By Dawn Papandrea

Dawn Papandrea is a freelance writer, blogger, and editor specializing in personal finance, parenting, women’s lifestyle & more. Dawn blogs via Contently.com.

We actually do a lot more than seven dumb things, but here are some of the biggest culprits when it comes to money mismanagement. Read carefully, and get smarter.

Applying for too much credit. When you’re young and everyone and their mother is offering you a credit card, you go for it. It’s hard to walk away from 15% off your first purchase in all of your favorite retail stores just for applying for credit, right? But you need to do just that — walk away! Having credit is good, but too much credit (especially if you have balances on multiple accounts) is a dangerous thing. Plus, if you’re planning any major purchases in the near future, all of those credit applications will reflect negatively on your credit score.

Not paying bills on time. Look, sometimes people fall on hard times, the kind in which you have to choose between buying medicine or paying the electric bill. On the other hand, not paying your bills because you simply forgot or were too lazy to sit down and do it is just plain dumb. It will cost you. Take a couple of hours to set up automatic payments and/or email and text alerts for when bills are due. No more excuses!

Giving to bogus charities. Your heart is in the right place when someone asks for a donation and you offer one, but make sure you know where your cash is going. Be leery of over-the-phone or door-to-door pleas for money.

Mismanaging checking accounts. Do you balance your checkbook? Do you even know what your checking balance is right now? If you guessed, would you be in the ballpark? If not, expect some bounced checks along the way. And that will result in steep bank fees.

Shop without looking at price tags. It’s nice to pretend money’s no object once in a while, but that’s really not the case. Do you compare prices at the supermarket? Do you follow sales patterns, or wait for things to go on sale before purchasing? Have you thought about using coupons?

Spending beyond your means. Do you handle your credit responsibly? The good intentions were there when you bought that huge flat-screen TV, but the windfall you were expecting to pay off the credit card bill didn’t come through. Or a car emergency popped up unexpectedly. All of a sudden, that TV is costing you a ton over time.

Developing foolish daily spending habits. Treating yourself to a latte once in a while is fine. Same deal as jumping in a cab to save having to wait for the bus on a cold day when you’re fighting the sniffles. But don’t get too used to little luxuries or they could end up becoming an additional monthly expense.

So ‘fess up — how many of these dumb things have you done? Don’t worry, we’ve all been there. Consider this your reminder to wise up, and spend smarter.