Between books, tuition and basic living necessities, it’s hard enough to pay out of pocket and even harder to save money while doing it.

Internships and jobs can barely support a full time student’s daily needs, and many may find themselves forced to live paycheck to paycheck.

This vicious cycle is what ends up leading students to become financially dependent on their parents in the years after school.

That’s what makes this the best time to learn some ways to keep track of what you are spending while also learning to save.

The habits we form at this stage in our lives will follow us as we age. Having control over your spending now will leave you more than well off in years to come.

In the days where everything we could want is available at the touch of a smart phone, of course there is going to be an app to help with all of your financial needs.

Mint is a free app that is designed to be able to sync your bank accounts to your app account, no matter what bank you belong to. From here you can pay your bills, check credit your scores, create goals and track your spending habits.

Mint easily helps you make personal goals and makes a plan for you to aid in your savings.

From here you create different categories for things you spend money on, such as bills, food and transportation, and then include the amount of money you find yourself spending on each thing.

Each week the app compiles your spending habits into an easy-to-read pie chart that will put into perspective how much money you’re spending and where it is going.

With a more visual representation than just the charges on your bank account, it will make you more aware of what you should be cutting down spending on.

The app continues to personalize your account as you can add credit cards, student loan information and even investments. Together this will calculate exactly how your finances are holding up on a day to day basis.

Perhaps the most useful feature of the app is the tap to pay your bills. With so much on your mind throughout the day, it can become easy to forget a bill is due and you may find late fees piling up.

The application not only alerts you when your bank accounts are low and when you have to pay your bills, it also allows you to pay for them within the app. This saves you precious time and money.

From buying a house, leasing an apartment to starting a new business, your bad credit will follow you and make these things difficult. That’s why it is important to start establishing it now.

You can avoid bad credit by paying your bills on time, not getting too close to your credit limit and paying bills in full.

Mint goes a step further and shows you the best credit cards to use so you are able to earn cash back, miles or points towards your favorite items or hot spots.

If you’re curious on other ways to save money, Mint gives great advice through its blog. They constantly post articles about saving money for back to school shopping and easy DIY projects.

The more you save now the easier making the transition out of college will be. To check out more information on Mint visit www.mint.com.