{"id":5820,"date":"2018-08-02T19:39:20","date_gmt":"2018-08-02T23:39:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/goday.ca\/blog\/?p=5820"},"modified":"2022-08-29T16:54:12","modified_gmt":"2022-08-29T20:54:12","slug":"back-to-school-budget","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/goday.ca\/blog\/back-to-school-budget\/","title":{"rendered":"Getting Your Back To School Budget Ready"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-5821\" src=\"https:\/\/goday.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/blog-header-exa_8889303-e1533252701221-300x187.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"187\" srcset=\"https:\/\/goday.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/blog-header-exa_8889303-e1533252701221-300x187.png 300w, https:\/\/goday.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/blog-header-exa_8889303-e1533252701221-768x478.png 768w, https:\/\/goday.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/blog-header-exa_8889303-e1533252701221.png 800w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.practicalmoneyskills.ca\/personalfinance\/savingspending\/budgeting\/backtoschool.php\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Back to school<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> can be an exciting and stressful time of year. Finally your kids are out of your hands, back in a classroom, and you don\u2019t have to think of ways to keep them occupied every day anymore. However, with back to school comes the long lists of things you need to purchase for your kids to be successful in a new year in the classroom. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Backpacks, pencil cases, school supplies, textbooks, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodhousekeeping.com\/life\/parenting\/tips\/a17427\/school-shopping-lists\/\"><span>the list <\/span><\/a><span>goes on. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.moneycrashers.com\/back-to-school-supplies-list-tips\/\"><span>It\u2019s said<\/span><\/a><span> that on average a family will spend $662 USD for elementary students, $1,000 for middle school students and $1,480 for high school students in back to school shopping. Whether your kid is in grade one to heading off to college, the back to school budget can be eye opening and overwhelming. Thankfully there are some ways to cut corners and cut your budget\/spending.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Tips<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><b>Start early but hold off<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The summer flies by so quickly, you blink and before you know it you\u2019re at Labour Day weekend and you have no idea where the summer months went. School supply shopping can be a lot, and your list can keep growing and growing, especially when you have multiple kids in your household. To make this process less overwhelming, start <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.practicalmoneyskills.ca\/personalfinance\/savingspending\/budgeting\/backtoschool.php\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">thinking about back to school early<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Not only will you beat the lines in the stores, you\u2019ll also feel more prepared and less like you\u2019re trying to cram everything into a couple days. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To start, think about how much you can afford to spend overall and then look at what costs you have for each kid. Also, take a look at what your kids really need versus what they want. When you\u2019ve worked out your wish list and budget a bit, you\u2019ll also want to potentially hold off on certain items. Buying things just because you <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">think<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> they\u2019ll need it is a waste of money. Instead, buy the absolute necessities and leave the rest of the items on your list to see if they are actually <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.huffingtonpost.ca\/2017\/09\/07\/school-supplies_a_23200546\/\" class=\"broken_link\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">things they need <\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">or their teachers request. Holding off to can mean that you might hit even better sales once school starts and more of the back to school items are on sale!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">TIP! This <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.practicalmoneyskills.ca\/calculators\/calculate\/backToSchoolBudget.php?calcCategory=college\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">back to school calculator <\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">might help! <\/span><b><br \/>\n<\/b><b><br \/>\n<\/b><b>Involve the kids<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Don\u2019t just involve your kids in the shopping part of <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/goday.ca\/blog\/are-you-back-to-school-ready\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">back to school<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, but have them join in on the preparations as well. First off, they\u2019ll learn lessons on <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/goday.ca\/blog\/budgeting-for-the-first-time\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">budgeting<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and creating lists, as well as differentiating between wants and needs. Use back to school shopping as an opportunity to lay a foundation for helping your kids develop money management and organization habits early. Even if your child is going off to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hercampus.com\/career\/money\/how-make-your-college-budget-5-easy-steps\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">college<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, it\u2019s important now more than ever for them to understand the budget and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/goday.ca\/blog\/money-saving-tricks-for-students\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the costs <\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">that are going to come with post-secondary education.<br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To start, here are some things to work through with them: <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1) Set a realistic back to school budget before you go shopping, and have your kids prepare the budget with you. By sitting down with your kids and breaking it down with them in an easy, and fun way, your kids will better understand and respect the things you are buying them. Also, they will learn valuable skills that will prepare them for life.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2) Take a printout of your estimated budget with you and have your kids enter in all the actual expenses\/money you spend. This not only keeps them busy in the store, but instead of tossing things in the cart with absolutely no idea of the cost of it all, isn\u2019t going to help anyone down the line. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">3) Encourage kids to the follow that budget, you can do this by stressing to them if they want a more expensive item that it may mean not getting something else. Teaching them a little give and take, versus showing them that no matter what they want, they\u2019ll get will teach them to be humble, and more conscious of the fact that money doesn\u2019t grow on trees. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">4) Teach kids about <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/goday.ca\/blog\/saving-on-back-to-school\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">how to cut costs <\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and look for deals. You can do this by having them go through flyers with you and looking for coupons or sales. When in the store, compare the cost of the different brands available and show them how it can be exciting to save money because you\u2019ll have more money left for other things. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">5) Take the time to show children how to differentiate between needs and wants. This is so important! What supplies\/clothes do they need, and what ones are just nice to have, and why? <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As kids get older you\u2019ll be able to introduce new skills and things to help them continuously learn more and become more responsible with back to school shopping. By the time they\u2019re in high school you can get them to create their own budgets with a limit of how much they have to spend. You can teach them about different ways your family gets money, and explain to them ways other families might get money like <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/goday.ca\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Payday loans in Canada<\/span><\/a><b>. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">All these things are great lessons to make your kids money conscious early on.<\/p>\n<p><\/span><b><\/b><b>Get creative to save money<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Look for ways to cut costs and save money. The biggest chunk of your <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.busybudgeter.com\/budget-back-to-school-tips-and-tricks\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">back to school budget <\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">will likely be clothing. However, there are so many alternatives to buying a brand new, full wardrobe. Ask around to friends with kids and put together a clothing swap, check out cheaper\/inexpensive stores, or even second hand stores and garage sales. It\u2019s amazing what you can find when you are on a mission to not spend a fortune. Also, take a hard look on what your kids really need. Sure it\u2019s nice to have new clothes, but if there summer running shoes still fit, why buy another pair? <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.verywellfamily.com\/what-school-supplies-do-you-really-need-2601451\" class=\"broken_link\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">School supplies<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> can be the same, if your kid still has school supplies left from last year that are perfectly fine, hold off on restocking everything until they actually seriously need it. Plus, there are some supplies your child may not actually need. For example, they may want markers but you might learn on the first day of school that they\u2019re not allowed to use them. <\/span><b><br \/>\n<\/b><b><br \/>\n<\/b><b>Look for sales<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Planning in advance for back to school can be great, because it gives you time to keep your eyes on <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wisebread.com\/how-to-find-the-best-back-to-school-sales\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">sales<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that come up throughout the summer and leading into back to school season. When you see a good deal, stock up. If you know your kid is going to grow throughout the year, buy some bigger clothes while they\u2019re on sale. Look up coupons, groupons and online deals too, and make sure to price match or compare products in other stores. Also, remember that your growing child doesn\u2019t need all designer clothes, there can be a lot of nice things that you can find in <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.walmart.ca\/en\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Walmart<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> or <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Target. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Don\u2019t just think about shopping<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With September hitting, you automatically think about the back to school clothes and supplies you need. What\u2019s often overlooked in preparing for this busy time of year is all the sports and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.parents.com\/parenting\/money\/saving\/11-ways-to-save-on-after-school-activities\/\" class=\"broken_link\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">extracurricular activities<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that start too. You also need to think about the cost of equipment, registration fees, and everything else that goes along with it. So start to think of ways you can cut costs in this area of back to school expenses too. You may want to: <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8211; Look for coupons to save on certain activities, classes or sports<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8211; Find equipment that is second hand either through friends or stores like <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.playitagainsports.com\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Play It Again Sports<\/span><\/a> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8211; Register early as there may be early registrant discounts <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8211; Look at volunteer opportunities with your kids teams\/organizations for the chance to get a discounted rate<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b><\/b><b>Going off to college<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Creating a back to school budget when heading off for college is a whole other ballgame. Post-secondary education comes with a hefty price tag so it\u2019s important to budget for your son and daughter pre-moving out, as well as make sure they understand what that <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/canadianbudgetbinder.com\/2012\/08\/16\/back-to-school-budget\/\" class=\"broken_link\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">budget<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is too, after all, they are an adult now. Here are some tips for budgeting for college\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Set your goals<\/b><b><br \/>\n<\/b><b><br \/>\n<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Before you start anything, you\u2019re going to want to outline your <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.investopedia.com\/university\/budgeting\/basics5.asp\" class=\"broken_link\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">goals<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. You should be setting long-term, short-term, plus in-between goals for in-between terms and while school is in session. To determine your goals, you\u2019ll want to lay out some of the following: <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8211; How long is the course you want to take?<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8211; How many hours a week will you have class?<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8211; What do you hope to do when you graduate?<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8211; What is the employment rate in this area? Would I need to move? Or could I live at home to pay off debt, etc.?<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8211; Can I work part- or full-time while in school? <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8211; How many hours will I have to devote to homework or studying? <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8211; Will I need a car for school or my future job?<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8211; When do I want to start saving and investing in my future beyond school? (Ex: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/goday.ca\/blog\/goday-rrsps-and-tfsas\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">RRSP<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">) <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8211; How will I go about saving for what I want without going into <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/goday.ca\/blog\/the-revolving-debt-cycle-and-how-to-break-it\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">debt<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">? <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These are just some questions to ask yourself to get the juices flowing when setting your goals. The most important thing is to think about not just the short-term goals, but also the long-term goals. You want to be prepared for when you graduate if you\u2019re going to have additional expenses to get yourself on your feet in your career, like moving to a new city, or the chance of not being able to find a full-time career right away.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><b>Outline your expenses<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The expenses when pursuing post-secondary education can seem endless, but do your best to lay out all the expenses that you know of to help you better understand the amount of money you\u2019ll need. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/goday.ca\/blog\/top-three-back-to-school-expenses\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Expenses<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that you\u2019ll be able to predict are: <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8211; Tuition (make sure to pay this on time or you could be charged additional fees and interest)<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8211; Housing\/rent payments: Will you be staying in residence on campus or renting your own place? To get an idea of rent costs in your area, scour the internet on real estate listing sites and places like <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.padmapper.com\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">PadMapper<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> or <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kijiji.ca\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kijiji<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8211; Utility bills (if not included in rent)<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8211; Weekly <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/goday.ca\/blog\/how-to-cut-your-grocery-bill-in-half\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">grocery allowance<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Will you be splitting groceries with roomies? Is there a food plan on campus that you can pay into? Look at your options and see what makes sense for your budget.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8211; Public transportation or gas money\/car maintenance <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8211; Books or supplies that are required for your classes<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8211; Communication services like internet and your cell phone bill (cut costs by asking for a student rate)<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8211; Dental and health: Do you have insurance, if not, estimate what this may cost you by looking into the prices of the services and prescriptions you require<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Determine all of the things you know you\u2019ll definitely have to pay for and record the costs as accurately as possible. Some expenses will likely fluctuate month-to-month like utilities for example or food, but make an estimate, and you can always alter these costs as you gain a better understanding of what the average amount will be. Make sure you also leave some <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sixfiguresunder.com\/keep-budgeting-flexible\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">flexibility<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> when it comes to these expenses, for example, books and supplies may cost more one semester than another, so you want to ensure you have budgeted some extra cash just incase. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Determine your income<\/b><b><br \/>\n<\/b><b><br \/>\n<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Next it\u2019s time to balance your budget. This will be the step to help you understand where your money is going, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fastweb.com\/student-life\/articles\/the-8-smarter-ways-to-pay-for-school\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">where your money is coming from<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and where you need to cut back. Add up all the above items that are pre-determined or fixed costs, and minus that from your income or how much money you have saved or will be making that will go towards your education and living costs. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s likely that since you are a student or soon-to-be college student, you aren\u2019t going to breakeven with just your income from your summer job so you\u2019ll need to look at other sources of income in order to make ends meet. Here are some places to start: <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Scholarships and grants:<\/span><br \/>\n<\/span><span>There are a ton of different scholarships and grants out there that can help you pay for school, and the best thing about them is that you don\u2019t need to pay them back. Essentially they are free money. What many people don\u2019t realize is that you don\u2019t necessarily need to have the best grades to get a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.universitystudy.ca\/plan-for-university\/scholarships-grants-and-bursaries-for-canadian-students\/\" class=\"broken_link\"><span>scholarship\/grant<\/span><\/a><span>. There are so many different requirements for applicants for this sort of money. For example, you can get a scholarship for the time you volunteered in high school, for extracurricular activities, for academic achievements in different areas, and for specific programs you are applying to at college so ensure that you seek out what\u2019s available in your province, as well as at the school(s) you\u2019re applying to.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Loans: <\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let\u2019s face the facts, for many post-secondary students, it\u2019s just impossible to make ends meet without going into some debt. Over <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www150.statcan.gc.ca\/n1\/pub\/81-595-m\/2014101\/section04-eng.htm\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">40%<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of students that graduated in Canada between 2009-2010 used some sort of <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/goday.ca\/blog\/?s=loans\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">loan<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to finance their education. There is nothing wrong with applying and taking a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.canada.ca\/en\/services\/jobs\/education\/student-financial-aid\/student-loan.html\" class=\"broken_link\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">loan<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to finance your education but it is important to understand how much you actually need, what and when you\u2019ll need to pay back the loan, and the interest it\u2019ll accumulate until you pay it off. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Loans provided by the government such as <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ontario.ca\/page\/osap-ontario-student-assistance-program\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">OSAP<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> are structured to benefit students. They are received based of the financial need of the applicant and their parents. Recipients won\u2019t need to start paying these back until after graduation and they won\u2019t incur interest until then as well. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/goday.ca\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Payday loans in Canada<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> however will have different requirements in the fine print, so make sure you educate yourself on the details before making a decision on what\u2019s right for you. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Family:<\/span> <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Is your family going to be contributing to your post-secondary education? If so, you need to determine how much they will be able to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fastweb.com\/student-life\/articles\/the-8-smarter-ways-to-pay-for-school\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">contribute <\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">towards your education and also, if they expect you to pay them back in a certain time frame or at all. Your family can be one of the most valuable and easiest sources of money in some cases because you don\u2019t have to worry about being in debt with a bank or collecting interest. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Personal Income:<\/span> <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What do you have saved for your education? Take a look at your savings, and determine how much you can allocate to school. If you don\u2019t have a ton, or are still looking for ways to make ends meet, you may want to consider getting a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.monster.com\/career-advice\/article\/part-time-jobs-college-students\" class=\"broken_link\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">part-time job<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> while you are in school to help you have a consistent income and stream of some added cash coming in to help you pay the bills. Most campuses have employment services right on campus, allowing you to get a job close to home\/class.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Stick to it and adjust where necessary <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your back to school <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/canadianbudgetbinder.com\/2012\/08\/16\/back-to-school-budget\/\" class=\"broken_link\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">budget<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is likely going to change throughout your post-secondary education, however, there is no point in making a budget if you just plan on ignoring it and spending whatever you want. Once you lay out your budget, do a one-month trial which will help you try to determine if your budget was practical. Do your best to stick to what you laid out and see where it may need to be adapted for the rest of the semester or school year. To help you track your budget and stay on top of it, here are some <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.everydollar.com\/blog\/steps-to-help-you-stick-to-your-budget\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">tips<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Be honest with yourself<\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you laid out your budget and notice that consistently you\u2019re overspending in a certain category it may be time to reevaluate this line item. First off determine if it\u2019s something that you \u201cneed\u201d to spend money on like hydro or if it\u2019s something like eating out at restaurants. If it\u2019s something like entertainment which you don\u2019t necessarily need, reevaluate how you can cut costs and stick closer to your budget each month. For example, if you find you\u2019re buying a lot of your meals out, find easy recipes <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/fitfoodiefinds.com\/best-healthy-recipes-for-college-kids-budget-friendly-and-meal-prep\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">you can meal prep<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> at home for the week, or suggest to your friends that you make dinner one night at your place instead of going out. If you for some reason absolutely can\u2019t live without whatever you\u2019re overspending on, you\u2019ll need to adjust your budget to fit that new expenditure and figure out how you\u2019ll make ends meet with the new cost. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Set up auto-withdrawals<\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whether you are <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/goday.ca\/blog\/canadians-need-to-save-more-money\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">saving<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for something in particular or just ensuring you have enough money set aside to pay tuition or other major bills, setting up auto-withdrawals or transfers can help you stay on top of this and easily save. Whether you set up your account to automatically withdrawal every paycheck or before bills are due, this will help you stay on top of what is in your account that you can actually spend versus what\u2019s set aside for bills. It can also be helpful to set up auto-payments for bills too so you don\u2019t accidentally miss a deadline and get charged interest. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Make an account just for bills<\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One way that helps people keep their budget straight is to have a seperate account or two for different aspects of your life. For example, you may have a general account with money you can spend on entertainment, and then an account with the money you need for bills, tuition, textbooks and other necessary expenses. This helps ensure you don\u2019t \u201c<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/goday.ca\/blog\/ive-blown-my-monthly-budget-now-what\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">accidently<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d spend the money you needed on something that wasn\u2019t necessary like a dinner out with friends. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Plan your meals<br \/>\n<\/span><\/span>One of the biggest culprits to overspending each month is food. Often we will buy a coffee here or there, buy lunch on campus, etc. and before you know it you\u2019ve spend hundreds of dollars in a month towards just food. However, if you are more conscious about spending on food you\u2019ll easily cut down this expense. Some ways to help cut down this expense are:<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8211; Pack your own lunches when you\u2019re not going to be home for lunch<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8211; If you\u2019re too busy to cook during the week, pick one evening and meal prep lunches and dinners for the week so you have them ready to go <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8211; Buy <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/goday.ca\/blog\/how-buying-in-bulk-can-help-you-save\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">food in bulk<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> when applicable because often times you can save money this way, especially for items you buy consistently <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8211; Shop at the cheapest grocery store and price match items to get the best deal <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8211; If you have to go out for dinners with friends, eat before you go and order something small like an appetizer<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Break up your spending<\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are always going to be things you have in your life that you need to pay for, so breaking those expenses up as much as you can will help you make ends meet more easily. For example, if you know you need to buy a bunch of new art supplies for a class you are taking, instead of buying it all at once, start with the things you really need and then add the other items as the course progresses and as you need them. This will help bills seem less daunting and also help spread out your cash a bit more. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Look at your social calendar<\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Especially when you\u2019re away at college and meeting new friends, it can be hard to say no to social activities and you don\u2019t want to have to. However, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lifehack.org\/articles\/money\/fun-things-with-your-friends-without-spending-much.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">there\u2019s ways <\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">to not spend a fortune and still have a social life. For starters, if there are things you want to do in a week or month that cost money, throw in some budget-friendly activities instead. There are so many free and inexpensive things you can do to have fun, you don\u2019t always need to be spending money.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Wait it out<\/span> <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You don\u2019t always need everything right then and now, sometimes waiting it out for something you really want or need can be beneficial. For example, you might not want to buy all your <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">textbooks<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> before you start any of your classes because you may learn once the class starts that you don\u2019t really need it. Or how about that new pair of pants that you\u2019ve convinced yourself you need in the window at your favourite store? Waiting until the end of season could mean they go on sale! <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Track your spending<\/span> <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s one thing to set a budget and \u201cthink\u201d you\u2019re staying within it versus actually \u201cknowing\u201d you are sticking to it. Tracking your spending can help really ensure you\u2019re staying on track with your budget. Record all the things you spend money on no matter how big or small, there are <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tomsguide.com\/us\/pictures-story\/548-best-budget-expense-apps.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">several apps<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> out there that help you easily do this so you have no excuse to not a) know what your budget is, or b) go over it. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Don\u2019t lose sight of your goals<\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This can be one of the most valuable things to keep in mind when you\u2019re struggling to keep on track with your budget. It\u2019s important to not lose sight of why you have a budget and what it is that your money is going towards and why. You are paying for your post-secondary education which will help you land a career and help you fund your life and lifestyle for years to come. These <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thebalance.com\/goals-for-your-budget-2385670\" class=\"broken_link\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">goals<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> will change as you age, for example you may be saving for a house, a car, or a trip, but it\u2019s important to always remember the end goal and why it\u2019s important everytime you begin to question if you should be wasting your money on something outside of your budget. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Realize that it might take a few months before you get your budget exactly right but try your best to stick to what you laid out before adjusting, and we promise that you\u2019ll be glad you have a spending structure and an idea of where your dollars are going. Also, the benefit of figuring out all this stuff before and while you\u2019re in school is that you will also be preparing yourself for the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/goday.ca\/blog\/what-to-do-now-so-youre-not-broke-in-the-future\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">real world <\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">upon graduation. Who wants to be an adult that\u2019s clueless with money and trying to figure out <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/goday.ca\/education\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">finance 101<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">? <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Back to school can be an exciting and stressful time of year. Finally your kids are out of your hands, back in a classroom, and you don\u2019t have to think of ways to keep them occupied every day anymore. However, with back to school comes the long lists of things you need to purchase for [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":5821,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false},"categories":[10],"tags":[115,294,475,1592,1596],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v20.5 (Yoast SEO v20.5) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\r\n<title>Getting Your Back To School Budget Ready<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Back to school is fast approaching, here are some tips and tools to get your back to school budget ready before we are in the full swing of things.\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\r\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/goday.ca\/blog\/back-to-school-budget\/\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" 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