My career began with an internship that paid me a stipend after my nine-month tour was through. What did it teach me about money? That it's easy to spend that cash a million times over in your head. But when the check comes, $2,000 doesn't buy much more than a new bed (one does not want to sleep on a broken, hand-me-down futon forever) and an initial deposit in a Roth IRA.

Just think about the interns who work in financial services. They must learn a lot about managing money considering they work around it every day, right?

Austin Kane, 22, a University of St. Thomas senior majoring in financial management, is an intern with Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance's Minnetonka office.

Here's his money story:

Q: What were you like when it comes to handling your money before you started your internship?

Q: How did having an internship teach you about managing money responsibly?

Austin Kane, Northwestern Mutual Life Intern

Q: Some internships don't pay very well. Any strategies for being able to take that unpaid or poorly paid internship and not get into debt?

Q: If your internship is well-paying, what should you do with the money?

Q: Many companies have dozens of interns that come in as a group. I imagine there's a lot of nights out that can get expensive? Do you have any suggestions on how to stick within a budget and still have fun?

Q: Can any internship teach you about saving and spending wisely?

So what did an internship teach you about managing money?