So you’re just finished your exams and graduated. Congratulations! You have worked so hard to get to this point. You may be taking a gap year to travel the world, or to find a job that will help you pay off some of your student debt. Unless of course, you’re one of the fortunate ones who landed themselves a very lucrative job straight out of university. Kudos to you! To those of you who don’t fall into that camp, I’m sharing with you finance tips I wish I knew!
Finance Tips I Wish I Knew
Savings
First up we have savings, which I know is not the sexiest of things. Or is it? Picture yourself a year from now buying your car. Or, you have saved enough to move out on your own in rented accommodation. Alternatively, you may just want to buy yourself the most amazing mattress, because you realise the importance of a comfy bed after a night out. Now tell me that saving isn’t sexy 😊.
Saving isn’t always about buying ‘stuff’, no matter how pretty those Jimmy Choos are, it really is about you thinking long-term. This is where I wish I knew these finance tips, so pay attention.
You won’t be 21 forever and at some point, there’ll be thoughts of owning your own home and having enough to retire on. Hate to break it to you but the government won’t be helping with pensions, so it means you will need to consider creating your own. There’s nothing cute about being 75 and still having to hustle to pay rent.
If having your own place is a dream of yours then start putting aside money now. It could be as little as £20 a month into an ISA, or savings account that you don’t get to withdraw from easily.
Insurance
Most of us don’t think about this until it is too late. I was fortunate enough to be raised in a country where having insurance was the norm. So, for those of you who don’t think it’s important, you might need to rethink that. For example, let’s say you’re sharing a flat with some friends and you just got yourself some state of the art laptop, with an external hard drive. What do you think will happen if, one of your roommates broke said equipment that you paid thousands for? Or what if that equipment is part of your start up business?
Sticking with insurance, there’s also life insurance you can consider. No, I’m shortening your life here or being morbid, I’m thinking of how this can support you should you be injured and unable to earn an income.
To recap my finance tips. Think long-term and not only about instant gratification. Whilst those killer heels may go with that cute dress, a great night sleep every night will help you reap the benefits all the time. Secondly, saving is sexy because having your needs met when you retire is hot! Finally, safeguarding what earns you money will keep you in good standing.
So are there any finance tips you wish you knew then, that you know now?
