Within a half-mile radius of campus, restaurants and cafes sing a siren song to unwary Longhorns: “Bevo Bucks accepted here.” Take that UT ID out of your pocket, look at your horrible orientation photo and tell yourself, ‘No.’

Be warned. That card is loaded with 1,800 Dine In Dollars and 200 Bevo Bucks, and they are not the same. Spending Bevo Bucks with wild abandon will put you in a sticky spot later in the year. Save yourself some pain by educating yourself on how to ration your Bucks.

Consider your printing needs

One vital usage of Bevo Bucks is printing. At 10 cents a page for black and white and 50 cents a page for color, you obviously won’t need all 200 Bucks for printing. However, if you spend $190 on Whataburger and red solo cups from CVS during the first month of the semester, you are setting yourself up for a panic attack at the PCL when you’re printing off an essay 15 minutes before class and your account is empty. Be better — Bevo better.

Stay off Guad when you’re broke and hungry

Okay, so you might not be able to do this. After all, the Holy Trinity of college existence is broke, hungry and tired. Even so, don’t let being perpetually broke and hungry be your undoing as you stroll down the Drag. Potbelly Sandwich Shop, Austin’s Pizza, Dunkin’ Donuts … It’s all very tempting, especially when you’ve had the sort of day where you overslept, bombed a paper and fell down the stairs with your coffee. Fight the temptation and go to J2. They’ve got fries and dessert all the time, and they take Dine In Dollars.

Keep your eyes peeled for loopholes

Knowing how and where to treat yourself is important. Keep in mind there are several places on campus that can fulfill your sweet tooth with Dine In Dollars. Campus coffee shops located in or near residence halls are often a good bet for sweets and coffee that don’t break the Bevo bank. Cypress Bend Cafe near San Jacinto Residence Hall and Kins Coffee inside Kinsolving Residence Hall are a few places serving up freshly made and brand-name foods and drinks all available for Dine In Dollars.

Pace yourself

The main thing to remember about Bevo Bucks is that they are a marathon, not a sprint. Find a way to make the 200 Bucks last so you can fill your printing, sweet tooth and hunger cravings throughout the year. Or else, be prepared to spend 20 minutes explaining to your mom what exactly Bevo Bucks are and why you burned through 200 of them.