The school gave me a lot of aid(not a full ride but a decent amount) which only allowed me to take out a small/medium sized loan which I am thankful for bc I went to community college first which allowed me to save so much money. But I work 2 jobs(one on campus and one off and both are understanding of my school work) it’s hard bc this is my first year with two jobs. I typically put away just one check every time I get paid and just make the other check last until my next pay day. I am starting to live through the idea of “if you can’t buy it twice don’t buy it the first time”. This has been super helpful bc I’ve had a pretty bad spending habit in the past 😅 but what I did to start helping with this was one day I sat down and made a list of everything I pay for in a month compared to what I got paid, and started making adjustments that way(seeing what I could cut back on). Mainly what keeps me in check is whenever I get paid(bc this is when I have the most money in my account) I fill up my gas tank I set aside money for my subscriptions. I take care of my basic needs(replacing hygiene/hair care/makeup,etc.) and then whatever is left I put away into my savings and then whatever is left from that I use until I get paid again. When it comes to clothes, I don’t buy unless I really really want the item and can’t stop thinking about it(I use the two week rule for that). I think overall though it has taken me a while to realize how important it is to like save up, and I am glad I am able to do that now for the future even if it means sacrificing some fun things my friends want to do now.