Grocery Shopping for Students

If you’re a student, you’ve probably figured out a few ways to stretch your money. Making your money last can be a real challenge and many students could use some help. One of your biggest expenses, besides your normal bills and tuition, is grocery shopping. New students may have never shopped for themselves before and may find it challenging to squeeze what they want into a tiny grocery allowance.
The first step is to always check your budget before you go to the store. Your budget should show how much money you have coming in and how much you have automatically going back out. Cell phone bills, rent, tuition, books, electricity and water will all be deducted from the amount that you have coming in. Once you’re pretty sure that you’ve accounted for each thing that you’ll need money for, then figure out how much you’ll need for recreation, food, gas and other essentials like laundry detergent and toilet paper. Remember that your grocery store trip will include buying all of these things, not just food.
Once you’ve come up with an amount that can be spent on just food, figure out how many meals you’ll need to cover on that amount. Plan your grocery list by considering what you’ll eat for each meal. Don’t make the mistake of buying a whole lot of snacks and running out of things to cook for dinner after just a few days. Don’t panic if you get down to just a couple of dollars allowed for each meal. There are plenty of ways to eat good food on a small budget.
One way is to buy in bulk. You can buy a big bag of frozen chicken tenders for around ten dollars. Then, you can use the chicken for easy meals like barbeque chicken, chicken sandwiches, boxed meals that only require you to add chicken, and many other good dishes that are good for you. A college student cooking for themselves can get about ten meals out of one bag of chicken. Hot dogs are not necessarily the healthiest thing you could choose, but you can get between four and eight meals from one package. There are always the college student staples of macaroni and cheese or ramen noodles as well.
Soups are also cheap options and are available in hearty recipes that will actually fill you up. Eggs and milk can go a long way as well. Now that it’s winter, a big pot of chili is a healthy cheap option. You can make one big pot of chili for around ten dollars and it keeps well in the fridge. You can quickly microwave bowls of chili for a week off of one pot.
Don’t despair if you have a tiny grocery budget. Shop around for coupons and find out if a store near you does double or triple coupon days. Shop for the best deals and get the most meals from each purchase that you can. Don’t forget to ask your parents for suggestions. Chances are, they’ve been through the small budget grocery crisis before, and can give you recipes and tips to survive on a small budget.
If you expect that you’ll really be broke and have no money for food at some point, then you may consider student credit cards as an option to get you out of a bind and build some credit at the same time.

About the Author: Mary Wallace, a retired teacher, is the editor for studentcreditcards.com, a provider of student credit cards and information plus consolidation of student credit cards. For more information, please visit http://www.studentcreditcards.com

Are Students Good Credit Card Customers?

College is usually that time in your life that comes between childhood and adulthood. For most, it acts as a buffer zone between being under your parents’ protection and being totally on your own. Your parents may bail you out now and then, but you won’t be able to rely on them forever. The time to start taking care of yourself, physically and financially, is now, while you’re in college. Sometimes student credit cards are the first step towards learning financial responsibility.
It used to be that very few students had credit cards. It was considered a privilege and not a right. Credit cards were very hard to obtain due to the lack of credit history, income and responsibility. Now days, credit card companies are realizing that college students can be their best customers. Student credit cards can be very easily obtained and require little steady income and little or no credit history. Credit card companies target students for many reasons. First off, they know that students generally haven’t learned how to manage their finances effectively, and they’ll make a lot of money off of late fees and unpaid balances. Second, students are generally unaware of what is a good interest rate. They may not take the time to read and understand all of the fine print in the credit card agreement. They may not notice that they are being charged certain fees, such as annual fees.
Students are more easily convinced to open credit card accounts. Credit card companies will set up booths with free t-shirts and other give-aways that entice students to apply for a credit card. You may not have the self-control that it takes to only use your credit card for real emergencies once you have it in your hand. Credit card companies see you as an easy target. They know that you most likely won’t take their information and then go research other student credit card offers before applying. They also know that historically, students have used credit cards for clothing and nights out with their friends. This habit is a hard one to break and you can get yourself into debt that lasts for years beyond college. Students make loyal customers and usually keep using the same card for a very long time.
Student credit cards can be very useful and help you through tough times. They can get you out of a financial emergency when you have no other options. Most importantly, you can build a good financial history by using your student credit card wisely and responsibly. Make all of your payments on time and always pay more than the minimum. Shop around before applying for any student credit cards. Look for the lowest interest rate, consider all fees and consider the card that you choose an emergency card only. Building your credit is very important at this age, but you can also really hurt your credit and pay for it for years to come. Be smart and learn financial responsibility by being responsible. Don’t take risks with your credit and stay on top of your budget. When you graduate, you’ll remember the good things about your college years as opposed to regretting the mess that you’ve made of your credit.

About the Author: Mary Wallace, a retired teacher, is the editor for studentcreditcards.com, a provider of student credit cards and information plus consolidation of student credit cards. For more information, please visit http://www.studentcreditcards.com

Tips for Students to Build Credit

Creating good credit and getting student credit cards is new territory for college students. Your future is starting now and you probably haven’t given much thought to building your credit. Getting off on the right foot is crucial for your financial future. Making the wrong moves can haunt you for years and you should be aware of the risks and rewards when it comes to your credit score.
Your credit score tells lenders if you are a low-risk person who manages their money and credit well, or if you are careless and reckless with your finances. If your credit is good, you’ll enjoy low interest rates on loans and credit cards, lower minimum payments than your peers and more lending options will be available to you. This can be very important when it comes to making major purchases such as vehicles or buying your first home. Making bad choices and careless uninformed decisions can lead to a life of high interest, high payments and simply not qualifying for that car or house that you need. The worse your credit gets, the more you pay for everything that needs financing. Trending in this direction can lead you on a downward spiral of out of control debt.
You may not know exactly where to start to ensure that you get the best deal and establish the best score possible. You are probably starting out with no credit score at all and applying for loans and credit cards can be disappointing when you are rejected again and again. Make wise choices. Don’t get a credit card just to go shopping or on a trip with your friends. Make sure that you really do have a necessity and don’t overcharge any more than you need.
When choosing a card, you may have some luck going through your bank or credit union, but there are companies that have special previsions for students. It is generally best to avoid companies that be preying on the fact that you seem naïve about credit cards. Beware of representatives that offer free t-shirts or any other types of prizes for filling out an application. That freebie could end up costing you hundreds or thousands of dollars in fees and interest in the long run. Look for good introductory rates that don’t balloon into something horrible after the promotion runs out. Compare interest rates, fees and terms of many cards before making a decision.
You may need to start out with a secured credit card. These are credit cards that require you to put money up front, use the card and prove that you are responsible enough to make payments on-time. Making on-time payments is one of the best pieces of advice you can get. Interest rates can fluctuate very quickly when a payment is missed. Fees are usually extremely high and you can get yourself into a bind that you can’t afford to get out of. Always pay more than the minimum required and pay off balances as quickly as possible. Show your responsibility to your credit card company and your credit score will reflect your diligence. Once you establish your good credit score, it will pay off for years to come.

About the Author: Mary Wallace, a retired teacher, is the editor for studentcreditcards.com, a provider of student credit cards and information plus consolidation of student credit cards. For more information, please visit http://www.studentcreditcards.com.