Personal Finance Budget Template

Refined college grads have asked me for various different templates they can use to track expenses and estimate debt payment.

Here is a budget template I use to track expenses and savings. I find this useful to check once a month to make sure goals are being met. I also highly recommend using Mint.com to track all expenses and budget on a more daily basis.

Leave some comments so I know what all the refined college grads think.

Email me with questions at therefinedcollegegrad@gmail.com

Student Loans Templates for Download

Dear Refined Grads,

As requested here is a link to the Student Loans templates that can be downloaded (FO FREE!) to serve as a rough guide for paying off those student loans. Thank you for the suggestion!

Stay refined,

Otis

Student Loans: How the refined college grad handles them

Student Loans: How the refined college grad handles them

Student loans can make or break graduate life after college. Student loans can be a source of constant worry and strife or seldom thought about. This post will go into what student loans are, how they work and how to manage them.

Four amazing years have come to a close. The books are sold or donated, final grades are in, the beer soaked rug is removed from the fraternity house and the first job is already lined up. One of the top comments of recent college graduates is: Now I will have Money! No more Ramen and Milwaukee’s Best Light (Ice for the real men). Now it will be all about Miller lite and steak (a ton of steak). There is one thing the typical college graduate is not thinking about that can come back to haunt them. Six months from graduation student loan bills will start arriving (if not enrolled in a graduate program). These are some of the most important bills a college graduate will have.   

The refined grad knows there are two main types of student loans private and federal. These loans are structured in similar ways and have similar payment terms. They are VASTLY different in the interest rates they hold though.

5 Refined Grad Credit Cards

Credit Card pitfalls…

Credit Cards specifically credit card debt is the number one way young college graduates get themselves into trouble. They are suddenly thrust into the real world and need to buy lots of things (new apartment furniture, food, pay utility bills and rent and of course go to the bar). All these expenses add up and can soon swallow the grad in a mountain of debt (not including student loans).

Do not be afraid Credit Cards can be great….

The refined college graduate is not afraid of credit cards and instead sees their usefulness in tracking expenses, building good credit history and most important keeping their money safe. The refined college graduate has a recent credit report and knows their score. These can be obtained at freecreditreport.com. The refined college graduate pays off the entire balance of their card every month. The refined college graduate does not have more than two cards (why waste time keeping track of all of them). The refined college graduate knows they look really cool at the bar in front of the ladies when they pay with plastic.  

There will be more posts on credit, credit history and debt but for now here our five great cards we have researched and tried.