Entering the real world? Here’s some advice organizing your finances from the book “How to Survive the Real World” (Hundreds of Heads Books, www.hundredsofheads.com, $13.95), straight from people who’ve done it:

“Budgeting is rough, but be patient. I only eat out once or twice a week, and I make cheap things at home, like mac and cheese, the other days. And I furnish my apartment slowly. It still isn’t all finished, but I haven’t had to feel completely broke, either.”

“Set aside time to do your finances every week. Go to a café. Order your favorite drink. Take 45 minutes to make sure you’ve got everything in order. You will sleep better at night and have more fun when you go out.”

“Use credit cards as emergency only, and stick to that. Don’t shop for everyday items with them; it only gets you into more debt and more trouble. Your credit rating is very important, even when it doesn’t seem so important when you’re young. It can haunt you for a long time after you screw up!”

Beckie, Seattle

“Instead of going on a trip, I took the money I received for graduation and paid off my credit card. They warned us in college about the pitfalls of credit-card debt. I decided that I didn’t want to start out with that hanging over my head. I had one credit card, and I cut it up after I paid it off. That was a good day.”

“Talk with someone about your personal finances. My first year out of college, I had no idea what to do about my taxes. I was lucky, though, because my uncle was able to guide me. For instance, I signed up to make a weekly contribution to United Way through my employer. My contribution is tax deductible. There are computer programs to help you prepare your taxes, but I would recommend you consult someone you trust the first time you do your taxes.”

“When the state says they want their student loan money paid back by a certain time, they mean it. Don’t figure that you’ll be able to skate around that or extend that loan forever. They will get serious on you. I had a hard time finding a good job after college, so I had a hard time paying the loan back. They gave me an extension, but when I fell behind again, they took my entire tax return check one year to get their money. It still wasn’t enough. I made payments to pay it off. Those guys play hardball.”

Hundreds of Heads Books’ survival guides offer the wisdom of the masses by assembling the experiences and advice of hundreds of people who have gone through life’s biggest challenges and have insight to share.