The stereotype about college students and money is well-known: they are always broke, living on a tight budget, stricken with credit card or student loan debt and joking about their bank account being in the negative. This college lifestyle is a mainstream cultural phenomenon, and it may feel like becoming that student is inevitable.   

Some may say that “everyone goes through it, so it’s okay.” No, it’s not okay. Understandably, tight finances in college are normal. You fend for yourself while balancing academics, extracurriculars and a social life. However, too many detrimental financial habits have become normalized, exacerbating already hard money problems and setting students up for a lifetime of financial stress.  

So, how can you prevent yourself from looking in the mirror and seeing that college student stereotype? Here are three tangible things you can and should change now to set yourself up better financially.  

Dining 

Stop eating out. It is a terrible waste of money. No, I’m not talking about casually going out with friends occasionally to enjoy a nice dinner or some fast food while hanging out, but habitually eating out — be it at restaurants, or ordering on UberEats, Doordash or Grubhub. This will hurt your wallet. 

I am speaking specifically to the “convenience” or “it tastes good” crowd. I understand that after that brutal test and the dozens of hours of studying, you feel like you deserve it. But your finances also deserve a second thought — money is being siphoned out of your pocket. 

About 66% of Americans spend between $11 and $30 per person each time they eat out, spending on average $166 per month on takeout. That is nearly $2,000 a year towards food that you could have cooked for yourself at a fraction of the price in your dormitory’s kitchen. 

Food delivery services add an additional layer of cost to an already expensive luxury. Fees, taxes and tipping mean that a $9.85 chicken sandwich from Chick-fil-a will run you on average $19.37 (a 97% markup) when ordered through a food delivery app. This is not to mention the times an order never arrives or ends up sitting in front of dorm buildings for hours with its owner unable to locate it.  

The most egregious example of this, however, is when I wake up in the morning and see the Starbucks delivery bags sitting in front of dorm buildings. A coffee and a muffin from Starbucks or Dunkin’ delivered will cost you approximately $16.39. Why overpay for coffee or breakfast baked goods that you have nearby? It doesn’t take that much effort to go to Rand, Suzie’s, Carmichael, Commons or any other dining hall and make yourself a coffee on the meal plan you are already paying for.  

This boils down to convenience, which cannot come at the cost of financial stability. Is it really worth crippling your finances for a marginally better tasting bowl from Chipotle, when the Rand one is fine? Once your meal money runs out, have the discipline to forgo the cravings. Your wallet will thank you.  

Subscriptions 

Subscriptions, subscriptions everywhere. When streaming services came out, they promised to make entertainment more personalized at a lower cost than cable television. Fast forward to 2025, and while entertainment feeds have become more personal, the subscription business model has taken over, shackling people’s bottom line.  

Say you have premium ad-free Netflix for $24.99 per month, Disney+ for $10.99 per month, Hulu for $14.99, Max for $16.99 and Peacock for $11.99. In total, that entertainment setup costs $80 per month or $960 per year. Even if you decide to choose the base plans for all these platforms, that will run you over $480 per year, a figure that does not even take into account Spotify or Apple Music subscriptions. These are eye-watering numbers that every month, without skipping a beat, drain money out of your bank account.  

It is hard, I know, but it is imperative that you learn to cut some of this excess in your finances. Going on family plans with friends and splitting the cost, finding shows and movies from alternative sources, maybe even unscrupulous, albeit functional sources online and making use of services Vanderbilt includes in your tuition, specifically free HBO Max, Xfinity streaming and discounted Spotify or Apple Music plans. Start cutting the chains to the shackles of these subscriptions, and free yourself from the financial burden.  

Credit Cards 

There is no need to be afraid. I know many people associate negative feelings with credit cards, and that is understandable. Perhaps you, your family or someone you know is struggling under the burden of credit card debt, with Americans collectively owing over $1.211 trillion in credit card debt.  

The reality is that getting a credit card at this age can be a great financial tool to set yourself up for in the future. By treating your credit card as you would a debit card and spending only what you have in your bank account at a given time, you can build your credit history, which will help you get better loan rates down the line, earn rewards like cash back or travel points and give you fraud protection if your credentials are stolen.  

The issue is that, in many scenarios, people spend above their means, which can lead to them getting into serious trouble at the end of the month when they are unable to pay off their balance. The average Annual Percentage Interest Rate (APR) on unpaid credit card balances is 24.20%.  

To visualize how quickly irresponsible credit card habits can go south, let’s take a $500 unpaid balance at the end of the month. If you make do with just the minimum balance payment, usually around 2%, after 12 months, you will have paid $124 in interest and still have a remaining balance of $501 to pay off. When people continue spending beyond their means while paying only the minimum payments, it is easy to see how this debt can quickly spiral out of control and dig people into a very deep financial hole.  

It’s simple. Get a credit card, any type you can get approved for, and just use it as you would your debit card. A popular option amongst college students is Discover’s student card, which will give you a great foundation for understanding and building credit. You will set yourself up for the long term and avoid the pain of credit card debt.  

Realistic expectations: 

Having good money habits doesn’t mean cutting every joy out of your life. I do not want to come across as overly pessimistic but, rather, as a concerned individual hoping to get people to improve their finances and, by extension, their quality of life. By recognizing the habits quietly draining your wallet while you’re just trying to get through midterms, you become more conscious of your decisions. Whether it’s deciding not to overpay for a sandwich, canceling an unused subscription or stopping swiping your credit card like it’s Monopoly money, these little decisions add up to your benefit, fast. All it takes to retake control of your money is a little bit of self-control and delayed gratification, and you will be well on your way to improving your financial state. 

P.S. If you will continue to use food delivery, at the very least, please don’t finance your Chipotle bowl with Klarna on Doordash. Please.