Simple Budget Template for College Students (Free PDF) (2024)

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Simple Budget Template for College Students (Free PDF) (1)

An Easy to Use College Budget Template

This budget template is for college students who want a simple, straightforward way to manage their cash flow.

Simple Budget Template for College Students (Free PDF) (2)

Financial knowledge and education are crucial components of college success.

The 2017 SCFW found that while many college students reported frequently engaging in positive financial behaviors, nearly 70% are stressed about finances.

What’s more:

Research has shown that financial stress has a detrimental impact on not only academics but health as well.

Given these points, it’s clear that budgeting in college is important.

The problem is where do you even begin, right?

Despite any preconceived notions, you can effectively take control of your finances without spending all your spare time crunching numbers.

Here’s how…

Use my budget template for college students and quickly get a snapshot of the whole month.

College Student Budget Template

Simple Budget Template for College Students (Free PDF) (3)

Budgeting is simple.

I’ll show just how easy it is with a college student budget example.

In the images below you’ll see a place to write down your income, savings, and expenses. By filling out the worksheet you’ll be making a budget.

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It all boils down to this…

A budget is a plan for your money. Nothing more, nothing less.

You start by making an estimate of your total income for a month. If your income is inconsistent, I recommend estimating low.

These are the funds you have at your disposal for spending on expenses.

Related: 9 Easy Ways for Busy College Students to Make Money

Next:

Take into account all your expenses. Break it down into two main types of expenses: fixed and flexible.

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Fixed expenses are expenses that don’t change.

For example, a Netflix subscription is a fixed cost. The price is consistently the same on a month-to-month basis.

Flexible expenses are expenses that change.

They aren’t like a bill that has a flat monthly fee. Groceries and eating out are flexible expenses. How much you spend is determined by your choices or other external factors.

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As you can see, I grouped similar expenses together on the college budget templates. I’ve found budgeting is easier when the categories are broken up.

I also included common expenses for students to give you a clear idea of how it works.

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Have you ever thought to yourself –

Where did all my money go? I can’t even remember what I spent it on.

Fortunately, there’s a simple solution…

Because included with the college budget worksheet is a log for tracking weekly spending.

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Simply write down what you spend on a daily basis and you’ll finally know where it all goes.

The visual reminder will help you make better choices, too. And thus over time, living within your budget will become second nature.

Do you want to use these printable budget worksheets for college students?

Good news:

You can download the college budget template PDF for free!

As shown above, they come in 4 different colors and 3 different headings.

Additionally:

I created completely blank versions. There are no dollar signs (for those who live outside of the US) and you can fill in the categories with custom expenses.

The free budget templates + weekly spending log sheets are available for instant download in the Resource Library here on my website.

How to Download the College Budget Template PDF

To access these freebies (+ over 25 other awesome printables):

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Stick with me for a moment before you exit the browser.

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So if you absolutely loathe our twice a month emails, get sick of ’em after a while, or just want the damn printables –

All it takes is one click and we’ll stay out of your inbox for good.

Still interested in downloading the budget template for college students?

Get the password to the Resource Library right away by entering your info in the box below.

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Simple Budget Template for College Students (Free PDF) (10)

Conclusions on budget for college student template

Learning how to budget is such an important skill! I hope my college student budget template helps you get a handle on it.

If you have any feedback about it or want to suggest a way I can improve it, drop a comment below. (:

Other posts you may like:

  • Free Printable College Semester Budget Worksheets for Students
  • Free Bill Tracking Template
  • Simple Monthly Budgeting Printable (Download for Free)
  • Printable Homework Planner for College Students

Budget Template for College Students

Simple Budget Template for College Students (Free PDF) (2024)

FAQs

What is the 50/30/20 rule for college students? ›

What is a good college budget? A good college budget prioritizes needs and savings over wants. A good template to follow when budgeting is the 50-30-20 ratio—50% of your income covers needs, 30% goes toward wants and 20% is for savings. This format can guide you in creating your next spending plan.

How to create a budget plan for college students? ›

Creating Your Budget
  1. Determine a Time Span for Your Budget.
  2. Choose a Tool to Help You Manage Your Budget.
  3. Review Your Monthly Income.
  4. Identify and Categorize Your Expenses.
  5. Save for Emergencies.
  6. Balance Your Budget.
  7. Maintain and Update Your Budget.

How do I make a budget spreadsheet for university? ›

How to make a student budget
  1. Step 1: Choose where to make your budget. You can make a budget on a piece of paper or in a notebook. ...
  2. Step 2: List your monthly income. List the money you have coming in each month. ...
  3. Step 3: Track your monthly spending. ...
  4. Step 4: Balance your budget.

How much money does a college student need per month? ›

Living costs vary widely across California, but many students pay over $2,000 per month for housing, food, and transportation.

What is the 80 20 rule for college students? ›

The 80-20 rule states that 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes. Sleep, eat, school, homework, volunteer; rinse and repeat. In my early years at university, I was under the impression that any time not spent on work was me being lazy and not trying hard enough.

What is the 80 20 rule in college? ›

This means they should consider the information the professor provides in class via lectures and study guides as roughly 20% of the content needed to be successful on exams or projects. They must generate the other 80% by synthesizing, grounding, and expounding upon the class information.

What is a simple college student budget? ›

That means, 50% of your money goes toward your needs (rent, utilities, groceries, etc.), 30% goes towards your wants (eating out, shopping, entertainment, etc.) and 20% goes into savings. Although this isn't the only way to budget, it's a great place to start because it's three simple numbers.

What is the best budget rule for college students? ›

Create a Budget Using the 50/30/20 Rule

Half of your income should cover the essentials like rent, food, and bills. This is your fun money, but keep it within limits. Future you will thank you for this. Whether saving for a rainy day or paying down a student loan, make this a habit.

How to budget for beginners? ›

Follow the steps below as you set up your own, personalized budget:
  1. Make a list of your values. Write down what matters to you and then put your values in order.
  2. Set your goals.
  3. Determine your income. ...
  4. Determine your expenses. ...
  5. Create your budget. ...
  6. Pay yourself first! ...
  7. Be careful with credit cards. ...
  8. Check back periodically.

How do you make a budget spreadsheet for beginners? ›

How to create a budget spreadsheet
  1. Choose a spreadsheet program or template.
  2. Create categories for income and expense items.
  3. Set your budget period (weekly, monthly, etc.).
  4. Enter your numbers and use simple formulas to streamline calculations.
  5. Consider visual aids and other features.

Does Excel have a budget template? ›

Creating a budgeting plan for your household can feel overwhelming and hard, but Excel can help you get organized and on track with a variety of free and premium budgeting templates.

How do I create a simple budget in Excel? ›

How to create a budget in Excel manually
  1. Create budget headers. After opening Excel, include your budget's column names. ...
  2. Enter the expenses, costs, and income. Include your estimated expenses or costs in the created columns. ...
  3. Calculate the balance. ...
  4. Create visualizations.
Feb 12, 2024

How much should a college student spend on groceries? ›

Monthly Cost of Groceries for College Students by State;
StateCost per Month
California$265
Florida$258
Iowa$241
Oklahoma$241
47 more rows
Aug 20, 2023

How much should a college student have in their bank account? ›

If your savings are currently a bit anemic, aim for enough money to cover three to six months of expenses. To put a number to that goal, add up all your regular expenses and multiply the total by at least three. Hopefully, you'll never need to dip into those funds, but if you do, they'll be waiting for you.

How much does an average college student spend? ›

The Student Expenses and Resources Survey (SEARS) found that non-tuition expenses average $1,991 per month for students or about $18,000 per nine-month academic year.

What is the 2k rule for college savings? ›

The rule is simple. Multiply your child's age by $2,000. That tells you how much you should have saved already at that specific age to be on track to cover 50 percent of college costs. For instance, if your child is seven years old, you would multiply $2,000 by seven and come up with $14,000.

How much should a 20 year old college student have saved? ›

Rule of thumb? Aim to have three to six months' worth of expenses set aside. To figure out how much you should have saved for emergencies, simply multiply the amount of money you spend each month on expenses by either three or six months to get your target goal amount.

What is the 75 15 10 rule? ›

In his free webinar last week, Market Briefs CEO Jaspreet Singh alerted me to a variation: the popular 75-15-10 rule. Singh called it leading your money. This iteration calls for you to put 75% of after-tax income to daily expenses, 15% to investing and 10% to savings.

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