What students new to personal finance can do to save some money

Buy your textbooks from discount Web sites. Textbooks can be very expensive, especially if you buy them from your campus bookstore. Consider purchasing your books from discount Web sites such as Amazon.com or Half.com . It saves you the hassle of waiting in line for books on the first day of class, and saves you a lot of money. Split your bills with your roommates if you live in an apartment. Make a financial plan you can all agree on to pay your bills every month.

Split the bills equally among all of you. This way you re all paying an equal amount, and the plan will keep everyone on a schedule. If you have a job at school, take money out of each paycheck and put it in a savings account. You won t be tempted to spend all of your money, and you will always have some extra spending money for fun or when you really need it. Make sure you can access your bank account at school.

When moving from your hometown, check to see what banks are in the area of your school. By opening a local bank account, you can easily cash and deposit checks and might be able to avoid surcharge fees at ATMs. Keep track of your money. Keep a log of deposits and purchases, especially from checks and debit cards. Even though your bank may track this electronically, it s good practice for you to personally manage your funds. Plus, transactions might not go through as soon as you make them.

Having a hard copy is always a good idea.