<prompt> Human: So, I work a minimum wage job, making 14.5k a year after taxes. I live in an apartment with my girlfriend and 2 other roommates -- rent is 2k a month, but I pay 300 all utilities usually about a total of 450.I pay 40 a month towards a phone I bought last year. I had 0 interest for 12 months, so I paid a little extra this month to bring my balance down to 0 before they start charging me interest. This is the only line of credit I have in my name -- my mom has me listed as an authorized user on her accounts, but I dont have a credit card of my own. Im looking at getting one, though, to maintain a credit history.I also pay a token 10 towards my 8k in student loans -- its not much, but while Im in school full-time the government is paying my interest, so at least its going towards the principal. My mom has promised shes going to pay off my student loans once she sells my childhood home in a year or two.I have a car with 160k miles on it, and I go to school full-time. I commute about 20 miles a day, round-trip. My grades have been suffering because I need to work so much just to make ends meet. Its gotten to the point where I failed all my classes last semester and its looking like Im going to wind up on Academic Probation this semester. This means my financial aid may be denied.I dont know how people do it. My company will match 4 to my 401k, but I cant afford to put money into it. I route 100 a week into a checking account for bills, 10 into a savings account for emergencies, and the rest goes into a checking account for food and general supplies.My financial breakdown looks like this:In: 1,200month 120 - Savings 500 - Bills 580 - CheckingOf the 580: 100 - Gas 100 - Groceries 250 - Work CafeteriaVending MachinesEating Out 130 - SanityFunMiscellaneous Movies, books, video games, birthday presents, haircuts, etc.Actual amounts vary from month to month I get 60 hoursweek easy in the peak season, then fall down to 18 hoursweek if that in the slow season. Usually if things get cut, its in the sanity department.---Im spending a little over 8day on eating out, and I know the obvious answer is that I could make my own lunches to save money. I do that from time to time, but it gets tiring having peanut butter and jelly sandwiches or whatever all day every day, and the food I make at home isnt very filling. Even if I swapped over to completely homemade lunches at work, that would make my grocery bill shoot up a little, but Im not entirely convinced that itll bring my overall spending down all that much -- especially since my girlfriend is usually the one complaining about being hungry, talking me into going out somewhere. We agree to split the tab 5050, but even so, it doesnt help.I want to contribute the 4 a paycheck to my 401k, but thats about 48 a month, which I cant always afford, especially during the slow season when every dollar counts. As I mentioned, I just paid off my phone, so my bills will drop by about 40month next month. That money is currently planned to be moved into my savings account for now. If do wind up getting a new line of credit, Id like to have that extra 40 available to help pay that off. However, if I discover Im 100 sure I can live without it, Id be okay with putting it towards a 401k.Mainly, Im just wondering how on earth Im supposed to make ends meet while saving for the future. I dont even know where to begin to put my life in order, especially when I have school to stress out about.  <response>: 1. Read The Richest Man in Babylon2. Find a new job. 3. Look for additional opportunities to earn.4. Study and graduate.The Richest Man in Babylon is an extremely short book that will teach you the most important financial habits. Read it. Since youre making min wage, you can make that anywhere. So quit your themepark job and find one close enough to home that you can bikewalk to work. BAM! All that gas money is right back in your pocket.Theres money freakin everywhere, man. Your university probably has paid research gigs for you to participate in as a subject, you can teach english to foreign kids via skype, you can even buysell items on Craigslist.The most important thing though is that you graduate because speaking from experience nothing is harder than being a college dropout and trying to live and pay back all those loans. 