You Graduated From College. Now What? | St. Johns Bank

School is out for….ever! Not just for summer—but you are now officially a college graduate! Welcome to the real world.

Now that you have received your college diploma and possibly already have your first job lined up, our team at St. Johns Bank wants to offer you some tips on how you can start your finances off on the right foot.

Let’s take a look at some things to consider as you get started:

Do You Have a Budget?

One of the first things you want to do as soon as you graduate and settle into the first job of your new career is establishing a budget. A budget creates a strong foundation for understanding what money is coming in and what money is going out.

Having a budget will help to ensure your financial health stays on track month after month.

Do You Have a Realistic Picture of Life?

For some college graduates, entering the real world doesn’t just mean getting your first real job, it also means living on your own for the first time.

While you might have been used to living on campus, having your own place can cause you to quickly see where all your money goes.

Therefore, you want to make sure you know exactly how much your living expenses are going to be to know how much you can really afford, which is where your budget will come into play.

Have You Begun Saving Money?

Don’t wait until something happens or you get older to start building an emergency fund or saving for retirement.

You want to start saving now for these two funds so that you are better prepared financially in the future!

These two funds should be separate—and your emergency fund should also be separate from savings for things like vacation or a car down payment.

Do you have a place to keep your money safe after graduation? Our team at St. Johns Bank has savings options available. Give our team a call today to learn more!