10.15.09 | Budgeting In Grad School
Budgets; you can’t live with them and you can’t live without them. I hate budgets just as much as the next person, but I have realized that having one makes my life a lot easier. By the time you make the decision to pursue grad school chances are you will be completely on your own financially. Whether you decide to go to school full time or part time while you work, paying for grad school will take a certain amount of financial discipline and budgeting. However, living within your means does not have to be a drag. You can successfully pay for grad school without being strapped for cash.
Here are some tips for creating a budget that works for your lifestyle:
1: Determine your monthly income and your monthly expenses. This is the most important step to creating a budget. The amount of money you bring home on a monthly basis is what you have to work with. Make sure your expenses do not exceed you income. If you are going to school part time and working full time this will probably be a little bit easier for you. If you are living off of savings, determine how much you have for each month. Be sure to factor in all expenses including rent, car payments, insurance, groceries etc.
2: Take out loans to pay your tuition and other school expenses. As a grad student you have plenty of loan options. The Graduate Stafford Loan has a low fixed interest rate and does not require a credit check. The Graduate PLUS Loan is a low, fixed interest rate student loan that is based on your credit. It allows you to borrow up to the total cost of your education minus any other aid you receive. Finally, there are other private loans that can help you cover any and all of your school expenses. Make sure you include all loan funds and tuition payments in your monthly income and expenses. GradLoans.com can help you apply for and secure all of the loans you need.
3: Defer undergraduate loans until your graduate degree is complete. Unless you have the money to start paying your loans back while you are in grad school you might as well wait. Do not kill yourself trying to pay off these loans until you are working full-time and have more flexibility.
4: Use a free online budgeting tool like Mint.com. The days of scratching numbers on a piece of paper are over. This tool allows you to see all of your accounts, including your student loans, aggregated together. It will allow you to see where you spend the most money and where you might be able to cut back.
5: Find a credit card with good rewards. Sometimes using a credit card to make all of your purchases can be beneficial if you pay it off every month and you get rewards points. I have a credit card that awards one point for every dollar spent. Usually I trade in my points for Target gift cards. Since I spend a lot of money there anyway it gives me a little extra wiggle room in my budget. StudentPlatinum.com can help you choose a credit card with a rewards program that will work for you.
ScholarshipPoints code: BUDGETGRAD
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Very good advice
October 21st, 2009 | #
Good source of info. I am definitely going to work on budgeting now!
October 21st, 2009 | #
I agree with all of these guidelines. I feel like the most important one to learn and apply is determining your monthly income and your expenses.
October 21st, 2009 | #
Argh…budgets, you can’t live with them but can’t live without them. LOL
October 22nd, 2009 | #
I have taken steps to help budget my income. I’ve found that the website yodlee has been useful i also have a mint account and combined i have been able to stay afloat. I also have a debit card that earns points when used. I also try to do shopping online whenever possible because you can use rebate sites and point earning sites. You can also earn points online and percentages back i have found that the upromise site has been helpful in getting more money back with every purchase i make. There are also plenty of site that you can print manufacturers coupons from and that of course always helps to save money at the grocery store.
October 22nd, 2009 | #
Budgets are hard but oh so worth it.
October 22nd, 2009 | #
I don’t like this
October 22nd, 2009 | #
Wow very good tips in this website…. I liked it a lot
October 22nd, 2009 | #
True.
October 22nd, 2009 | #
i don’t like it either. i don’t want to take out loans, or i wouldn’t want to defer my already taken out loans
October 23rd, 2009 | #
This is very useful information.
October 23rd, 2009 | #
I need to follow this when i go to grad school.
October 23rd, 2009 | #
true that
October 24th, 2009 | #
Good tips to budget your money while in college.
October 24th, 2009 | #
gr8 advice. thanx
October 25th, 2009 | #
Thanks for the info, its sounds better coming from you than my parents.
October 25th, 2009 | #
This passage could help the ones in need of information on how to keep your budgeting in good condition. I am pleased.
October 25th, 2009 | #
I HAVE A PROBLEM WHEN IT COMES TO BUDGETING. THESE ARE VERY GOOD TIPS THAT I CAN APPLY TO MY EVERYDAY SPENDING.
October 25th, 2009 | #
best advice i havve ever hurd
October 26th, 2009 | #
good to know
October 27th, 2009 | #
im not in grad school yet, but i soon will be so this is helpful to keep me on tract and as much out of debt as possible
October 27th, 2009 | #
it is better to budget than to be in debt
October 28th, 2009 | #
Very good advice, this is something not commonly tought.
October 28th, 2009 | #
Great info… this is very helpful
October 28th, 2009 | #
My mom always taught me to budget my money because it is always spent faster than it is earned. This info is very helpful!
October 29th, 2009 | #
I’ll sure my friends follow your teaching too.
October 30th, 2009 | #
I’ll make sure to get my friends to read this article.
October 30th, 2009 | #
this can help people alot
October 30th, 2009 | #
this will help out people alot
October 30th, 2009 | #
this is very helpful
October 31st, 2009 | #
Great information. Some of the information is new to me.
November 1st, 2009 | #
this is really helpful information.
November 2nd, 2009 | #
Great information that will help me. Wow money is really everything eh?
November 3rd, 2009 | #
Thanks for stating the obvious but sometimes it needs to be said I guess
November 3rd, 2009 | #
VERY HELPFUL!
November 3rd, 2009 | #
this is great information to know.
November 3rd, 2009 | #
Really helpful advises and info
November 3rd, 2009 | #
that’s good to know
November 4th, 2009 | #
This kind of information is very important and somewhat hard to find without a bias spin on it.
November 4th, 2009 | #
thats is really good advice. Im really nervous about loans and other finances but i always keep tips like this around because it helps quite a bit
November 4th, 2009 | #
Great Info…don’t like loans
November 5th, 2009 | #
sort of helpful.
November 6th, 2009 | #
good to know.
November 8th, 2009 | #
hekpful.
November 8th, 2009 | #
I dont prefer to take out any loans but if it comes to a point then that is what I have to do!
November 9th, 2009 | #
Great tips for making up my mind if to get a loan or not
November 9th, 2009 | #
This was interesting.
November 10th, 2009 | #
thank you good stuff
November 11th, 2009 | #
Great info.
November 11th, 2009 | #
I didn’t know there was online websites that helped us budget! These tips are really useful thanks a lot.
November 12th, 2009 | #
INTRESTING!!!!!!
November 12th, 2009 | #
very helpful.
November 12th, 2009 | #
I liked this, and thought it was very helpful
November 13th, 2009 | #
really useful info :]
November 14th, 2009 | #
very helpful
November 17th, 2009 | #
veryhelpful
November 17th, 2009 | #
Having a budget will be very useul in my life. It is great advice.
November 17th, 2009 | #
having a budget is useful
November 18th, 2009 | #
very useful
November 18th, 2009 | #
good advice.
November 18th, 2009 | #
this really made me think
November 19th, 2009 | #
very good advice
November 19th, 2009 | #
this is very insightful information.
November 20th, 2009 | #