How do y'all manage finance and credit stuff?

hey y’all, I’m an international student from Ghana, been at UB for a year now, and man the financial anxiety hit me hard at first. between tuition, rent by Chippewa Street, food prices, and not having any credit history here, I thought I was gonna be broke forever.

what actually helped:

>i stopped buying stuff just because everyone else was butying, no more impulse orders from Allen Street at 2 AM

>i meal prep and cook in my dorm kitchen (yes, my ramen game improved)

>opened a debit card that reports to credit bureaus & only used it for essential bills (phone, groceries) helps my credit climb without me stressing about missing payments or interest

>got a few campus gigs, even TA hours, to catch up

my credit was in the low 500s when I landed, now it’s up to about 640. not perfect but it feels like I can see daylight now. don’t feel ashamed if you’re behind — small wins add up.

if anyone else here is from abroad or new to US credit stuff, what helped you keep your head above water? Let’s share these hacks cuz UB costs are no joke.