If you don't, you may find yourself in a very difficult position as the year passes. Controlling your expenses through budgeting requires planning, discipline, and a basic understanding of simple budgeting techniques. Calculate Your Projected Income. Begin by estimating the amount of money you will have to cover your expenses for the semester. Fixed expenses are those which do not vary.
Examples are tuition and fees.
Ask yourself if you have any control over the cost of the item or service. List the item as a fixed expense only if the answer is no. You can use these sample budgets as a guide to estimate your costs, here and in Step 3. Variable expenses are subject to a certain amount of control. They can be obtained at varying costs, and in some cases you can do without them.