Money and Budgeting by Leah T - C28 Christian Forum Discussion

Honestly, I am HORRID when it comes to money and saving it and I need help, ideas and tips! Lots of them!!! I a jobless, penny-less, college student who gets $89 a month from the state. I'm living in adult foster care presently (long story) but moving back to my parents at the end of the semester. I'm not disabled anymore, the state is pushing me to apply for social security but I won't lie and say I'm disabled when I'm not. I don't like the idea of moving back with my parents but I can't afford my own place. I plan to get a job over the summer and save what money I earn and that's where I need help because I know if I stay the way I am now, I'll blow it.

I go to community college so there isn't any student housing to rely on. How do you guys budget and discipline yourselves? I spend all my money on food and art supplies. I need to get my act together because I can't live like this. I refuse to get a credit card because I don't trust myself with money. I need to grow up...but how do I do this?

3 replies on this topic

Samuel - 3/27/11 @ 2:31 PM

I can't help you really... but, I will pray for you

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Leah T - 3/27/11 @ 2:35 PM

Thank you. I'm praying too because I know God provides, but I also know that if He can't trust me with a little than He's not going to bless me with a lot. I need to learn to be accountable with my money.

Stephanie - 3/27/11 @ 2:56 PM

Do you have a check book? The way I learned to keep myself accountable to myself was to open a checking account and I had no debit card and no credit cards....So the only way I could buy something was by driving myself to the bank and cashing my own check...that I wrote to myself - lol.

It sounds lame, but it really kept me accountable to my checkbook until I was able to confidently trust myself with credit cards. Just make sure you are writing down every transaction in your checkbook log.

I usually work full time over the summer and spend as little as possible - for me, the biggest motivator is basically just the fact that I know I wont have any income during school. I dont know if this helps at all, but its what has worked for me :)