Back-to-School: Protecting Your Money

There’s more to protecting your money in college than avoiding credit card debt. Whether your roommate eats all your food, misses a utility payment, or friends pressure you to spend, here are six solid money management tips for college students.

1. Avoid Lending Money. In college, when roommates ask you to “spot” them for a purchase, know that they’re really asking you for free money. It’s rare to ever receive friendly “loans” back in full. Knowing this, don’t lend money you cannot afford to part with to a friend. Of course, if your friend is in a jam in the checkout line and you can spare it, spot him, but follow up by asking him to either spot you for lunch soon or pay you back ASAP. If he does opt to spot you, don’t let him forget! Address the situation quickly and you're more likely to get your money back in good time.

2. Collect Rent Online. If your name is on the lease, you need to set up a system to collect rent payments from all your roomies. Manage your rent payments online with sites like WePay.com, ShareaBill.com and BillSplit.com, which offer hassle-free online group payments and payment history tracking. (Note: these sites typically charge a small transaction fee). If a roomie fails to pay and your name is on the lease, you’re responsible for making the full rent payment on time. An out-of-hand roommate deserves to be evicted. Get help from you landlord to do so.

3. Track Utility Payments. If your roommate is in charge of collecting and making payments each month, find out whether your name is also on the bill. If she forgets to pay one month, you’re on the hook. A college friend got a phone call from a collection agency telling her she and her roommates owed less than $20 on a utility bill from several years back when they were seniors. Know the statue of limitations for collection agencies in your college’s state. WePay, ShareaBill and BillSplit can also help manage utility bills with groups.

4. Communicate Kitchen Rules. If you share an apartment with roommates, set ground rules for the kitchen, unless you want to come home to find your Pop-Tarts missing. Everyone should have a group meeting and agree on the best way to manage the food in the home and be conscious of everyone’s budget. There’s also the Grocery IQ, which you can download to your iPhone or iPod Touch to get coupons for items at the grocery store.

5. Suggest Affordable Social Activities. Avoid the pressure to spend more than you have by taking the lead when planning social outings. How about pre-gaming at someone’s apartment first to avoid spending as much at the bars? Check myopenbar.com to find free drinks and happy hours in select cities. Restaurant.com also issues coupons and gift certificates for over 6,000 eateries around the country. Sites like Groupon.com and LivingSocial.com offer major discounts on social activities across the country. And if your friends invite you to go skiing in the Alps for Spring Break, either find a job fast or simply say you have other plans for the holiday. Don’t your friends drive you into debt!

6. Get Renters’ Insurance. If your apartment catches on fire or gets burglarized, renters’ insurance can save you thousands of dollars to replace lost or stolen items from your laptop to furniture, clothes and jewelry. It costs as little as $16 a month – as much as a large pizza. If you have a roommate, each of you needs your own policy.

Farnoosh Torabi – Credit.com Personal Finance Contributor, nationally recognized author, expert and television host. Her first book, You're So Money, is an acclaimed tell-all for young adults searching for financial independence. Her new book Psych Yourself Rich, gives readers the mindset and discipline to build their financial life.

Tagged as: college student, credit card, debt, free money, loan, payment history, rent, save money, transaction fee

Farnoosh Torabi Personal Finance Contributor, Farnoosh is a nationally recognized author, expert and television host. Her first book, You're So Money, is an acclaimed tell-all for young adults searching for financial independence. Her new book Psych Yourself Rich, gives readers the mindset and discipline to build their financial life. Reach Farnoosh at creditexperts@credit.com.