In addition to new classes, new activities and a new schedule, September can also bring plenty of new expenses. New students often face "sticker shock" as they struggle to stay on top of all the costs of college.

Looking for some ways to ease your financial worries? Fortunately, you don't have to be an economics major to put together a budget. When it comes to budgeting, a little effort can go a long way.

"You would never start out on a road trip without a map. In a similar way, you shouldn't head off to college without a budget," says Kelly Tanabe. Tanabe is the author of 1,001 Ways to Pay for College and founder of SuperCollege.com.

"Like a map, a budget helps guide you through personal finance in college."

Tanabe says there are two components to a budget: how much money you have to spend, and how you spend it.

"To figure out how much you have to spend, add together what your parents will provide, savings and what you'll earn," Tanabe says. "Then, prioritize how you want to spend the funds. This forms a budget."

Creating a Responsible Budget
"It's probably pretty easy to estimate how much money you have to spend," says Tanabe. "It's more of a challenge to plan how to spend it. Necessities include housing, food, books and class materials, clothes, personal items and transportation.

"You also need to plan for discretionary spending on things like eating out and entertainment."

Beth Norcross is the author of Use Your Fingers, Use Your Toes: Step-by-Step Solutions to Everyday Math Problems. She says it's important that students plan their budget in a few broad categories.

These areas may include school expenses, housing, food, entertainment, clothes, car or other transportation. toiletries and other personal care, gifts and miscellaneous. By organizing with main categories, students may be less likely to get lost in the details.

"Just remember there are trade-offs," says Norcross. "If you spend a little more than you planned on entertainment this month, you have to spend a little less somewhere else."

For college students, it's often the first time they have a checking account, credit card and a rent bill, as well as a budget to follow. It's most likely the largest financial responsibility they have had to handle independently, Tanabe says.

"As a student, it's important that you take this responsibility seriously," Tanabe says. "Naturally, you can ask your parents for guidance, but ultimately, you will be the one to make sure that you create and keep your budget."

Tracking Money
There are many ways to track income and expenses within a budget. It's up to you to determine what works best for them.

"At the basic level, you can use the envelope system, where you designate an envelope for each major expense category like housing, food or books and class materials," Tanabe says.

"Each month you put in the amount you have designated for each category. This helps you monitor how much you've spent for the month, and how much you have left."

By opening a checking and savings account, students also can keep track of how much they have to spend and how much they spent each month. While it takes more time, using computer software can help students keep a budget.

"The beauty of using software is that you get an accurate picture of your finances, and you can see how your expenses change each month," Tanabe says. "The challenge is that you have to remember to input the information."

Norcross says she highly recommends that college students give themselves an allowance each week. With a set allowance, students know what they have to spend weekly -- period.

"Then the trade-offs become apparent," says Norcross. She notes, for example, that a student can stop at Starbucks each day for coffee or go out to dinner with friends on Friday night. They may not be able to do both within their budget.

Recognizing Budget Hazards
One of the most important things students with a budget need to consider is that they do have control over their discretionary funds.

"This means that you control how much you spend on movie tickets, subway tokens and pizza," Tanabe says. "You must decide how often you'll go out and eat out. As a student, your lifestyle will really affect how much you spend."

Credit card debt is the downfall for thousands of college students. Pay cash to avoid huge debts and high interest rates, experts suggest. "Paying with a credit card seems too much like magic," Norcross says. "They are simply too much temptation. Paying with cold, hard cash makes every purchase seem real."

If you need a credit card at school, consider having it connected to a debit card, which requires that the funds are already in the account. "Before you buy anything, ask yourself if you really need it," Tanabe says.

Another important hazard to keep in mind is that the little items add up in a budget.

"It might not seem like much to buy a latte each day, but those $3 tabs add up," Tanabe says. "Over the school year, you could save $800 by forgoing them."

Before students purchase an item, they also should consider how much effort it took to earn the money.

"That great pair of shoes might be on sale for $69, but that's 10 hours of work at the dining hall," Norcross says. "Is it really worth 10 hours of washing dishes and wiping tables to look good one night at the club? If it is, then go for it. Just be aware of how much work it entailed for you to buy something."

Students are bound to make budget mistakes and experience financial setbacks.

"Relax," says Norcross. "You're just learning how to do this. Mistakes you make now will help you avoid much bigger mistakes in the future, when the stakes are much higher."