Officially A College Grad

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by gprsh924

Thanks everyone, I'm getting on my computer for the first time today after driving home and unloading the car.

I'm working for a business services company in their management training program. The job is actually located in the suburbs but I'm going to move to Lincoln Park, Lakeview or Wrigleyville this summer and do the reverse commute.

I have partial employer matching on my 401k so I plan to do as much as I can to save for the long term. Unfortunately I'm not getting paid a great deal and Chicago is expensive so I will be running a little leaner than I like in the short term.



I'm already longing for the days back. I was able to pretty much do whatever I wanted whenever I wanted, I had the summers off, and a fair bit of money in the bank with my only expense being entertainment. It is going to take a lot of hard work for life to be that good again. I'm already going nuts at the idea that I only have 10 days of vacation next year. I spent 10 days skiing out West this year, not counting the tons of other day trips, concerts and other activities I partook in. Saying goodbye to my friends and leaving driving out of Oxford knowing I wasn't coming back made for a sad cap to a truly bittersweet graduation weekend.

Well, you'll learn the grind soon enough. The thing is to make work fun and work for you. You may have to trade jobs a few times to find the job you really enjoy. At your age, I'd make that the primary goal.

It's certainly not bad advice to start building financial independence, but life has lots of things for us to explore. Do as much as you can moderating as you need. You can get on the money track at 25 or 30 and it will make a difference. But, so will the quality of life.

Try to bundle it together.

Only 10 days vacation? Hey, that's what they made weekends and 3-day weekends for. You have lots of vacation. You just can't spend 2 days in an airport over a weekend.

Hit the streets!

[911Rob]

Just saw this thread... Congrats Garrett!!!

The World is yours for the taking
Life is what YOU make it.