In Her Campus’ series Where’d My Money Go?, we’re taking a look at what one college student spends in a week on campus. In this piece, Avona, a sophomore at the University of South Carolina, shares her weekly spending habits.
I love budgeting and keeping track of where my money is going. It’s very important for me to have control over my finances and to keep a close eye on my expenses. As a sophomore student at USC, I am very frugal and spend much less than the majority of college students. This is mainly because I have no income and am funding my college experiences with my savings. Because of scholarships and my part-time job during high school, I am able to do this. Many are not in this kind of position, so I highly don’t recommend this — you should try to work if you can! I am part of the minority who have the privilege to not have to work and received enough scholarships to not rely on student loans. I am very grateful for my economic situation.
Most of my expenses go towards eating out. Campus food gets boring and repetitive at some point, and I can’t help but crave something else. Since I live in a dorm, I don’t often buy groceries and eat out instead. I also have an amazing boyfriend that can pick up the check most of the time. I don’t have a strict budget for myself because I usually spend only about $40 each week, but I do like to stay around $150 every month. Without further ado, let’s see what I spent my money on!
Sunday
5:30 p.m.: My friends were throwing a potluck party, so I went to Publix and got two boxes of cupcakes! $8.44
Daily Total: $8.44
Monday
Nothing!
Tuesday
7 p.m.: My boyfriend and I went out to eat in the Vista! He paid for dinner, while I paid for the $1 parking. I have the sweetest boyfriend! $1
Daily Total: $1
Wednesday
Nothing!
Daily Total: $0
Thursday
Nothing!
Daily Total: $0
Friday
6 p.m.: My boyfriend and I got McDonalds for dinner, I paid for both of us. $13.73
Daily Total: $13.73
Saturday
1 p.m.: I planned an all-day date for my boyfriend and I. After stopping by Soda City, we got coffee at the cutest coffee shop called Loveland! $13
4 p.m.: We made matching sweatshirts at a local craft store! $49.76
5:30 p.m.: Ended the day with a delicious Mexican dinner at a new restaurant we never tried before. $23.92
Daily Total: $86.68
Weekly Total: $109.85
This was an expensive week for me! I usually don’t spend this much in a single week, but it’s been a while since I planned a nice outing for my boyfriend and I, so it was all worth it! This definitely made up most of my spending for the month, and like I said, the majority of my money usually goes towards food. Thank you for spending the week with me, and I hope you enjoy the inside look into my life!