Credit cards can be dangerous. They’re great to have for in case of emergency, but it’s important to resist the temptation of have now and pay later for nonessential things. And, that applies to the things you need as well. You may need a laptop, but do you really need the top of the line, fastest model money can buy?

Building up unnecessary debt won’t help you when it comes time to buy a new car or a house. Letting the debt sit and build interest while you make the minimum payments during the time you are in college is going to be very expensive. Working the extra hours to pay that debt while in school will hurt your grades.

Conserve your cash with smart spending. Make a budget and use it well. Bargain shop and eat in. Consider weighting your cash outlays towards durables – stuff you’ll actually have for a while, not like beer, and get some long-term benefit out of.

Coming out of college with the least amount of debt possible will help smooth the transition into the real world. Learning good spending habits now will help ensure that you’ll be able to finance your future.

For more on college finance, check out the College Finance section at College Crunch.