If you disagree with everything I just said, you probably don’t need this column. But if you’re nodding along because you’re officially an adult and still don’t know how to manage your money, then you might want to pay attention every week, because I’m going to (try to) get you through this, and make you a successful saver and a wise spender.]

I’ve been writing a lot about how to manage your money in bank accounts and with credit and debit cards. That’s the tricky stuff. As poor students, we are good at finding bargains and at least trying to make our money go a long way. That said, it’s easy to fall into certain traps when what we think is a good “deal” comes our way…and we end up paying dearly. Here are some scams to avoid in order to really save some dough.

1. Gym Memberships.

Beware of whatever type of deal a gym is trying to pitch to finagle you into joining. Why? Because they are probably lying. Okay, I’m bitter about this one. I needed to join a new gym at home for a couple of months, so I signed up for free guest passes at all the gyms in my area so I could work out for free and not buy anything. Next thing I knew, a Bally’s rep was selling me a special offer: $25 a month for a membership that I could transfer anywhere. He told me that if I got back to school and didn’t want to make the trek to the nearest Bally’s, I could freeze my membership for $4 a month, and when i started using their clubs again, I could continue to pay the dirt cheap fee.

The reality? Only the first transfer would be free, so I’d be paying in the future for every new Bally’s I tried to switch to; the “freeze” thing didn’t exist, and I was forced to pay the monthly fee even though I wasn’t working out; I’m stuck in a year contract, and now I have an express hatred for Bally Total Fitness Clubs. Needless to say: gyms are definitely places to read the fine print.

2. Anything That’s “Buy More and Save.”

Ultimately, you’re going to spend more money on things you don’t need. Shopping for a tank top and got suckered in by a “Buy nine and get one free” deal? Sure, you got a free top out of it, but you had to pay for NINE to get there. Even BOGO can sucker punch you, because if you think about it, you’re still spending 25% more than you initially hoped to spend. If you wanted a $20 pair of heels from Payless, and buy a second $20 pair just for the bargain, you’re still only saving $10, but spending $10 more than you wanted to. It’s a “is the glass half-full or half-empty” type of scenario.

3. Those Crazy “8 CDs for a Penny Each” Companies

This one might be outdated, now that we have iTunes and millions of way to pirate music off the internet. But with Christmas just around the corner, you might think you can do all of your holiday shopping for 8 cents. Of course, once you’ve collected your next-to-free discs, you’re going to have to pay full price plus shipping and handling for like eight more CD’s over the next year. When you forget about it because you’re busy sharing music with your roommate, you’ll get slapped with a bill for the cost of those CDs… you know, the ones you never actually bought but still have to pay for.

4. Top Shelf Booze.

If you’re a real liquor connoisseur, then you probably don’t need to read these articles, because you can afford $10 and up for a shot of Cabo Wabo or Grey Goose. But if you’re like the rest of the Keystone-chugging collegiate world, you know that you’ll sacrifice quality for quantity. Of course, your food and beverage servers want your tab to be higher so that you’ll tip them more. If they ask if you want top shelf, say no. In a few drinks you’ll be so drunk you don’t even know what you’re tasting. If they don’t ask, specify house. If house wine is $5 a glass and you just order a Chardonnay, the waitress can always bring you the $9 glass and say “Oh, it’s our featured wine, I thought you’d like it.” To put things in perspective: If you buy 3 glasses of $9 wine, it’s $27, and you should be tipping about $5. If you buy 3 glasses of $5 house wine, however, it’s only $15, you tip 3, and you save over $10- which could buy you a bottle at the liquor store.

5. Gas at Gas Stations Right Off the Highway.

Everyone knows the prices are jacked up. It’s because if you’re roadtripping and on empty, you’ll pull over, no matter what the cost. An easy solution? Fill up your tank whenever you pass a station with a good deal. The way gas prices fluctuate these days, you’ll save a fortune. And you’ll never go below half a tank, so you’ll get better mileage per gallon, and avoid having to get ripped off in times of need. Besides, you’ll be spending gas money in smaller intervals, rather than $50 or more in one stop to fill your whole tank.

If you disagree with everything I just said, you probably don’t need this column. But if you’re nodding along because you’re officially an adult and still don’t know how to manage your money, then you might want to pay attention every week, because I’m going to (try to) get you through this, and make you a successful saver and a wise spender.]

Last week, I discussed the pros and cons of both credit and debit cards. One risk I run when using my credit card is letting my spending get a little out of control. When you rack up a hefty credit card bill, you essentially lose money, because with every month that goes by that you haven’t managed to clear the balance, the more fees get tacked on to your current statement.

As college students, large bills can easily get out of control, and I know I have often felt like I was drowning in bill payments. After all, most of us can’t work full-time or even well-paying jobs, and if we have a huge exam or a paper on the horizon, we may force ourselves to cut back our hours, and likewise, our weekly income.

If you have hundreds (or even– eek! thousands) of dollars in credit card bills looming over your head, sometimes a credit card balance transfer (to a zero interest card) is just what the doctor ordered. But is it worth it, and should you do it?

To transfer your credit card balance, all you need is a new card. This can be helpful, because there are tons of cards out there that offer no interest for the first six months. Whatsmore, there are options available for credit cards that don’t even charge for a balance transfer! Sounds like Christmas came early!

When I was in trouble with my Chase credit card balance, I applied for an interest-free (to start) Capital One Rewards card. Once that card got approved, I was ready to transfer my balance. I simply entered the information from my first card (my account number and the Chase business office address), and let Capital One do the rest. It took about a week, but my entire Chase balance was transferred to my Capital One card. Think of it as using a credit card to pay for another.

Almost every credit card company offers balance transfers. Why? Because if you spend with them, they are more likely to get more of your money. And if you are so financially distraught that you need a credit card to bail you out yet again, there’s a chance that sooner or later you do end up paying interest again, but a different company is collecting.

The good news? You can usually transfer other outstanding balances, including STUDENT LOANS, to your new credit card.

The bad news? You have to be careful. Make sure there is no charge to transfer your balance, so you’re not surprised if a fee shows up on your latest statement. You also have to check your old credit card statement, because you are still expected to make your minimum payments until the balance transfer has completely cleared. That is, don’t get slapped with a hidden late charge because you don’t think you have to worry about the first card anymore.

Most importantly, don’t make balance transfer a habit! If you keep playing hopscotch and bouncing from one card to the next, you’re going to put yourself in even more debt, and possibly hurt your credit rating. Choose a time that’s good for you to transfer the balance (e.g. the beginning of a school vacation, when you know you’re going to work your ass off when you’re not in class and actually save some money for once), and vow to pay off the balance before the new card starts charging you interest.

Need more info on balance transfers? These sites can help:

BankRate.com’s 5 Balance Transfer Trip-Ups

BankRate.com’s Tips to Find a Good Balance Transfer Deal

CreditCard.com’s Search for Balance Transfer Options That are Best for You

What is a Credit Card Balance Transfer? On WiseGeek.com

If you disagree with everything I just said, you probably don’t need this column. But if you’re nodding along because you’re officially an adult and still don’t know how to manage your money, then you might want to pay attention every week, because I’m going to (try to) get you through this, and make you a successful saver and a wise spender.]

Everytime you whip out the plastic at the grocery store, liquor store, or gas station, the cashier asks automatically, “Credit or Debit?” It’s a simple enough question, though to many, it may be redundant. I mean, who cares what type of card it is as long as it buys you a pack of smokes, a 30-pack, or a week’s worth of Ramen Noodles?

There are a lot of pros and cons to using both credit cards and debit cards, and many people adamantly side with one form of plastic or another, much like people adamantly side with either Obama or McCain. Personally, I’m a debit kind of girl. My brother, on the other hand, swears by credit. What gives?

A debit card is like your plastic checkbook. You might not need cash in your hand, but you need to have the funds in your bank account to make a purchase. A credit card, however, lets you splurge now and pay later– even in small monthly increments. In this case, the credit card may SEEM like it has its advantages, because you can pay for your spring break trip now, and spend the next three months waiting tables to pay for it.

But beware: the reason I personally prefer to use my debit card is because it prevents me from racking up thousands of dollars in CC charges, since it doesn’t feel like I’m spending MY money. For me, I’d rather balance my checking account daily, and say, “Ok, that’s $20 here and $40 there,” and always know what I have left. A credit card bill, to me, is like a tacky Christmas gift from your wacky aunt; you never think it’s going to be THAT bad, but when the big day rolls around… gag. I always think I’m on top of the world with a few hundred dollars locked away in the bank… then I get a 2K credit card bill, and it’s like I’ve been robbed at the end of each billing cycle.

Another thing to be wary of when using your credit card is the interest rate. Sure, there’s no hurry to pay off the last five bar tabs you’ve racked up on credit… but the longer you wait, the more you’re spending on nothing at all. The appeal of many credit cards is gimmicks like “No Interest for Six Months,” which is fine and dandy for six months… and then suddenly, you’re paying off the minimum balance each month and see the current balance rise nonetheless.

On the other hand, debit cards can smack you with hidden fees as well. Debit cards come in handy when you need cash- via ATMs or cash-back with purchase, but you’re bound to be paying a fee on your purchases, or on your withdrawals from foreign ATMs. You know how you have to accept the $2.00 charge when using a foreign ATM? These days, a lot of banks charge an additional service charge for using another bank’s withdrawal services. LAME.

Another thing I do hate about debit cards is that sometimes it can take a few days for your purchases to go through to your account. That means that if you went shopping yesterday, and check your account today, you might think you have more money than you do. Bars and restaurants can sometimes cause trouble because it takes longer for the tip to go through than the food/beverage purchase. This is rather inconvenient, and unless you balance your debit card account like you do your checkbook, it can be easy to overdraw or bounce a check if you aren’t aware of the charges that have yet to go through. Which brings me to another flaw of the debit card system…

If you overdraw or bounce a check, you will pay very, very dearly. I don’t balance my purchases like a checkbook, but I do check my balance every day. So, when my balance seemed to stay the same for a few days, I figured all of my purchases had gone through (I’d gotten pretty wasted the week before and didn’t know how much I spent at the bar, so I had to wait for the bad news). I went on spending again, and the day before my direct deposit went through, I discovered that not only had I overdrawn, but that I was being fined nearly $20 for EACH individual purchase that was over my limit. WTF? If you’re above your limit with a credit card it gets declined, but I guess banks just want to trick you into thinking you’ve got the funds if your card is approved, so that they can collect on your own irresponsible stupidity.

Now that I’ve given you the lecture on responsibility, let’s get to the perks. The reason we all want a credit card: the bonus points! Just about every major corporation has its own credit card these days, and for every dollar you spend, you get some sort of reward (Starbucks cards, 10% off at Target, airline miles, etc.). Some banks have recently started rewarding their clients with cashback points on debit purchases, too, but this is a relatively low-paying perk, at least in the realm of Poor Studentsville. My debit purchases are never as outlandish as my credit purchases, so I’ve only been getting petty change rewards so far.

If you think you can handle a credit card, and not run your financial reputation into the ground, maybe a credit card’s for you. However, if you like to only spend what you’ve got, stick with debit. It’s still a good idea to have both forms of plastic, but I don’t recommend filling every slot in your wallet with a different credit card. That’s just asking for trouble, especially when you’re on a budget, like many of us are.

If you want to find the perfect credit card, and really weigh all of the perks that come along with plastic, check out CreditCards.com. You can search and cross-reference a plethora of cards, until you find one that will reward you well. Happy spending, kids!