Breaking the College Poverty Cycle

Let’s face it; we live in a technology driven world. Even in the past few years we have moved from flip-phones (I know you had one too) to IPhones and from laptops to IPads. This is something that I feel as a college student you are more aware of than any other portion of the population. Why you ask? This is because we are being educated on the most new and upcoming technologies and gadgets that we are assured will one day “transform the way we live our lives!” Also, I believe that you never want something more than when you can’t have it. College students are told about all of the amazing gadgets that are transforming our world, yet VERY few of us can ever actually afford the latest gadget. Even if we save up enough or make really smart investments so we can afford these things they soon become obsolete and once again we are informed of how our once cool “latest edition” whatever is now actually obsolete. This is what I like to call the college poverty cycle, since even if you have saved up money in approximately one month you will have spent it ALL on food and or bills and once again be a poor college student eating Ramen for the third time this week.  So that being said, I say we do something to stop this vicious cycle! If our future employers really want us to learn the latest applications and technologies then they should provide us with the tools to do so. I mean I know my life could really benefit from having an IPhone or IPad, I am not even picky I’ll take either.  

Since this is most likely not going to happen, we must survive on the basic necessities that are college. After shelter (which includes rent and utilities), comes food, school, books, clothes, then good food, school supplies, and finally fun with friends. This is the actual hierarchy of necessities in my life; books come before clothes and food comes before school, well most of the time. If saving up for the newest gadgets is something that is important to you, then I suggest a budget of some kind. There are a ton of web-based worksheets that you can fill out to find the budget that best fits you, but what I have found works amazing for me is a website called Mint.com. This website puts all of your accounts in one place, so its manageable and you can actually see what your spending and set monthly goals for yourself! Plus it has an app for your phone! Seriously, check it out I just got an account and the idea of a budget is already becoming less and less scary. Who knows, maybe it will help you save up for that newest latest thing your professor keeps telling you about. We can break the college poverty cycle! Lets make a budget and stick to it! (I'll let you know how long this lasts)