Student loans can be overwhelming. Learning to budget your money, including your debt, can make things a little less stressful. Rachel Brandt is a recent college grad with more than $69,000 in debt.
Her advice for taking control of her finances? Embrace the spreadsheet. Brandt gave us five tips on how to budget.
1. List your account balances up top
Add your checking, savings and credit card balances at the top of your spreadsheet to keep track of how much money you have available. It'll make it easier to track any unexpected expenses.
2. Use a color coding system
Stay organized by highlighting categories with different colors. For example, loans can be green, paychecks red, rent blue, etc.
3. Spread out your monthly payments
Rather than paying all of your bills at the end of the month, set specific dates throughout the month for each payment you need to make.
4. Overestimate your expenses
When making a budget, overestimate things like rent, transit, groceries and utilities. But stay accurate with your income by logging the exact amount of your paychecks.
5. Update your spreadsheet weekly
Finally, carve some time out every week and make a habit out of budgeting. Set a reminder in your phone or write it down in your calendar. It'll be a lot easier to track where your money goes if you update your spreadsheet at least once a week.
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