Budget Management - Surviving on a Shoestring
Contents

Part 1

INTRODUCTION
INFORMATION ONLINE
A BOOK TO READ

Part 2

MAKING A BUDGET

Part 3

CREDIT CARDS
SHOPPING
ACCOMMODATION
TRANSPORT
INFORMATION AND ADVICE

 
INTRODUCTION

"No" may be one of the smallest words in the English language but it's also one of the most powerful. Saying "No" may seem simple enough, in theory, but we all know from experience that the deed is often much harder than the word - especially when it comes to applying it to yourself. And yet this little word can be the key to how well you cope with the challenges of life as a student when, for many, it's a question of surviving on a shoestring.

At the start of the academic year, students are confronted with a whole range of costs - textbooks, tools and equipment, accommodation, travel… For those who are not eligible for Austudy, Youth Allowance or other forms of financial assistance, the list can seem endless and the difficulties almost insurmountable. If you start off on the wrong foot financially, it's very difficult to catch up and the chances are that you could descend into a spiral of debt that will take years to clear. That's why it's important to make a budget and to stick to it.

 
INFORMATION ONLINE

The Department of Fair Trading website www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au contains a very useful "Student's Guide to Consumer Rights", covering helpful hints on renting, shopping and Internet shopping, what to look out for when buying a car or motorbike. A little difficult to navigate but worth the effort.

 
A BOOK TO READ

Koch, Samantha. The teenager's guide to money  (Allen & Unwin, 2000)
May be available at your campus library, or from bookshops at RRP $14.95