<prompt> Human: So as the title says I will be turning 18 soon in December. I am planning on applying for a credit card to start building a good credit score but Im not sure what would be the best option. Also I wanted to know what are some good financial skills to start learning as I will be attending College next year and will be living on my own. I guess what Im looking for is some advice on how to handle money as an adult. I know the biggest one already, budgeting but what else should I know about managing finances? Sorry if this post seems weird, this is my first post ever so thanks to anyone that replies, anything helps.  <response>: If you can, use a credit union instead of a commercial bank. They usually have better rates and customer service.Get a free checking account with no minimum balance. Ignore checking accounts that pay interest but charge fees. Unless you have a large amount of money in the account the interest will not be as much as the fees.Most checking accounts come with a free savings account. Put a small amount in the savings account that you will not touch. Then make sure to set up your savings account to cover any overdrafts on your your checking account. This is not set up by defaultIf you choose to use a debit card, make sure you set it up to block overdrafts. This will block transactions that will overdraw your bank account. This is not set up by default...My daughters first credit card had a 250 limit. She only used it to purchase gas and paid it off every month. She raised the limit slowly as she earned more money but she still pays it off each month.I use credit cards for everything, but I never carry a balance. Using the card allows me to track every penny I spend without having to keep a written record or having to carry cash.If you use a credit card, make sure it is set up to block any transaction that will put you over your limit. This will prevent over limit fees and penalties...You can also get a prepaid card that you pre-load with cash. So you cant overdraw it and you dont pay interest. There are fees associated with the card, they vary...While you are in college youre going to receive a lot of credit card offers. Dont accept any credit card that has an annual fee or a high interest rate. Ignore the introductory rate, look at the standard rate after the introductory period... Regardless of what kind of card you choose, you should have the option to have text and email alerts. Some have daily spending alerts, maximum balance alerts, payment due reminders, late payment alerts etc. These allow you to keep track of your account so that you can avoid problems before they occur. Use them...Carrying cash is fine if you dont want to deal with credit. But it is more difficult to keep track of your spending habits. 