First-Job Earners Anxious About Their Salary

“So. It was my birthday yesterday... I have received a small amount of money here and there as a gift. I really don't want to spend it off anywhere useless but invest... I was thinking of investing in something, but I don't really have any idea... I had an idea to invest all the money every year that I receive from my loved ones.... Please give me your honest opinions on what I should do... where I should spend it... Thank you... submitted by /u/school-bomber [link] [com”

“Try not to put 100% of ur savings in a bank cuz after inflation , you’re only earning 1-2%. Can’t get rich. Keep some emergency savings there, but keep most in a low mgt expense S&P 500 ETF.”

“Wasnt any influencer I have been wanting to do this for a while. From how I see it my money could either sit in my savings account or I could invest it and potentially double it i was even looking into some high yield savings accounts. The 10k isnt really a deadline more of a goal I would like to achieve and I will continue to work while investing.”

“I would focus on building a 6 month emergency fund, then you can start contributing to an IRA”

“I (20m) just started my big boy career (ironworker) and would like some saving advice. Usually I try to stay ontop of my finances and not go flat broke and I'd like to give myself a pat on the back as I've been relatively responsible with my money compared to my parents at my age. But i know I could do better. Idk much about apy or anything like that so my current savings account is just a separate account extra money goes into. Looking for someone to explain it to me. Dumb it down or ma”

“Hi, I'm an incoming freshman and I'd like to save and spend as wisely as possible for my college years. Approximately my debt will be $20,000 for all of college (if financial aid stays the same🤞). I got approved this year for Federal work study up to $2,000 each semester, which I plan on doing. Im hoping to make payments on interest during college so my loans don't get out of hand, but I'd also like to save some money. Currently I'm helping my mother pay bills, as she is wit”

“I think there are a few different ways to look at this. You could invest the $10k. You could start an online business. You could start a local service business. Or you could invest in yourself by learning a valuable skill. Before deciding, I'd ask yourself one question: What skills do you already have? If you're already good at something people will pay for, lean into that. If you don't have many marketable skills yet, I'd honestly consider starting a simple service business inst”

“I’m 21 and getting ready to complete my last year in undergrad. Planning on going to grad school so I wanna have a fair amount of savings built up beforehand for living expenses (gonna take out loans). I’m always working some minimum wage job but my income fluctuates based on if school is in session or not. Currently with my expenses I have a couple thousand dollars to work with. Any recommendations for good HYSAs for my circumstances? I also would be open to considering something similar like a”

“Read the following. https://www.reddit.com/r/personalfinance/wiki/commontopics/”

“I (22F) recently graduated and started my first full-time job, and I would love advice on how to best save/invest my money going forward. I'll be living with my parents for a while, paying them $300/month in rent. I typically spend around $300–400 each month on personal expenses (going out with friends, entertainment, shopping, etc.), although I'd like to cut back on that. I spend roughly ~$60 on public transportation a month. I don't pay for health insurance as I plan on staying wit”

Invest first. Spend less than you earn.

“I am currently a senior in college and wanting to start investing and put money into my savings account and invest, but I don’t know what route is the best for me to begin with I make about $1,200-$1,300 a month and I luckily don’t have any bills besides having to pay for gas which is about $100-$150. I live in California and luckily have my school tuition being paid through scholarships and grant. Mostly I wanna save for emergency funding, vacation, and trips. Does anyone have any recommendatio”

“If you were in my position, how would you go about splitting the money between saving and investing?”

“Hello everyone from reddit, Im new here and this might not be even the right r/ in the first place but I want some advice, Im 17 M from the Philippines and I want to build investments at an early age to help create a stable future and help my family, my problem is how can I invest or buy investments, crypto, etc. on my own. Can some give me advice about it? Any advice can certainly help. Thank you! submitted by /u/Asterozyxx_ [link] [comments]”

“Im in the process of selling a car right now for 3500 maybe 3k dont entirely know yet and I wanted some advice on what to do with it just wanted to see what some people thought im 17 and I am employed but I had to put my 2 weeks in due to sports submitted by /u/brokeguywithjetta [link] [comments]”

“Hey everyone, I’m trying to get into maximizing the value of my money and new to this subreddit. What should I be doing with my money to make it grow or improve my quality of life in the future? I’m 22, live with my parents, 1 year into my current job and have a good amount in savings. I recently opened a HYSA. I have 6 months of expenses in my regular savings and I put the rest in HYSA. I don’t touch my savings so my logic is if it’s just sitting there, why not get a higher return on it? I’ve h”

“It’s taken me from February this year to now, but I’ve done it!!! What is the minimum I should have cash on hand, and the minimum in the bank? What’s the best way to make my money grow? Thank you!! submitted by /u/turtlewurtled [link] [comments]”

That's a good idea

“Hey everyone, I’m 19 years old and currently in college. Right now I don’t have many expenses because my parents are helping pay for school and other necessities, so I’m trying to take advantage of this opportunity by investing as much as I can while I’m young. At the moment I own Coca-Cola (KO), and it’s been doing well for me. I’ve also been looking into Vanguard ETFs like VOO or VTI because I know they’re popular for long-term investing. At the same time, I’m wondering if it makes sense to pu”

“hi all, i would love your help since i'm financially illiterate i have two goals: an emergency fund and buying an apartment. i need the equivalent of 3-6 months of salary to cover any emergency i might have in the future. also, i really want to buy an apartment in my home country. my year salary will be $75,000 i've been hearing about treasure bills and certificate of deposit, but i'm not familiar with either. i'm just starting my research and figure i'd check in with more ex”

“I’m 18 years old living in Australia. I have money sitting in my savings account earning me interest but i want to invest it. I’m going to invest in IVV and A200, I will invest 6000 total. I already have 700 in IVV. Should I do a balance approach or heavier on a200 or IVV. Thanks submitted by /u/AbbreviationsFun2961 [link] [comments]”

“I’m looking for a safe place to keep my money while also investing for the long term. I want to learn everything from scratch—where to put my money, what accounts I should open, how much I should invest, and what steps I should take first. If you were starting over at 19, what would your step-by-step plan look like? What mistakes should I avoid? Any books, YouTube channels, websites, or resources you recommend would also be greatly appreciated. I’m willing to learn and be patient. I just want to”

“Hello! I'm currently 21 years old and about to start working again from a year of being unemployed. I'm currently taking a Khan Academy course on economics and financial literacy, but I am really behind in life and financial unstable, and there are many things in life that are calling for money, like paying for drivers school, my phone bill, groceries, and 6k+ in student debt . I know it's not possible to get rich overnight, but once I get my job, I know I need to put it in the right”

So use the hysa as a normal saving account?

“The best advice I can give is to live below your means and invest in yourself. Remember the adage “Time in the market is better than timing the market.” Invest early with what you can set aside but don’t neglect your training. HVAC is a great skill to get you moving up the ladder.”

“Just about a year ago I posted that I have 15k saved at 17, now at 18 (Just turned 18 a month ago) Ive been able to save up to 23k. I dont want to spend money on a car as i’ve inherited a fully paid off 2019 VW; and am not interested in starting a down payment towards a house yet because I live in my grandfathers home that will be put into my name upon his passing. I want to invest a sum of my saving but am not comfortable with crypto kind of things. What should I do, sort of lost here. su”

“No, you’re not understanding. When I say we start building our savings, I’m not saying we get it to like a thousand dollars or something, I’m saying we maybe get like a couple hundred dollars, then something happens and I have to pay a couple thousand dollars to fix it. So I drain my savings of only a couple hundred then I have to spend everything I have and occasionally borrow. This means that I have to occasionally put some bills aside so I can take care of it because I have to have a car. So”

“Hi all, I'm an 18 year old in college right now, and I'm very fortunate to have been able to work sort of a lucrative job when I was younger, and after my mom invested that money, I have about 120,000 dollars split among Ameriprise (Roth IRA and standard brokerage account, around 90,000 of the 120,000), as well as around 33,000 in Vanguard. I'll have to eventually sell and withdraw around 30,000 to help pay for college but that will be a yearly 10,000 withdrawal. The problem that I&#”

Bank smartly has a 3% ftf no?

“I’m going to college soon, and after I receive all of my scholarship money and add in what I already have saved in my bank account, I should have around $13k . My current plan is: $10k → brokerage account (probably an S&P 500 index fund) $2k → HYSA/emergency savings $1k → spending money I know $1k isn’t a lot, but I’m in a pretty fortunate situation where my parents are covering my tuition and housing. My housing also comes with a meal plan, so I’ll basically have “free” housing and food. Re”

“As the title says, I will hit 100k invested by the end of this year at 23. I am in Canada, in a MCOL area. I make 60-70k all in on my main job and about 15-35k from my side hustle and serving. So about 75-100k Main job is 37.5 hr/week and I serve about 10 hours a week while my side gig I don’t keep track lol. This is honestly just a post to brag because I haven’t told anyone and won’t be telling anyone for a long a long time. My goal is to hit 200k invested by 25, by increasing my income, and ob”

“Self explanatory, I have 140k but I have to spend 70000 on college, I’ll hopefully drop the amount needed to spend, but for now just looking for advice submitted by /u/Ramariwesss [link] [comments]”

“The title basically says it all. I'm 17 and I have always been curious about how to manage a portfolio so I can gain money over time instead of losing it to inflation. So if you consider yourself capable of doing this, EVERY suggestion makes me happy. Courses, how to make experience maybe, where to learn, quick tips... Hearing your personal story on how you learnt investing over the years can also help me take inspiration but you're not forced to tell me. Any other tip is great. su”

“Hello all, I have managed to save about $5,000 and I’m not sure what do to with it. Little bit about is I am a 20 yr old going to community college and don’t have any debt or student loans. I work 2 part time jobs so I am not getting any benefits (don’t have anything in retirement). I have saved 5 grand over the last 6 months and I’m not sure where to put it bc is just sitting in a normal bank account not earning interest or anything. I plan on buying a home in the upcoming years so I would like”

“0 debt 24 years old. I work in healthcare full time. I have about 90k sitting my checkings account. I have 60k invested, my roth ira maxed out my 401k as well. I have no rent, i live with my parents. So 0 expenses as of now. I make around 156k a year. My wife makes about 30k a year. I don’t know if I’m just being a wuss but I don’t know how much to keep in my checkings or if i should just throw a lot of the cash into ETFs and stocks. Any advice on long term and short term plan. I know to put cas”

“I am 20 years young, just tryna figure out how to diversify my personal financial plans. There are many instruments that I can utilise, but I don't know which one to focus on the most. So, I need your suggestions on which one has worked best for you! ( I aleady have some experience in investing just need to advance it. TvT) submitted by /u/Previous-Formal-2129 [link] [comments]”

“Hello. I’m a 23M currently working as an ED tech applying to medical school next year. I live with my parents and I don’t have any bills to pay (minus credit card bills). I pay for insurance through my employer. These are my accounts: Vanguard Roth (maxed for 3 years straight) - $26,178 Vanguard Brokerage - $6914 Employer 401k - $5738 HSA $200 Sofi emergency fund - $9000 Sofi savings - $6100 Random cash - $450 Total net worth: $54,580 I maxed out my Roth this year and put around $300 per paychec”

“I’m currently 29 and making 86,000 a year. I currently have around 30K in high yield savings that I’m looking to invest to try and grow. I have a 403B that I deposit into with every check as well but am not planning on touching that for 40 years. Whats a good way to invest these funds for the future so it can grow at a potential rate higher than what I’m earning now?(around 4%) submitted by /u/bkopale2 [link] [comments]”

“What investment vehicles should i also consider.. I have 25k right now in a normal savings account, and 65k invested in a Canadian Tax Free Savings account(TFSA). I currently live at home with parents Im commuting as it remains the cheaper option. I will take loans out to cover the tuition. Tuition cost is +10k. Should i be dojng anything else with the money i have available? Still probably gonna drain around 10k a year in expenses for commuting, food etc.. There probably isnt much money now tha”

“It's around 4.5%. That's what i was thinking, also I'm afraid that if I'll have to take another one in the future the first one may block me from getting it from the bank”

“I’m 20 years old and wanted to get some opinions on my current investing setup. I’m not necessarily looking to change anything—I just enjoy hearing different perspectives and advice from people with more experience. Here’s where I’m at: Fidelity (combined total): ~$29,000 (includes my Roth IRA, taxable brokerage account, and 401(k)) Betterment High-Yield Savings: ~$8,000 401(k) Contribute 6% to get my full employer match Roth IRA Contribute $625/month (maxing it out) Invested in FZROX and FZILX”

“Financial situation: I have 500k in growth and another 100k in a Roth IRA and 80k in money markets. So I am looking for an income engine for 200k that I profited from selling a rental property. Buying another property is not in the cards right now. Graduate school is 3 more years and I am trying to avoid taking plus loans to pay for living expenses when in school, working while in school isn't a great option. I am looking for advice on my investment strategy. Planning to deploy in 50k chunks”

“I get a monthly scholarship of 5000 INR , im planning to safely invest them for a long term, what schemes should i look into in india , i dont have any idea how all of this works , any elders in knowledge can help me submitted by /u/Born_Shape_6202 [link] [comments]”

“For example, the one I took advantage of recently is from chase. Qualifying direct deposit on your new checking account of 1k within 90 days and you get $400 within 15 days. Just make sure you google chase checking $400 bonus. They don’t directly advertise it on their homepage, and it also expires next week. This one has a monthly fee of $15 unless you continue to deposit $500 every month. But you can always cancel the account a few months later. Other banks offer bonuses too so take advantage o”

“I’m a college senior, I really don’t have a firm idea of what I’m doing after I graduate. I’m going to be done with all my classes in December so I have to graduate then. Plan right now is to apply to a bunch of jobs/grad schools and go where the best opportunity is. I have about 11k in my brokerage and if I just save until December I’ll probably have about 13k in savings. Should I just not invest until I know for sure what I’m doing next year? submitted by /u/ActuatorDisastrous29 [l”

“hi - i’m 23 and live in the Bay Area, CA. to keep it short, i’ve been investing/personal finance since 19. i am 1-year post grad. i got my full time job in Sept of 2025. this year, i’ve been learning about early retirement/financial independence, & just am curious to see how my finances support my long term goals i make $2345 post-tax bi-weekly, or around $73k/year. i aim to save 30-40% of my monthly income. i work remotely. my fixed expenses: 1 i live in a shared home for $1500/mo including”

“I just landed a job as a traveling wind turbine technician making 900-1000 dollars a week. I’ve never really had income like this and I have no clue what to do with it. I know hysa accounts are good but I’m not really sure which bank is for me. Im living with my parents and don’t really have any major expenses. Any advice helps. Edit: insurance is also not a concern of mine for now as I’m on my parents plan, and Traveling costs like flying, baggage, and hotels are covered by the company su”

“I just landed a job as a traveling wind turbine technician making 900-1000 dollars a week. I’ve never really had income like this and I have no clue what to do with it. I know hysa accounts are good but I’m not really sure which bank is for me. Im living with my parents and don’t really have any major expenses. Any advice helps. submitted by /u/Ok-Maintenance1089 [link] [comments]”

“I just landed a job as a traveling wind turbine technician making 900-1000 dollars a week. I’ve never really had income like this and I have no clue what to do with it. I know hysa accounts are good but I’m not really sure which bank is for me. Im living with my parents and don’t really have any major expenses. Any advice helps. Insurance is not a concern as i am on my parents plan. Traveling costs like flying, baggage, and hotels are covered by the company submitted by /u/Ok-Mainten”

“Hey, i’m in my last teen years, trying to understand investing and bonding some money for future. From a very little age i had that thought that i had to make a lot of money. By the time I grow up I started searching some ways to make money but still studying because it’s not easy when you are alone. Yep, i was studying very hard whole my childhood to start studying medicine. I didn't want to get into this business just for the money, but to help people. But this year my life took a differen”

“I’m a 19 year old college student I’ve got around 3k saved up. I’m fairly familiar with the saying you gotta spend money to make money, I just don’t know where to spend it on. I know there is no such thing as fast or easy money but what is something that I can that I can look into to expand my wealth. My brother use to fix dirt cheap cars with issues and flip them for 2-3 times profit but dirt cheap cars dont exist anymore. stock and options and all that stuff lowkey scare me. They seem too risk”

“I’m a 19 year old college student I’ve got around 3k saved up. I’m fairly familiar with the saying you gotta spend money to make money, I just don’t know where to spend it on. I know there is no such thing as fast or easy money but what is something that I can that I can look into to expand my wealth. My brother use to fix dirt cheap cars with issues and flip them for 2-3 times profit but dirt cheap cars dont exist anymore. stock and options and all that stuff lowkey scare me. They seem too risk”

“Look at the windfall section in the FAQ/wiki here, though keep in mind it is written for the US. The general principles should be the same though. This isn't "life of leisure" money, but at your age it is enough of a head start that you won't really need to worry much about planning for retirement as part of whatever kind of career you are looking at. edit: Also, it should go without saying, but absolutely do not reply to anyone DMing you from here with offers to help.”

“I am currently 20 years old and will be turning 21 later this year. When I turn 21, I'll be receiving access to just over $400,000 CAD in cash. Right now I work part-time, making about $8,000 per year, which covers my expenses like my car, and phone while giving me some extra to enjoy myself. I also dont pay rent. I have an RESP that should be enough to pay for my remaining three years of university, so I don't expect to need this money for tuition. This year I've already maxed out m”

“Hey everyone! I’ve skimmed through this thread but haven’t found an exact post about this. I grew up poor so my parents never really had any financial advice for me, and while I’ve learned a lot on my own, I still feel like I’m not sure where to invest and store my money. I would love advice on how best to save for the future. Here’s a rundown of what I have: -Brokerage account invested in the S&P500. I’ve only invest in safe, stable companies. I’m not a trader, but I do keep my eye on it to”

“I am 22 year old a fresher who joined a mnc with 40k salary ,so I want to save and invest my salary before getting married and want to give every saved amount to my parents . I am elder daughter and I have sister. My parents have 0 savings instead they have 7 lakhs gold loan and 3 lakhs crop loan. But they have 5 and 1/2 acres land. They can't save in future also but their daily expenses will be managed by my mother who stitches clothes. In our family marriages will be done before 28 years o”

“If you plan on going to college and don't have enough to pay for everything, put it in 529. If you dont plan on going to college or have enough, put it into a brokerage account and buy VOO, VTI or SPY. If you don't think you'll need the money, put it into an IRA account. You're 16 and doing great. Which part of your future you want to shape is completely up to you. As long as that money is invested appropriately you're good. High Yield Savings isn't a bad idea if you want”

“Bank accounts require a guardian. What OP should do, is to transfer the money to his own bank account, at a different bank, once he hits age 18. Too many stories of parents raiding their children's accounts on this sub.”

“I'm a 19 years old teen, I'm doing a basic graduation degree( B. Sc) I really want to make money and add value to lifes around me but I'm lost I don't know what skills should I learn, where to start, is it AI safe, would I get job in future, what to do what not to I seriously need advice to people who could help me to figuring out my way further I'm lost my father is toxic my relationship with my parents is not really great ever since I was a child I want to move from my home”