You can periodically track your actual expenditures with your budget. As an adult, you should begin taking steps to live within a budget and manage your money. When considering college housing, there are other options besides dorms. Most students choose to live in the dormitories. But, in some instances, living off-campus in a shared apartment could be cheaper.
Many colleges offer private, cooperative housing.
At the University of California, for instance, living in a university co-op costs about half of what it costs to live in campus dorms., according to Richard Black, the director of financial aid. Depending on where you attend college, you might want to live at home to cut down on expenses.