Higher education is expensive, so it makes sense to save as much money as you can prior to college. It also makes sense to think of savings as something that will be a fact of life once you graduate and land a job. How happy will you be when you graduate if you have money stashed away for a car or the deposit on an apartment-rather than being in credit card debt?

What about trying to put a little money aside while attending school?

Learning how to save money while in college helps you build a cash cushion that you can draw on in an emergency. Solid savings habits also help you build confidence in knowing that you control your impulses, rather than letting them control you.

Here are some more tangible benefits. Saving money while attending college can help you:

• Pay for holiday and spring breaks
• Cover costs until you start your summer job or until you start your first job after graduation
• Reduce loan or financial aid requirements for the upcoming semester or school year

Certainly college will be a stimulating learning adventure for you, and one that will require a certain amount of spending. Yet it's also wise to view the experience as a sort of boot camp for practicing productive financial habits. Saving money is one of them.