5 Tips For You To Get Through Life After University

Even for “experienced” adults! Trying to keep up with your peers and their bougie lifestyle on a minimum wage is hard. Now that you’re working and earning a monthly income or about to graduate soon and start a career, you’ll soon be living that independent life! That also means planning for your monthly commitments and allowances.

To help you breeze through adulthood, try setting lifestyle expectations and financial goals according to your means. Decide a lifestyle you can afford and live within your means!

Tip: Try the 70/20/10 Rule! Use 70% of your salary on monthly expenses, 20% for savings and 10% as your “fun” money. 

Do you feel the pressure to hit certain milestones as you age? It’s only natural to feel scared of being left behind by your peers. But don’t judge a book by its cover because you never know what struggles people around you are facing and how long it took them to achieve what they have. Whether it’s getting your first car in your 20s, getting married by your 30s or scoring that boss-level promotion, comparing yourself to your peers is inevitable.

But remember, you’re where you need to be. Shift your mindset and achieve your goals at your own pace. Can’t afford to get that brand new car yet? There are  plenty of other options for you to consider! You can try getting a second-hand car or daily-use car rental service. Besides, with today’s boom of e-hailing rides, you can easily book a ride to get to your destination. This can sometimes cost less than car ownership in the long run as maintaining a car can be costly and the value depreciates over time.

Tip: To better plan for your future, check out our informative Life Goals articles right here.

University life was hard, but working life can be torturous! Let’s be real, back in university, skipping classes and waking up late will not have any serious consequences. However, skipping your workdays or coming in late could affect your chances of getting a promotion, ruin your reputation and even your work relationships. For instance, if you’ve decided to skip work for a day, your employer might deduct a day’s salary. On top of that, you may even end up with a warning letter that could potentially cause you to lose your job!

Yes, it seems like a drastic change from life as a student to working adult life. But that’s how you grow. Prove to yourself that you have what it takes to succeed. Climb the ladder and be the most successful version of yourself!

Tip: Decide where you want to be in the next 3-5 years and make a plan on how to achieve a short/mid-term goal. If you need an extra boost, try writing daily affirmations on post-it notes and stick it on your mirror for you to get hyped-up as you get ready to seize the day or save an image of your ideal lifestyle as your phone’s wallpaper! 

Today’s living between wants and needs can get blurry. We try to keep up with the latest smartphones, branded fashion accessories and more. Especially since you’re getting your first taste of freedom to buy whatever you want! While you should treat yourself right, sometimes it’s easy to view these luxuries as necessities. This can potentially make you lose sight of your money’s value by constantly upgrading to the newest and trendiest items on the market.

Think of all the hard work you’ve put into building up this disposable income! Every dollar counts, and today’s spending can impact your future. Instead of overspending unnecessarily, make savings, budget planning and investments your top priority.

Tip: Get your savings rolling with the CIMB Clicks Goals & Savings feature. Use it to create, set and track your savings goals. The best part of it? You can do it all right from your smartphone! Watch the video to learn more.

Since you’re just starting on your first job and earning an income, it’s a good practice to keep your financial health in check early on in your life! By doing this, you’ll be able to determine what lifestyle and financial adjustments you need to make such as changes in spending. This will also help you to tackle debt such as student loans, Buy Now, Pay Later schemes and more!

Learn how to build your credit score. This is used to determine if you have a good payment record, which will be useful for your future especially when you’re ready to apply for any financial assistance and loans.

Tip: Let us help you! Once you’ve started working and earning a paycheck, build up your credit score by taking up a CIMB Credit Card.

Starting your first career and building your finances can be an overwhelming experience. But we’re here to walk you through this nerve-wracking life process. It’s okay, you’ve got this!