards make transactions simple and secure. Your student can use it online, at the ATM and for cash back. Plus, it may be protected by a zero liability policy, which means you can report unauthorized purchases and have them investigated. With a GO Prepaid card from Navy Federal, you can load up to $10,000, monitor spending from the app and authorize other Navy Federal members to add money to the card. 
• Limit credit card spending. Does your student have credit card debt? Learning NOW that you shouldn't spend more on credit cards than you can afford to pay in full monthly can be immensely helpful later in life. 

Responsible use of credit cards can help your student avoid financial problems in the future and establish a good credit rating. Encourage them to sign up for electronic payment reminders, balance notices and billing statement notifications.