Savings Opportunities

Learning Objectives

• Define savings opportunities for college students

This assignment will help you explore areas where you may be able to save money in your budget.

Part I

Part I Directions

1. Monitor what you spend money on for a week.
2. Use the template, below, to record your findings.

Weekly Spending Tracker

Total Income:

DayExpensesMondayCollege-Related Expenses (tuition, books, etc.):

Rent/Board:

Food:

Transportation:

Leisure:

Misc.:

TuesdayCollege-Related Expenses (tuition, books, etc.):

Rent/Board:

Food:

Transportation:

Leisure:

Misc.:

WednesdayCollege-Related Expenses (tuition, books, etc.):

Rent/Board:

Food:

Transportation:

Leisure:

Misc.:

ThursdayCollege-Related Expenses (tuition, books, etc.):

Rent/Board:

Food:

Transportation:

Leisure:

Misc.:

FridayCollege-Related Expenses (tuition, books, etc.):

Rent/Board:

Food:

Transportation:

Leisure:

Misc.:

SaturdayCollege-Related Expenses (tuition, books, etc.):

Rent/Board:

Food:

Transportation:

Leisure:

Misc.:

SundayCollege-Related Expenses (tuition, books, etc.):

Rent/Board:

Food:

Transportation:

Leisure:

Misc.:

At the end of the week and after reviewing your spending habits, did anything surprise you?—such as, “Who knew that I was spending so much on pizza and parking?”

Part II

Part II Directions

• Carefully analyze the personal spending you monitored for a week during Part I of the activity.
• Identify the three spending categories in which you spent the most money.
• In which two of those categories could you cut costs? For example, perhaps you spent the most money on rent, food, and leisure. Rent is typically a fixed amount, but you may be able to brainstorm ways to save on food.
• Identify three strategies you will implement this month to save money.