It has been about a month since I signed my lease and about three weeks since I started working. How’s life?
Work: My coworkers have been treating me very well, and are happy that I have been picking up steam fast and plugging away at their backlog of work already. They have many stories, insights, and jokes to share. I would often stay longer than I initially intended to, although I would do work at the same time for efficiency’s sake.
Social: This is one of the challenges I have been facing. Most of my coworkers are twice my age, so I had some trouble meeting people people my age for the possibility of hanging out with them. Once I get up to speed, I will have time to do some community service.
Financial: This is the biggest source of grief right now. I am currently living paycheck-to-paycheck as I plug away at my student loans and spikes in spending while paying the bills, saving up for my new car and retirement all at the same time. Per my calculations, I would generally have less than $ 150 per week after I deduct (in order of priority):
- Income taxes (federal and state)
- Contributions to 401k
- Paying back my parents
- Paying back my student loan
- Medical insurance, vision insurance, and dental insurance
- Recurring expenses (rent, utilities, and insurance)
- Transfers to savings (simulated payments for a car and cell phone bill)
With the help of GNUCash (open-source, also available in Windows) and OpenOffice.org Calc, I am now tracking my expenses accurate to the penny! For those of you still in college, enjoy it while you still can — once you get out in the real world, you will have a lot more to worry about.
