The thousands of college grads heading out on their own for the first time this month will have a harder time "learning to make ends meet" than the Class of 2007. Taking responsibility for personal financial management for the first time is always a challenge, but with gas and grocery prices and rents at unprecedented levels, it's even more difficult and more critical to get off on the right foot. One recent grad turned his experiences into a new online service to encourage good money management habits and provide tools and tips to people just starting out.

"I left both home and college at 19, for a summer job in California with an internet start up. That was the summer of 2000, during the dot-com boom, and apartments were scarce. I paid $1,700 a month for a one-bedroom - which was hard to afford at a $21/hour job, I can tell you." said Aaron Patzer, who has since founded Mint.com. "It wasn't until I got to the apartment that I realized: I have no furniture, no power, no connection to the outside world. Just a roof over my head. I don't think I had really appreciated how many things my parents had taken care of, and paid for, until that day."

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