You want to stop using credit cards for the purpose of making the occasional payment, and then gradually make your spending habits into a long-term investment plan.

You want to reduce the amount of credit cards you have in your budget, so that you are not constantly using one just to pay your bills. This is also a smart exercise to do while you are studying the course you are going to take.

Avoid putting all your eggs in one basket.

The reason I have put such a big emphasis on this is because I know what is going on when you use credit cards to pay your bills. If you start putting all your eggs in one basket, you will soon end up with no money left for other expenses.

Keep a log of the transactions you are making, and the amount of money you have saved towards your savings goal.

This will help you to figure out how much you needed, and how much you could save further.

Keep a monthly budget

You can set up a money budget so you can see your progress towards your savings goals, and not make it too hard to keep track of money you invest in a long-term portfolio.

If you have not planned this out, it is a good idea to work out how much money you have saved and how much you have spent on everyday needs, and the average cost of living.

This will help you determine if you have enough money to fund an extended period of saving.

Start a budget diary

If you don't plan for money to grow, you will have a hard time keeping track. By keeping a diary of how you spend your money, you will be able to get an idea of your progress towards your savings goals. You will also be able to better plan, for example, how much you will require to cover basic daily needs when you start studying.

Create a daily budget

One of the best financial planners I know, Michael Porter, has a fantastic blog called Everyday Money, where he goes over all your money things. His budget diary is great for this, as it shows how the average cost of living affects your spending. If you want to dig deeper into the financial planning part of it, you can read a detailed summary over here.
