Every day we are faced with multiple forms of advertisements. Some are as obvious as billboards in Times Square or mailed catalogs, and some are sneaky as influencers promoting items as “viral products” or logos on designer clothes. The availability of credit cards and payday loans have also facilitated consumption beyond our means. However, passively absorbing all this content and mindlessly swiping our credit cards can lead to financial ruin. As a college student who is terrible with money, I am writing this article to share some money mistakes that I have made along with the best ways to save money.

First, you should get a job to make your own money. Before college, money may have been readily available if your parents gave you an allowance or covered your necessities. Because of this, you may have been misled to believe that money is readily available and we are able to get everything we want or need instantly. As a result, you may undermine the value of money. For instance, when I was younger my parents gave me an allowance so I didn’t have to work and could instead focus fully on my studies. As I came to college and began living on my own, I started an on-campus work-study job. Through my job, I’ve had to sacrifice aspects of my academic and personal life, becoming frustrated when, despite my efforts, money did not stack up in my bank account. Even more alarmingly, I experienced how easily money can be depleted. Although my job came with some unpleasant realizations, by holding a difficult job as a patient care nursing assistant, I established the habit of evaluating if a product is worth the time, stress, and energy that was put in to pay the cost. Holding more responsibility in a setting where you have to deny mere wants will help you realize the true value of money. You will think twice before making a purchase by considering whether there are less costly alternatives and whether you truly need the item under consideration.

I would advise that you have priorities. In other words, be high maintenance to be low maintenance. Although we want to refrain from spending money, this does not mean that we should cut down on everything. For instance, cheap and unhealthy processed foods, refusing health checkups, purchasing cheap and low quality equipment for a business or cutting down the costs of vacation can eventually lead to not only more spending but also a decline in health and well-being, increased conflicts and even danger. For example, by saving on transportation and hotels by settling with low-cost airlines and traveling by foot and public transport, the family vacation that is supposed to be a happy memory can turn into one full of fights, pain, fatigue, frustration and danger, especially in areas that are dangerous to walk around or public transport is not well-developed.

You should keep a record. As we start using credit or debit cards, we lose track of how much money we use and how much we have left. However, the consequences appear in the form of an unbearable credit card bill or a declined debit card. At first, I would justify my purchases by saying that the purchase would not bring impending doom. However, during my sophomore year summer break, I took the time to review my spending records and realized that I have been spending beyond my means. Although some spending was necessary, such as textbooks, fees and food for meal prepping, many of the purchases were impulsive, such as eating out too often, clothes and makeup products that I forgot I purchased and miscellaneous items that were promoted by Amazon or Target. Although I do not make big purchases such as luxury items, the small costs added up to become a huge expense. Moreover, I came to realize that the purchases were mostly driven by stress, which indicated that I had to re-evaluate how I manage my stress. Keeping a written record and visualizing how much money you earn, spend and have left can serve as a wake-up call for you to re-evaluate your behavioral patterns, be more intentional about how you spend your money and refrain from being irresponsible.

Do the research and buy products that are long-lasting and sustainable. As college students, money is short and it is impossible to purchase only high-class items. However, the thought of purchasing low-cost and low-quality items until we have a decent amount of money to splurge can leave us spending more money—especially if the items require frequent repairs and replacements and leave us unsatisfied. Additionally, the waste produced along the way is detrimental to the environment. For instance, trendy fast-fashion clothes or fad products can lead to overconsumption because they become obsolete in such a short time frame. This phenomenon even existed back when I was in kindergarten. Scented pencils were sold on the playground during recess for $5 each. Many people would purchase the item to show off the different scents they got and how many they had. Nevertheless, because I did not have an allowance and my parents did not approve the purchase, I could not purchase them. Although I was frustrated, as time went by, I was glad that I did not fall for the marketing and peer pressure. Pencils are frequently lost, broken and need to be replaced. Also, I can get a dozen No. 2 pencils for the price of one scented pencil.

High price does not mean high quality. When it comes to luxury designer brands, the quality and the cost of resources and labor are not the only factors that determine the cost. Many high-end products are aimed at those who want to show off, not those that are rich. The primary marketing tactic these brands use is to appeal to exclusivity and the experience of being the “special ones.” You may be familiar with the Hermes Birkin bag—the bag Logan gave to Rory as a gift in The Gilmore Girls. To purchase Hermes Birkin bags, customers have to establish a membership with the store by purchasing their other products. After that, they must appeal to the seller about the admiration they have towards the brand by dressing up and demonstrating knowledge about it. Once getting approved, they do not have the option to choose size, color or price and have to wait for two to four years in order to receive their product. To make matters worse, Hermès is notorious for burning and discarding products that are not sold or poorly made. This practice is so detrimental to the environment that Jane Birkin, whom the bag is named after, refused to have her name on the bag. Such marketing tactics appeal to the public by alluding to the rarity of the object, so people view it as a piece of art that only the few chosen ones can own rather than as a bag. Although it is understandable to want to look rich and fancy, these bags are very cost-inefficient options for those who cannot afford them. These people may end up “courting” the product—protecting them from wear and tear—rather than actually using them.

Money does not grow on trees nor do we find money by digging in our backyard. We have a limited amount of it, and the time it takes to deplete it is far less than the time it takes to earn it. For this reason, we have to know how to value our money, spend it reasonably, keep in mind the future and not have other people, such as family, payday loans or the government, take over the responsibility of cleaning up our mess.