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Short on funds shouldn't mean you're short on brains. Don't be that guy who has to admit, "I was young; I needed the money." No matter how bad it gets, making one of these poor financial decisions will probably make your situation worse:

• Payday loans: Don’t mortgage your future paycheck by paying exorbitant fees to get your money a few weeks or days earlier.


• Credit card cash advances: Interest rates on cash advances are usually much higher than the credit APR.


• Selling textbooks early: You’re in college for an education to help you make money later in life. Don’t jeopardize that by selling books you will need to succeed in your classes.


• Gambling: Placing bets online or through the campus bookie might be a tempting way to double or even triple your money very quickly. However, the risk you assume is simply not worth it when money is already tight.


• Get-rich-quick scams: There is no shortage of offers that claim to earn you a lot of money in a short amount of time for doing next to nothing. Use common sense—offers that sound too good to be true probably are and should be avoided.

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