Budgeting 101: How to live off your refund check

With refunds pending, SU students are all eagerly waiting for their cell phones to alert them, notifying them that their refund is ready for them to spend. Ever since the concept of receiving a student refund, students have spent their “hard earned” cash in various ways.
Whether it’s splurging at The Mall of Louisiana or going to Wal-Mart to stock up on dorm essentials, students ranging from the out-of-state first time reshmen to the well-seasoned upperclassmen living in their various off-campus student apartments; their spending habits are alike. There is a main theme rooted within the fundamental concepts of receiving a student refund check: It’s an essential tool for any college student. I have interviewed several students and received various input about how they either spent or are planning to spend their refunds if they are lucky to receive one.
As a senior in college, I have witnessed two common spending trends with students receiving their refunds; those who spend wisely and again the ones who spend their entire refund check within one month. I have chosen to wisely spend my refund check and to use my savings account.
My current Supervisor, Administrative Assistant for the Department of Speech- Language and Pathology, current Graduate Student in the Masters in Public Administration Program, as well as former Ms. SUSLA 2000-2001 Crystal Bobo has several words of advice for all students alike on how to effectively spend their refund checks: “Make sure you take care of your responsibilities first, then after placing some on the side (in savings), have some play money. Make sure to stay clear of the mall as you will likely spend your entire check within the mall and lastly make sure to book your Bayou Classic Weekend plans in advance.”
As Ms. Bobo spoke those same words one day as she was addressing an office full of students. One student when discussing their spending plans with their refund checks, Neil Hayes, stated “I am not tryna spend it in one month.” This is another common goal among all college students. Various students nodded their heads in agreement as either they have plans that engulfs their refund check or have previously spend a large amount of cash within a short time.
There is a small percentage of students that have manage to make their entire refund amount last the entire semester. One student, Edward Vernon, stated that, “In the spring I only spent my refund only on essential items for either personal or school or weekend trips to the Jack-In-The-Box over ‘da hump.’ I made my check last the entire semester. This semester as an off-campus student in comparison to my living quarters in U.S. Jones Hall, I plan on doing the same routine as in the Spring Semester.” He is among one of the lucky ones to have managed to make his refund last.
Edward, Neil and I are amongst the lucky ones to qualify for a refund check and even more lucky to receive a reasonable amount.
Refund checks are a vital tool for any student to survive and offer some peace of mind as well as a trophy for being an adult, after all you must go to class in order to receive them.