It's unlikely that you'll be able to go to college without building up some debt. This is just the way that it is. You just want to make sure that it's manageable debt. So, go to local schools, get all the funding you can from places besides loans, and if you do get a loan, make sure you pay it in time when it comes due. If you really want to save money, keep living at home while you're at school.
Having a credit card and using it is good. Racking up unmanageable debt is bad. If you only use your credit cards for emergencies (or when you already have the money and want to order something online or something,) and pay the balance off quickly, you won't have any problems.
Housing can be difficult, but if you know people in the area, ask around. They may have recommendations, or know someone who's renting a room out, or whatnot.
until you're 18, you can't get a card on your own. while not necessarily bad, I wouldn't get a credit card until you're settled in financially... otherwise it's way too easy to spend!
tips? work if you're able and save every penny now that you're able, also, if you can take courses in high school or summer school that'll count towards college credit, do it! it'll mean not paying for them later.
don't live on your own, it's a total waste of money and isn't very safe since there's no one to notice if you don't come home or whatnot (rare, perhaps, but still...)
Also, if you're able, go to the college area before the rest of the kids and find a job before other kids try to find them, get into the rhythm and go from there, but come up with a budget!!!
I agree, it is not reasonable to expect to be able to pay for your own housing all by yourself while going to college.
I just noticed the cost of apartments you cite was changed between your original post and now. Still, that's too much to be able to handle.
I don't want to sound patronizing but I want to say in the strongest terms possible that you have no idea how hard, exhausting and time consuming college is going to be. Trying to go to school and work full time at the same time is not going to work out too well. Yes, people do it, but very often at the cost of their grades and/or their sanity. Believe when I say stay at home as long as you possibly can to save money.
not only is it too expensive for rent/utilities, but not being able to share costs of milk, bread, even basic grocery costs, having to furnish it alone, etc are all a big waste.
your smartest move is to read a lot about finances, savings, credit cards, and the like. you're likely never going to be able to go fulltime to work and school and it's well worth a loan with a low interest rate!
Really. I know this is an extreme pov, but the best piece of advice I could have been given ever was: don't get a credit card.
Just don't. Or if you do, make it the first and last commandment in life to only use it in genuine emergency. Ok, so I'm disorganised and terrible with money, but the thing I noticed is that you do not need to be some kind of shopaholic princess in order for it to become a pain. You just need to be at the end of the month and your debit card is $5 off paying for minor essentials, and it's too easy to whack it on the credit card to save fuss. Stuff like this. The interest rates alone tell us it's a stupid, stupid option.
On the other hand, without a credit card you can't rent a car, reserve a hotel room, or book a plane flight (not that you can do any of those until you're 18 anyway).
I recommend not getting a credit card until you're at least 18. One way to avoid impulse buying is to have the card, but not carry it with you.
Well, I've never rented a car, but you generally can book plane flights or reserve hotel rooms on-line with a debit card, so you can actually do a fair amount to avoid credit cards if you want to (although I agree that they are useful to have sometimes).
but the thing I noticed is that you do not need to be some kind of shopaholic princess in order for it to become a pain.
But even those of us who are shopaholic princesses can let it not be a pain if we're responsible for what we spend and don't shop and buy things we can't afford. I love to shop, and pay the bill in full every month. There's just no point not to.
this will be an essay...teacuptempestMay 6 2007, 08:48:23 UTC
Okay, I have has this experience first-hand and the majority of people I know didn't. I moved out of home at 15 into my own flat and then finished the last two years of my schooling living alone. I worked part-time [25hrs a week] while at school and fulltime during the holidays and over Christmas. My rent was only $115 a week but I had to pay bills and stuff like that too. I did just fine
( ... )
Re: this will be an essay...teacuptempestMay 6 2007, 08:48:32 UTC
This is different because I am in Australia and we don't have student loans, essentially. My cost of my degrees is $4,000 a year, and it is deferred until we want to pay it off or until we earn over $37k a year or something like that. I pay a few subjects, about 800 each, off each year just to get it off my load. So you will probably have to do the student loans thing. If you can stay at home to go to school thats a good option. Rather than stay here alone when my boyfriend finishes a year before me [hes going to finish up and join the army] I'm probably going to move back to my dads house or move back to where I first moved to when I moved out of home, and study the last bit of my degrees via correspondence so I can work fulltime and save money for more of the home loan. This might be harsh but it was the way I was brought up, and if I'm still renting by the time I turn 25, I'll consider myself a failure.
Re: this will be an essay...teacuptempestMay 6 2007, 08:58:42 UTC
I think that if you save up and are responsible and don't go all out and party constantly, which is what most people do whn they finally escape the clutches of their parentals, you will be okay. Even if you need to get a flatmate for awhile, if you pick to match your personalities you might find you get along with them just right
( ... )
Comments 28
Having a credit card and using it is good. Racking up unmanageable debt is bad. If you only use your credit cards for emergencies (or when you already have the money and want to order something online or something,) and pay the balance off quickly, you won't have any problems.
Housing can be difficult, but if you know people in the area, ask around. They may have recommendations, or know someone who's renting a room out, or whatnot.
Reply
tips? work if you're able and save every penny now that you're able, also, if you can take courses in high school or summer school that'll count towards college credit, do it! it'll mean not paying for them later.
don't live on your own, it's a total waste of money and isn't very safe since there's no one to notice if you don't come home or whatnot (rare, perhaps, but still...)
Also, if you're able, go to the college area before the rest of the kids and find a job before other kids try to find them, get into the rhythm and go from there, but come up with a budget!!!
Reply
I just noticed the cost of apartments you cite was changed between your original post and now. Still, that's too much to be able to handle.
I don't want to sound patronizing but I want to say in the strongest terms possible that you have no idea how hard, exhausting and time consuming college is going to be. Trying to go to school and work full time at the same time is not going to work out too well. Yes, people do it, but very often at the cost of their grades and/or their sanity. Believe when I say stay at home as long as you possibly can to save money.
Reply
your smartest move is to read a lot about finances, savings, credit cards, and the like. you're likely never going to be able to go fulltime to work and school and it's well worth a loan with a low interest rate!
Reply
Just don't. Or if you do, make it the first and last commandment in life to only use it in genuine emergency. Ok, so I'm disorganised and terrible with money, but the thing I noticed is that you do not need to be some kind of shopaholic princess in order for it to become a pain. You just need to be at the end of the month and your debit card is $5 off paying for minor essentials, and it's too easy to whack it on the credit card to save fuss. Stuff like this. The interest rates alone tell us it's a stupid, stupid option.
Reply
I recommend not getting a credit card until you're at least 18. One way to avoid impulse buying is to have the card, but not carry it with you.
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But even those of us who are shopaholic princesses can let it not be a pain if we're responsible for what we spend and don't shop and buy things we can't afford. I love to shop, and pay the bill in full every month. There's just no point not to.
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