3. Budgeting and repaying debt
A large portion of this section of the project focuses on debt. Although many students graduate
with significant amounts of debt and the project requires you to consider debt in budgeting, this is
by no means encouraging debt or making light of it by emphasizing that it is common. On the contrary,
the purpose of this section is to show how consumer debt can severely limit your freedom to
make choices about how you will save and spend your money. You may find yourself locked into a
particular job because you must pay your debts and cannot afford to make a change, even though you
would like to. A wise proverb to remember is that “the borrower is slave to the lender.” A savvy individual
will save for purchases and buy only what he or she can pay for with cash. Even if you feel
you must borrow for a larger item such as a car, you can endeavor to pay cash for all other expenses
and begin a savings plan so that you can eventually pay cash for a car as well.