The balancing act: I was tired of being a tight-wad, but was my new way much better?(My Life On Campus)

I'm such an extremist when it comes to money.

During most of my life, I've totally prided myself in scrimping and saving to the extreme.

Throughout junior high, I actually lived on my one-dollar-a-week allowance. It was a challenge to keep to that dollar budget, but I prided myself on having a few pennies left at the end of the month. I know, it sounds over the top. But that's just how I am!

High school was a lot like junior high. I had a little more spending money, yet spent little of it. I prided myself in skipping fun stuff with friends so that I could stash the cash in my savings account.

I took those money habits to college. I kept …