Be Prepared For Unexpected College Expenses

After you’ve spent all the money on dorm stuff, tuition, etc there are still a lot of expenses you probably didn’t account for. Before you go and make a pristine budget for the month of move in, there are actually a lot of things to consider like maybe…

Like most incoming freshmen I thought that I had everything I needed when I left my parent’s house. Boy was I wrong! After I got a few items into my dorm I found out just how wrong I was.

Here’s a list of things of unexpected expenses that you might run into:

Dress Code

If your school has a dress code, you might have to go shopping for a whole new wardrobe or maybe just replace a few items, or even just your bathing suit. Depending on how many clothes are “not allowed” you could spend anywhere from $10 to $200.

Battery Pack

Portable battery packs. Those seats next to the power outlets usually are gone first so don’t depend on being able to find one at a moment’s notice. And yes, power stick vs power bank, go big or go home. You’ll be thankful for it later.

Command hooks and hangers

If you were like me and thought five command hooks would be enough, you will probably be forking out another $25.

College Campus Activities

Clubs, dorm hall funds, and intramurals actually do require you to spend a little bit of money. Twenty dollars here, another five there. It adds up pretty quick. I’d say to expect anywhere from $20 to $60 on this.

New Climate

If you moved to a different climate, be prepared to spend some money here. Although it rains a ton in Florida, it’s not cold rain, so it’s not a big deal to get wet. So after moving further up north, I found out pretty quick I needed some actual rain gear. That was another $40.

Car

For those of you that own a car, don’t forget about registering it. This costs a lot of money and it can range from $20 to $500 depending on the college you’re attending. Also, if you have an option for premium parking, it is worth it! Having to take the bus to get to your car is a hassle that you don’t want to deal with. This is one place that spending extra money is a good thing.

Watch

A watch. This might seem kind of silly and small but believe me it is worth it. My first big exam everyone got up and handed their tests in super early, and because I couldn’t check the time on my phone I thought my time was almost up. I handed in a test and I’m not even sure I answered all the questions. Take my advice and get a watch so that this doesn’t happen to you.

Reusable water bottles

Reusable water bottles are so much more useful than you think. Purchase one! $15

Food.

Your meal plan will not cover everything, and cafeteria food might get old really quick. Just be sure to have some extra money in your account for when you don’t feel like having pizza for the fifth night in a row.

Transportation

Transportation means more than just a car. I didn’t find out until after I moved in that you’re allowed to ride your bike, roller blades, and even a skateboard on the sidewalk. Awesome right? If your school allows this, this might be something to consider when you get tired of walking.

Extra course materials

If any of you have ever taken a college course before than you know that you can start the class and find out that there are three more books that you need to get or an added program or two. Don’t be unprepared and have some extra money just in case.

Just as an added tip, Amazon.com gives college students six months of Prime for free. This will be so useful if you discover that you forgot this and that or just need to restock on toilet paper and you don’t have a car.

These figures and tips are based on what me and some other college students didn’t expect when we went off to college. But it varies from person to person and college to college, so don’t completely base your college budget off of this. But at least be prepared for about $500 in unexpected extras.