5 Money Regrets I Had in College

Hindsight really is 20/20 👀, which is why there are now so many money moves I WISH I had made during my college years. Moves that you 🫵🏼 will now make because you're learning from my mistakes. Let’s take a look ⬇️

1. 🏦 Open a Roth IRA!

You can use Fidelity, Vanguard, Betterment, etc. It’s an individual retirement account where the US government says you can put money you already paid taxes on (up to $6,500/year rn) and invest it. That means it grows TAX-FREE & you can cash out in your 60s. (Hint: this is how you become a millionaire 🤑💸) — LITTLE ERIN had people telling her to do this but she thought it was boring & confusing & didn’t open a Roth until she was 23!! Don’t be like Little Erin!

2. 💳 Get a credit card!

Little Erin used a debit card until she was a junior in college because she thought credit cards were confusing 😵‍💫 But Little Erin got the Chase Sapphire & started earning points AND has built good credit. Just make sure to pay it off in full each month. Start EARLY & responsibly!

3. 🎓 Abuseeeee student discounts.

Everything you want to buy first ask “do you offer student discounts” and have your ID ready to fire 🔥 you would be shocked at how many amazing discounts are out there 👀 (RIP my Adobe Creative Cloud student discount 😭)

And now for my honorable mentions:

4. 💰 Learn about taxes!

Or at least find someone you trust to do them for you 🫱🏻‍🫲🏼 I know it’s boring but understanding the basics of taxes can prevent stress when tax season arrives. Knowing about deductions, credits, and filing options also helps you optimize your life to save as much as possible during tax season. Besides, when it comes to the government, you’ll want to play it safe ⚠️

5. 🤑 Building an Emergency Fund.

The last thing you want is to be stressed out about paying next month’s rent if you are suddenly out of a job 🙅🏼‍♀️ An emergency fund is a safety net that can save you from countless stressful situations like these. Unexpected expenses like medical bills or car repairs are more common than you think, and having a cushion alleviates so much of that financial strain.

Time is MONEY, PEOPLE! 👏 don’t waste precious time 😭 you got this!!!

💸💸💸 PS —I cohost FREE personal finance webinars with experts. Get on the waitlist for my next free webinar here