Wants vs. Needs: The Tale of the Broke College Student

Once upon a time in a country college town, there lived a student named Brandy, whose financial planning skills could best be described as… aspirational.

Brandy had a solid part-time job, but somehow, their wallet always felt emptier than their fridge. (That fridge is always empty by the way)

One day, Brandy sat down to review her budget (which was her list she wrote on what she buys every day from her iPhone). That’s when they noticed the chaos:

• $6 for a latte. (Caffeine is obviously necessary)

• $40 for concert tickets. (Even if it's the parking lot section at a Beyonce concert.)

• $80 for a trendy jacket they saw on TikTok. (Fashion = confidence, right?)

• $0 for groceries.

Brandy best friend Jaime, the human embodiment of a budgeting app, walked in and raised an eyebrow. "Brandy, what’s going on here?”

Jamie sighed dramatically. “I’m broke, but everything I spend on is important.”

Jaime smirked. “Alright, let’s play a game. Wants vs. Needs. Ready?”

Round 1: The Latte "Want or need?” Jaime asked.

Brandy thought for a moment. “Need. I’ll literally fall asleep in class without it.”

Jaime countered, “But you could brew coffee at home for pennies. That $6 was a want, my friend.”

Brandy gasped. “You have some nerve! Next!”

Round 2: The Concert Tickets Brandy beamed. “This one’s easy. Need. It’s for my mental health.”

Jaime pulled out a calendar. “You skipped three lectures to ‘rest’ last week. Pretty sure your professor thinks graduating is your mental health priority.”

Round 3: The TikTok Jacket Before Taylor even asked, Brandy defended the purchase. "Not the jacket! It's so cute!

Jaime inspected the closet and pulled out Brandy four other jackets. “This was a want disguised as a need. Nice try pal.”

The Epiphany By the end of the game, Brandy had an existential crisis. They realized that while the lattes, concerts, and jackets were fun, they weren’t keeping the lights on or their stomach full. Brandy made a vow:

From now on, groceries, rent, and basic necessities would come first. Wants could wait—or better yet, be budgeted for separately.

And so, armed with a new understanding of Wants vs. Needs, Brandy set out to conquer college finances… and maybe, just maybe, afford something other than noodles next month.

The moral? Wants are the glitter of life, but needs are the glue. Learn the difference—or end up as the main character in your own budgeting horror story.