One of my earliest experiences with a bank was horrible. No, I didn't try to rob it. Actually, I'm not even talking about the local First National. I'm talking about a small kiddie bank shaped like a globe and covered with yellow continents and baby-blue oceans. I got my tongue stuck in it. Don't roll your eyes and mutter, "What a dork." I was only 5 at the time.

I was at my grandma's house with my cousins Gregg, Doug, Pammie and Rhonda. Gregg handed me the bank and said, "Hey, stick your tongue in that slot." Twelve-year-old Gregg was the oldest and wisest of my four cousins. I'd do about anything he told me to do.

"Chris, eat grass. It's good for cows, so it must be good for you."

"Sure, Gregg, anything you say. ..."

Anyway, back to the bank. I didn't get my whole tongue in the slot. Even at 5, my tongue wasn't that tiny. I just got the tip of it stuck. I think it was Pammie who gave the globe a tug and proclaimed, "Yep, it's stuck!" I bawled. Gregg laughed uncontrollably.

Grandma came in the room and brought order to the chaos. She somehow pried the slot wide enough for my tongue to flop back into my mouth.

I've moved on to bigger and better banks since then, and I learned a great lesson along the way: Every little bit counts. The more money you put toward your education now, whether it's pennies in a piggy bank or thousands in savings, the less you'll have to worry about when it comes time to pay for school.

And as you think about saving for college, I'd recommend reading our interview with three financial aid pros ("The Bucks Start Here"). They've got a lot of good things to say about financing your future education. I'd also suggest checking out all the other great cash-saving tips you'll find throughout this issue. Trust me, I know what I'm talking about. Hey, I'm no dork, right?

Chris and your friends @ Campus Life