As far as TV goes, if you're even remotely close to a major metropolitan area, don't bother with cable. Set up the rabbit ears and get the broadcast networks. I'm between apartments at the moment, but at my old place (which I lived at for 3 years), we got broadcast cable service for $16 a month. Great picture for nice and cheap. With the exception of Spongebob, Iron Chef, The Osbornes, and Jackass, I can't think of anything I would've liked to watch on cable over the past few years.
Contrary to what's being said here, I'd reccomend having a credit card for car repairs and other emergency big-ticket purchases. It's not hard to refrain from using it for useless crap when you understand that having a maxed-out card can cost you hundreds of dollars in interest alone. If you find yourself repeatedly buying groceries or paying bills with it, cut the bitch up and re-evaluate your priorities.
Start a savings account. Put stuff like tax returns, bonus paychecks, and cash birthday gifts in there and don't touch it unless you really need it. If you run out of money and can't pay your electric bill, tuition, rent, or anything else, you'll be incredibly relieved that you have that money in savings. If you're getting ready to move somewhere else, having that bundle of money for start-up costs is great.
I managed to live the easy life for 3 years off of a part-time job making $7 an hour. It's all about making sacrifices and cutting corners whenever possible.
