<prompt> Human: Hey Reddit, I need some help in making some big financial decisions. So my parents have kept me financially afloat all my life. Taking them out of the equation I have enough money to last me until New Years Day rent included for January. Before then my goals are to take some college classes and make some friends there, take control of my financial future, and to get employed. Never done any of those before. Ive never been responsible for my own credit cards, my parents have always looked after that. My credit score is 716 yay thank you mom dad!. I do want to forge my own path from here on out though, but doing that scares me. What are my options at this point financially for college? Is canceling my credit cards I have 2-4 of them I think but keeping one of them for me to monitor and use wise? Should I be doing something else completely? I could ask my parents for money at anytime, thats how its always been, but I want out of that cycle. Ive just never known any other. I could use some help getting on the right foot as I try to be a better at this.  <response>: Congrats on taking charge of your life.The first thing you need to do is write out what you want to accomplish. Then write out what you need to do to get there. This is your road map.You will need to get a job. To get a job, you need a resume and cover letter. There are many websites that have examples that you can base yours on. You will need to look for job postings; they can be found in the news paper, websites, and on site. If you are planning on going to school see below, then you will aim for a job that is more flexible. Your first job will normally suck in every possible way, it is expected. You mentioned college. Where you go with this is determined by what you want to do with your life. If you can manage it, try to do without loans. Graduating without loans puts you far ahead of many people, and it grants you a greater freedom after school. To do this, you will need to make money and minimize costs. Think hard about what you want to do in college, try to minimize the number of empty credits you take. You are paying for your education, make the most of it. Talk to the financial aid office and a counselor to get some guidance on a good path. You need to think about what you can do and what you want to do with your life before just jumping in.You mentioned credit cards. Do you have a bank account? If not, get one. Then tie your credit cards to your online bank account so that you can set up automatic payments and keep track of all of your money. I would set up one recurring bill on each card. Each card gets paid in full automatically via your bank account. If you dont know how to do this, talk to your bank, they can set it up and show you how. Now all but one card should be put away. Keep only one card on you for purchases that are in your budget see below. You can keep track of this via mint.com, youneedabudget.com, or several others. It is very important not to get into credit card debt, it will set you back. When you get a job, get direct deposit if they offer it. You should have a checking and savings account. Usually you will need direct deposit to avoid fees in the checking account, and automatic transfer into your savings. You will need to set up an emergency fund as well. This may take a while as you will likely not be making much extra money after bills and school.You should definitely talk to your parents after working out a road map. They may be able to help you get on your way properly.Good luck with your future! 