“Dear Diary,

It’s that time again. I haven’t written to you in quite awhile and I have so much to catch up with you! My life has been all over the place. I’ve been trying to update you every chance I had but I guess this week is the perfect week to start. Now it’s time to get back to business of the juicy news you’ve missed in the last couple of months! Ready?? Ok here we go!

So last Monday I went to the store and bought a pair of jeans for $30.00 stopped by Chipotle and spent about $8  for a late lunch. Hmm so I spent about 38 dollars on Monday. Tuesday I brought my lunch and only bought a couple of art supplies that equaled about 15 dollars…”

Oh wait, so I’m sure you weren’t thinking of number crunching when you started reading the words “dear diary.” But to your surprise just having  a diary or journal about how Jason in the second row of your class made eye contact with you for longer than 30 seconds are not the only important notes you should jot down.  You should also keep track of your spending habits. Here’s three ways to easily keep track of your spending…

Day by Day- Ok, so I completely get it. I do. Remembering and tracking everything you spend is clearly not on the top of your list t to do in your fly life. But if you do it at the end of the day each day it wont seem like an extra chore thrown on your already long 2 do list. Every night before you crash, pull out your journal and just write down the day and everything you spent. By doing this it will easy to calculate your weekly and monthly spending habits!

Start it Off- Before you begin your wonderful weekly money diary, start off each week with your beginning total of what you have to spend. So if you know you just got paid from your part time job and allowance as well, write down the total of the amount you started with the day you begin to track your habits. As the week goes by and you go over what you have, meaning that you have to ask the parental or older brother or sister for a little extra cash, keep note of that. This is going to help big time when doing your budget!

Score! It’s A Goal- Once you get in the habit of tracking what you spend (I promise it won’t seem like a chore after awhile) you can begin setting goals for yourself. You’ll begin to see and notice spending patterns you have within yourself. You can slowly begin to cut back on what you notice what you spend a lot of money on. And each week you should have atleast one goal. If it’s bringing your lunch or cutting back on your destinations to not go over your gas money, it will all help at the end.

So here we go “Dear Diary….”

- C.O.R.E Family

You may not know her now but if you are growing up in a less than rich family like I did, then you will might have to meet Ms. Sallie Mae.  She may even become the financier of your future education. Even more astounding will be the amount of out-of-state tuition you will have to pay  for an education that may not allow you to land that six figure salary you read about immediately after graduation. Next comes the shock of your first salary that you thought would afford you a Mercedes Benz at 22, a townhouse a least, and all the Christian Louboutins in the music videos.

The reality is, with $16,000 a year in out-of-state tuition, room and board, and food for four years you will likely exit college with an arms full of dreams, 15 pounds heavier, a liberal arts degree, and a trunk full of debt. Soon after you start the job of your dreams making $30,000 a year and contemplating graduate school, you will be hit with a call from Sallie. Sallie will begin to inform you how your owe her $80,000. Yes $80,000. Of course you didn’t realize you owed her that much money and you will be sure that it is a mistake. After they start talking about all those refund checks for homecoming games and weekend trips to Atlanta, your memory will slowly come back. But did you really spend $80,000? You just went to H&M? You weren’t trying to keep up with the Joneses; you were just trying to stock your dorm sized fridge?

Did I scare you enough yet to never want to pull out a loan only if you truly have to?? Good! So how can you avoid from ever saying “Hello” to Sallie??

Knowledge is POWER!-Having to navigate the financial aid process alone is very tough. If you are a first generation college attendee or even second, many times parents aren’t around to inform you of your options.   Understanding all the “aid” you are receiving after you’ve been accepted to a college can be just as challenging as signing a mortgage on a new home. Make sure you sit down with your guidance counselor and go over all the options you have financially. The more information you know the different avenues you can choose

Never TOO EARLY!- You’re a freshman in high school and you’re asking yourself why are you even reading this article?? You’re thinking “I have 4  years to figure this out and it’s too early to apply, right?” Wrong! The good part if you’re just starting off you can start building your G.P.A nd high school opportunities so YOU can receive the scholarship from the school of your  choice. Even if you do not receive a full scholarship from that school directly, there a numerous programs  that give out both scholarship and grants.If you begin to apply now you will be set by senior year!

Plan It Out-Be sure to plan ahead. Talk with not only your high school financial aid counselors but also your older cousins, siblings, and neighborhood friends. Be sure to be aware of ALL your options. Sometimes in your freshmen year there is no way to avoid it. But every year is a new one. Look for new ways to move off campus to safe, affordable housing. Think twice before taking “refunds.” Reduce your aid by going independent. Get a job and live off campus to apply for in-state tuition. There are several things I wish someone would have told me. The last person you want to hear 6 months from your graduation is Sallie. Trust me, she’ll never go away.

-Tenicka Boyd