As we are “adulting”, personal finances are something that becomes increasingly more important in our lives.
Balancing a check book, understanding debt-to-income ratio, and credit are just a few things we have to be mindful of as we mature. So now I am going to talk about it.
Recently, some surveys showed that millennials are taking control of their finances, but we are doing a POOR job at it. We are a financially irresponsible generation, not because we are big spenders but because we are financially illiterate.
When is the last time you had to write a check, go INSIDE the bank to cash a check, or fill out a deposit slip?
I know for me, it has been a while since I had to do any of those things.
In college we are already at a disadvantage. We are super broke and credit card companies offer free food and panties (Vicky Secret), so what can we do?
Well, college is the time we should be MORE conscious of finances. Everything we do in college financially or otherwise will directly impact our financial future. I did a video stressing the importance of financial responsibility and I will do more videos to highlight what all of us should know to be more financially savvy.
- Taking out a loan
- Getting credit cards
- Allowing our bank account to be overdrawn
- Monitoring our credit report
All these things and more affect our financial future. It is important as students that we learn how to be responsible with our finances. This isn’t always easy or fun but now as a young wife, I realize how beneficial being financially responsible is.
I wish I would have understood the concept of credit, interest, and investing when I first started college. I still barely understand how to do my taxes. These are all things that directly influence our day to day lives and the quality of our lives.
Living in debt is no fun. Ballin’ on a budget sounds cool in theory, but it’s not what it’s cracked up to be. I don’t want to live with debt looming over my head. I want to budget abundance, not budget paying off 5 credit cards and my rent.
So, what can we do?
In college (and earlier if possible), start learning about personal finances. Dave Ramsey has amazing tools for personal finances and I plan to start reading his total money makeover. It is never too early to educate yourself on finances and investing.
I promise that by understanding your finances and learning how to be financially responsible, it will save you a lot of heart ache and pain in your 30s and beyond! I’m already dreaming about my debt-free future and I’ll be sharing more of my financial journey in upcoming posts. My next financial post will be explaining my current financial situation and how I got into this mess in the first place. I hope you can learn from it and together we can become more financially responsible.
Until next time,
xoxoxo Kay
