A $5 latte could end up costing you $35 if you don’t watch your debit card expenses carefully. Basically, a debit card works like a check. Except every time you use it, you’re immediately taking money out of your account. That’s why when you overdraw, it’s like bouncing a check, only worse. Because unlike checks, you probably don’t keep a record of every debit card purchase. And banks charge penalties of up to $30 for each item! You might make a bunch of small purchases before you realize you’ve spent more than you have. Then that $30-fee doubles, triples or even quadruples in a matter of hours!

So before you put that soda or coffee purchase on a debit card, make sure you have enough money in your account to cover it. Or you can talk to your bank about ways to avoid overdraft fees: