We all remember the viral “Shoes” video where Kelly “gets what she wants.” But did anyone pay attention to what the father said when he was daydreaming? He dreamt of “fiscal responsibility” while his wife dreamt of Tom Skerritt. Pretty safe to say the difference between those two is major, but I’m not about to sit and tell you about Tom Skerritt which leaves us with the latter.

Being a college student it’s beyond easy to walk through money like it’s water. Whether your parents slide you some paper every time you're home, or you cook it all up yourself, it goes fast. If you’re spending it on school expenses like books and pens, or a sexy romper for the weekend, we want what we want and as impulsive as our generation is, we generally get it right away. This is the part where our brains should kick in hearing our grandparents’ say, “don’t spend it all in one place.” Or something along those lines. However, it’s not always as easy as it sounds.

Getting generic advice like that is kind of like getting a gift and already having it at home. You know what to do, it’s just putting it into action is the tricky part. So, let’s talk money, in tangible terms.

Create a student checking account and a savings account; very basic but often overlooked advice. I know what you’re thinking, this isn’t my first rodeo, I know how a bank works, but stay with me. Student checking accounts often have more perks, like having a custodial feature, so your parents can give you money or you can pay them back for something. The savings account I mentioned would work as an incentive, you want to have your accessible money in your checking account but savings are the bread and butter. You want to see that one grow. Each month you can decide to put away as little as five dollars, the important part is to actually use it and have that money accrue interest.

Next, real world spending is not as easy or as fun as it feels like when you’re burning it so, have a game plan. Going out to the bars? Take cash, because swiping plastic doesn’t feel like you’re spending, but I promise you, the money has to come from somewhere and at the end of the month, and you’ll see that. Only take as much cash as you’re willing to spend on a night out or weekend away. This way you avoid the dreaded overindulgence.

We know where to keep our money and how to spend it, but tracking it is often harder. This is why modern technology comes in for the win, almost every major bank has an online feature and app, which is why we should use them and actually check how much is flying out and what’s trickling in. You don’t want to be the person who gets your card declined paying for your burrito just because you didn’t care enough to check, trust me on this one.

So, since we’ve covered the basics and can semi-navigate through our finances, it’s vital to keep learning about your money and how you can make it work for you. Seek help at your local bank or financial center on campus if you have questions, people you are trusting with your money work for you, so get the most out of it! Remember to enjoy today, but keep an eye on tomorrow.