I am broke. I have resigned myself to the notion that as a college student, I am not supposed to have any money. Gone are the days where any item I wanted could be purchased with the help of my parents’ money. In fact, things have gotten so bad that I am considering drawing up a budget to follow. I am left wondering, with Nelly Furtado, why all good things come to an end.
I remember my first job in high school. For the first time in my life, I had money without having to ask my parents for it. I was on top of the world. I could buy anything I wanted because I had an excess of money and a lack of bills. I realized that money brings power. I had money, so I had power – I was the boss.
Now, like a puppy caught misbehaving, I have to trot back to my parents with my tail tucked between my legs, hoping for a crumb drop from the table. No longer can I buy a pair of tennis shoes on a whim – new shoes now rank just above saving for retirement on my list of things to do.
College is about figuring out just how much you can freeload. Every penny counts so you have to discover how far you can make that penny go. I quickly learned that if an organization is offering free food, you go regardless of who hosts the event. It is a great way to get a taste of Raising Cane’s without shelling out a ridiculous $8.
I have also found that restaurants with dollar menus are your best friend. Once upon a time, ordering off the dollar menu at Wendy’s was considered cheap. Now, ordering from any other place seems ludicrous. Dollar menus allow you to pack on the “freshman 15” at a conveniently low price.
College has also changed the way I shop at Wal-Mart. No longer can I frolic around freely, buying random things I see. Wal-Mart shopping has become a carefully planned operation complete with blueprints, timers and blinders to keep me focused on the essentials. I have a budget to maintain, and it does not allow space for random shopping.
Although I will never get accustomed to being broke, I think that with time I will learn how to do it better. Those Ramen noodles taste better already.
—-Contact Allen Womble at [email protected]