Tight budgets bear student splurges
Many college students have a tight budget and try to spend their money on necessities. But, often times, these students have specific items they’re willing to spend more money on – even if it requires them to solely eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
There are items all college students need including food, water, shelter and clothing. Following the basic necessities, students pay for tuition, textbooks, school supplies, a car. However, sometimes students choose to cut back on some of the necessities in order to splurge on something they want, but don’t need.
“You really don’t need more than the bare essentials, but that other stuff sure makes life alot easier,” Cade Robinson, a junior majoring in international business and Spanish, said. “Plus, especially in our day in age, without more than the bare essentials it would be hard to be successful.”
So, not only do the simple joys of life hang in the balance of wants and needs, but also possibly the chance for a successful life, Robinson said.
“Where the crap would we be with no computer or cell phone, for dating or working a successful job,” Robinson said. “I think that’s actually a big part of college; you’re growing up, you’re maturing, you’ve got to learn the difference between a want and a need.”
“Once you find that balance, you can be most successful and happy, like finding the balance between work and study and a social life. You’re growing up and enjoying life and your experience, you have to get your balance – equilibrium as it were. A state of zen,” Robinson said.
“I think that needs definitely are a priority, but that needs can also include recreation,” said Steven Gould, a senior majoring in Finance and Economics. “There’s a fine line between needs and wants.
Especially for college students, there’s a lot of pressure to pay for the things we need as students. There comes a time you can say ‘I need some fun, an outlet,’ as long as it’s not excessive.”
And for students, there are many things need as an outlet from the life of a student.
“These are the things that, at least for me, help me relax and feel not so stressed out,” Robinson said. “I can get that break and get ready for the next thing I have to do. You have to have those things that make you happy.”
Though an ice cream sundae may taste just as good without it, having the whipped cream and cherry on the top can make it so much better. This is what having wants as well as needs does for students during their collegiate career – it adds the touch to make things all the better.
For Robinson, those kind of things include: Happy hour drinks – especially Dr. Pepper – and Scotsman dogs at the Quikstop, buying cheap, fun apps and songs on iTunes, Otter Pops, $5 movies at Walmart, shirts from Deseret Industries and 7-Eleven slurpees and donuts.
For many students it’s tough to make it through a week full of exams, research papers and work at a part-time job without a little pick-me-up. This is where college splurging starts.
For every student those distractions are different. Some students just want food, any and all kinds of food. Some go crazy on tickets to different events – concerts, conventions, movies. And yet others have wants that may be fairly unique to them.
“I splurge on shooting stuff: shotgun shells, clay pigeons and the like,” Gould said. “It’s something where, if I had a crappy week, I can go out and shoot. It’s a super good stress relief. There’s just something very satisfying about blowing things to smithereens.”
However, many college students share similar splurges, especially when it comes to food in it’s most popular form to students – snacks.
“Nutella is just a really easy snack for any time,” April Reynolds said. “Plus, it’s chocolate and who doesn’t like chocolate?”
Reynolds, a junior majoring in elementary education said she loves the convenience of Nutella – because she can eat it from a spoon or spread it on toast. Now they have it ‘on-the-go’ so she can have it as a quick snack between classes, she said.
“I definitely feel less guilty about splurging when I know I’ve been working hard,” Reynolds said. “I almost feel like I deserve to reward myself a little. And when I’ve had a bad week I like to compensate by having an extra treat to look forward to.”
For many students, this is exactly what their splurges are for – as a bit of compensation for the work of a poor, hardworking college student. Students need their outlets, the splurges, for things to relax a little bit.
– mandy.m.morgan@aggiemail.usu.edu