Budget tips for college students For Dorm Therapy, I’m working on an article about “How to Budget as a College Student” and I’d love to hear from U.S.-based finance experts, especially those who have a background in working with Gen Z on budgeting. *Financial experts could be financial planners, consumer finance experts, student loan specialists, budget coaches, etc. The goal of this piece is to help students—many of whom are budgeting for the first time—learn how to build a simple, realistic college budget and actually stick to it. Please answer any questions that jump out to you. Budgets: What should students consider when creating their first budget. What expenses do they often overlook? What are some of the biggest budgeting mistakes you see students making? How should students think about irregular or seasonal expenses (books, travel, spring break, etc). Budgeting Framework: Do you recommend a specific budgeting rule (i.e. 50/30/20) for college students? What is the framework and why do you like it? What should you consider when choosing a framework? Budget tips: What are your top budgeting tips for college students? Can you provide a few including some out-of-the-box ones? Note: I’d especially love your insight on buy now/pay later; using autopay; tracking spending What should students keep in mind about credit cards?