It’s a classic Catch-22: You have to have credit to get credit. The elusive score determines much of your adult life: not just obtaining loans and credit cards, but also getting a decent apartment, car and even insurance rates. And, just as jealous boyfriends often plague new romantic relationships, companies are weary of putting their precious money on the line for someone who hasn’t yet proven herself trustworthy. Sound dire? Don’t start hiding your money under your mattress just yet – now’s the time to start building credit, and building it right. Here’s how:

1. Establish a checking and savings account.
This is the first step to showing those weary banks that you’re worthy of their trust, and the earlier you do so, the better. Not only will this allow you to start building up a tangible history of what you do with your money, it will get you used to being responsible for what you save and what you spend. (Trust us—it’s a little more difficult to spend $10 on lunch everyday when you have to see it staring you in the face on your bank statement.)