It's funny how, in the US, the first twenty years of lives the new year starts for us in September. The school year. So it is for me. It's a new year, not only because I've now been in the city for a year, but also now school starting again. As a tutor, that means I go back to work. Which is a very good thing. It's been kind of lean summer, money wise. Once I can get back to my students, I can stop paying rent out of my savings, and start putting something back in.
Not only that, but I've just been hired to do voiceover for Grovo.com, an internet guide to, well, the internet! I will be one of thee new voices on staff, and my profile is that of the guide to all things young and creative. They don't have scripts for us yet, but they will be using our demos and auditions to test drive a few things with study groups etc. and then hopefully have work for me soon! It's voiceover, so the hourly pay is fantastic, and the original invite to audition said they'd call me in two or three times a week, probably three hours a job. So I'm very happy about that.
Since it's a new year here, the second one, I feel like it's time to really start thinking about my long term responsibilities. And the main one of those that's looming in my mind, is that by July 2012, I will be 26, and no longer covered by my family's health insurance. I'll need my own. And since I'm not counting on being employed by a company that covers that expense, I'll need to navigate the murky waters of individual health care plans. Because after the things that've happened in my family lately, there's no way I'm going uninsured.
Similarly, since I'm not employed anywhere that gives me a 401k or similar, I've got to start thinking about retirement. Grownup things. I've been putting things away into a small investment account for a couple years, and I realize that now is not the greatest time to invest in the short-term, but for the long term, when I'll want the money 40 years from now, it should go somewhere. So now that I'm on my way to being net profitable again, it's time to start managing those things myself.
I kinda wish they taught that stuff in school. Because as it stands I'm going to need to teach myself how all these things work.
Not only that, but I've just been hired to do voiceover for Grovo.com, an internet guide to, well, the internet! I will be one of thee new voices on staff, and my profile is that of the guide to all things young and creative. They don't have scripts for us yet, but they will be using our demos and auditions to test drive a few things with study groups etc. and then hopefully have work for me soon! It's voiceover, so the hourly pay is fantastic, and the original invite to audition said they'd call me in two or three times a week, probably three hours a job. So I'm very happy about that.
Since it's a new year here, the second one, I feel like it's time to really start thinking about my long term responsibilities. And the main one of those that's looming in my mind, is that by July 2012, I will be 26, and no longer covered by my family's health insurance. I'll need my own. And since I'm not counting on being employed by a company that covers that expense, I'll need to navigate the murky waters of individual health care plans. Because after the things that've happened in my family lately, there's no way I'm going uninsured.
Similarly, since I'm not employed anywhere that gives me a 401k or similar, I've got to start thinking about retirement. Grownup things. I've been putting things away into a small investment account for a couple years, and I realize that now is not the greatest time to invest in the short-term, but for the long term, when I'll want the money 40 years from now, it should go somewhere. So now that I'm on my way to being net profitable again, it's time to start managing those things myself.
I kinda wish they taught that stuff in school. Because as it stands I'm going to need to teach myself how all these things work.
Oh man, I am so right there with ya on the money issues. I'm trying to set up plans to start putting things away and save for the future--unfortunately, things like my old clunker of a car breaking down unexpectedly waylay these plans on occasion. Here's to finding good health insurance at a reasonable price! Whooo!... Oy. :-)
ReplyDeleteThis is a FABULOUS book: "I Will Teach You To Be Rich," by Ramit Sethi. Ignore the title; it's actually a super-informative book geared toward recent grads and it has a great section on IRA's and Roth IRA's.
ReplyDeleteAnd good call on not going uninsured. Way too risky a gamble.
I interpreted an information session for new employees once, and the presenter said that if you invest $2000 for 7 years when you are in your twenties, by the time you are 65 you will have one million dollars. Wish someone had told me that when I was in my twenties!
ReplyDelete