So You Graduated College: How Do You Afford...Anything?

You did it! You took classes covering everything from ancient Mesopotamia and Punnett squares to interpretive dance and astronomy. You’re going to march out of that graduation ceremony and right into your dream job, right? Was that a scoff I heard? We’ve all been there. While there are thousands of tips and tricks on how to survive this stage in life, here are a few to really get you started:

Start at the bottom.

It's less stressful to find a job when you already have a job. And yes...this may mean the ‘odd’ jobs through organizations like shiftgig. Cash money can help pay the bills while giving you time to find that dream job (which you should totally not give up on).

Don’t ignore your bank account.

In fact, I suggest going full-tilt in the opposite direction. Keep track of your finances and budget in a DIY color-coded Google sheet, or download easy-to-use apps like Mint and Pocketguard. Seriously, these are game changers.

Make coupon-clipping cool again.

No one's saying to stop buying things altogether, but you can start buying things cheaper. Even your favorite brands and designers have discounts; start paying attention to when they have big sales, or search Groupon Coupons for secret promo codes.

Get money back when you dine out.

Groupon has a card-linked cashback feature (that’s right, no voucher needed) that can help you save on every cup of coffee and every date night.

Learn about compounding interest.

Whether it’s a Roth IRA or a savings account with high interest rates, it’s an easy way to put away $20/month that will turn into much, MUCH more in the future. Nerd Wallet did a cool little post that explains how to start. Hang in there!