Very first you should have a financial plan or a budget. This tells you how much you make each month and how much you owe. It helps you to make sure you remember to pay your bills and that you have enough money to pay them. This can be a simple piece of paper that has your paydays, how much you got or will get paid, and what bills are due and when.
 Use a checkbook register. Know what money is going in and out of your checking account. Record all of transactions: checks written, debit cards purchases, and online payments made. This tells you when you are out of money. Even if you do your banking online, the register on their may not have had everything clear yet. Don't assume you have money because your account says you do.
 Once you have a budget set out, try spending less than you make. This means that every dollar doesn't have to have a destination before you even get it. It is alright to come out with some money at the end of the month that you didn't spend.
 This extra money should be put in a savings account. If you don't have any savings then you might be hurting if you get a surprise bill. Savings can be a great back up in an emergency.
 Even if you just started in the work force, it is time to start planning for retirement. The further ahead you start planning, the better prepared you will be when the time finally comes.
 Be careful with credit cards. They can be a huge help, but don't get carried away. If you are spending too much money on credit cards then you are going to dig yourself a hole that can be hard to get out of.
 When you are making a big purchase, such as a home or a car, you need to be very careful. If you are buying too old, the repairs might be too much to handle. If you decide to buy brand new then you may be buying way more than you need. Make sure that you are only getting what you can afford, and that it is what you need. Don't go all out and stretch out your finances for the newest and coolest, buy what is most logical for you.
 Be sure that you are watching your credit score. If you get too much debt, your credit score will go down. Also if you aren't making payments on time it will go down too. Also watch for any out of the ordinary activity, which will help you know if your information has been compromised.
 Be actively involved in your finances. If you are always watching and working on making them better then you will be able to set yourself up to be financially stable. You will also be able to catch mistakes in billing and work to correct them, which could save you tons of money.

Knowledge is power, so before you get your finances in a pickle, make sure that you have learned all that you can about personal finances. You will be glad that you took the time, it just might make a world of difference down the road.