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 M¢37  Funded By Mahalo ? |  October 04, 2009 08:46 PM

What are some smart ways to start saving money for a recent college graduate?

I am a college student and want to identify a smart way to start saving money. Can you recommend some things I should think about and/or investment opportunities I should consider (e.g. 401k, Roth IRA, etc) and how to decide where to start?
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October 05, 2009 03:36 AM
Start a savings account at a credit union. They will give you good rates, with very few fees. You might also want to look into online savings accounts, such as those available through ING, because they also have high yields.

A Roth IRA is a good investment, but if your employer will also contribute to your 401k, you may want to start with that, since the employer contribution is free money (do check, though, on what their policies are, because sometimes you have to work there for a certain number of years before they consider their contribution "vested"--i.e. you get to keep it when you leave).

Keep on living like a broke college kid as long as you can. Get (or keep) a roommate (or two, or three), drive your old clunker, eat cheap, and maintain a rigid budget. The worst thing new graduates do to themselves is get overly enthusiastic about their new paychecks, and start accumulating so many expenses (rent, car payments, cable, etc) that they are soon spending every penny they get. They end up living paycheck to paycheck because they keep on inflating their lifestyle to fit their salary.

A few other tips:

1. If you get paid every other Friday rather than twice a month (26 pay periods per year rather than 24), consider those two "extra" checks automatic savings. Don't touch them.
2. Pay yourself first: put money into your savings account the first day you get paid, rather than at the end of the pay period. You won't miss it if you never have a chance to spend it.
3. Give yourself a set amount of "fun money" in cash every month. Once it's gone, it's gone. No going for the plastic.
4. Make debt pay-off a priority: 50% of your expenses should be needs (home, food), 30% or less wants (clothes, fun money), and 20% or more paying off debts and long-term savings. Keep cutting until 50% meets all your needs.
5. Use free stuff: get a library card, check online for free events in your neighborhood, have fun at home.


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October 04, 2009 09:13 PM
Starting a savings account will be good. See how much you can save in an year. Debt free living must be your first preference. If you have debt, you will be paying high rates of interest which is like throwing out money. So, if you can afford to live without debt free as a student and can have some left over money, then I will say to start a savings account, even if it is just $10. That will help you to add up to your savings. At the end of the year, if you have room for the retirement savings government permits, then go for it. Start savings early for retirement will really help you in the end to have a nice fortune for comfortable retirement.

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October 07, 2009 12:17 AM
The first thing about saving money is to organize. It is good that you are thinking about retirement issues now, but what about the short term. Security of having money sitting to the side makes a difference between sometimes eating and having electricity. We can never predict when an unexpected tragedy will hit. It could be a funeral, or car repairs, or an unusually high electric bill. To save money you have to be creative. I wrote an article on this.

In my real life i manage a loan office but I also help people manage money creatively. These are just a few ideas that work for me.

http://hubpages.com/hub/Saving-money-the-easy-way
Source(s):
http://hubpages.com/hub/Saving-money-the-easy-way


Tags: money, saving, finances, budgeting

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