Welcome to the Job Market

Get a real-world plan for saving money

You land your first job, and with it a steady stream of income and benefits. You may think the green days of the starving student are long behind you. But be really careful. It's easy to start splurging and spending, when you should still be scrimping and saving.

Your salary may be a monumental upgrade from student-loan living, but just remember you'll have a host of new expenses to manage, too. Think student loan repayment, possible commuting costs, a new car and probably even a new wardrobe.

At first you may think you're living within your means. In fact, four out of five people do. They say that no matter how much or how little they make, they'd find a way to live within their means.

But there's one thing to remember. Two out of those five people are wrong. They're deceiving themselves. That's right. They're actually not living within their means. How do we know? Because more than half can't afford to pay off credit cards, and only one-third have enough to weather an unexpected financial hardship.

What's the solution? Don't spend more than you can afford. And start saving now. There's no better time to start socking it away than when you start a new job. It's a great habit to start early. You may be out of school, but you can still consider yourself a student of saving now.