Philly: You Know You are in College When...

Today I began to think about my situation as a college student and the things that has happened to me recently that make me think about my financial situation and the phrase "you know you're a college student when"...

One of your colleagues buys you groceries because she feels bad that you live on about $14 a day.

You live on $14 a day.

You wear the same pair of stockings which have giant holes in both toes until you toes go through the holes because you cannot break down and buy a new pair.

You make a casserole with the intention of it feeding you for one dinner and 5-6 lunches.

You feel guilty buying bread because really, you don't "need" it.

You feel bad buying anything deemed frivolous such as yogurt, ice cream, meat, condiments, tissues, because really, you don't "need" it.

When your printer runs out of toner, instead of buying a new one, you rely on your library's 200 free prints a semester...for the next two years.

Even when you turn 21, you don't buy alcohol because really, you don't "need" it.

When meeting up with friends for a dinner out, you go to the on campus dining hall on oyur meal plan because you don't want to spend your "actual" money. (This was last year when I had the free-Resident Assistant meal plan.)

You consider what food you can live without in order to buy gas for your car.

You wait to drink coffee until you get to work because well, it's free.


You eat all of your meals at work because they have a microwave so you can bring your leftovers.


You've needed a new computer battery for a year now but they cost $70 so you don't.

You don't think about that while you are living on $14 a day you are not so slowly racking up thousands of dollars of debt in order to be in college and live on $14.