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and Pinkberry frozen yogurt.
Being on your own after college can be an exhilarating experience. For possibly the first time in
your life, you're supporting yourself and making your own decisions about financial issues. But
with freedom comes responsibility. In order to avoid unwise spending and debt, it's important to
start out on the right track by learning how to manage your finances early on. This article
provides tips on four important "real life" financial tasks that recent college graduates should
address.
1. Organizing Student Loans
Once you've graduated, it's important that you know the repayment schedule for each of your
student loans since you're responsible for making payments on time. Learn how to use the
Whenever you move, provide your lenders with change of address information and remember
that you are required to make payments whether or not you actually receive a bill. In case you
undergo financial difficulties that will cause you to miss one or more payments, gain an
understanding of how you can reschedule your loan or request deferment to delay payment.
Also, if you have multiple student loans, you may want to consider consolidating them to reduce
the number of monthly payments you have to make and maybe even lower your interest rates.
2. Acquiring Renter's Insurance
Most recent graduates begin their independent journey as renters. It's important to understand
that your landlord is not responsible for insuring any of your personal property. In case of fire,
flood or theft, you losses will not automatically be covered. Renter's insurance is an affordable
option for protecting yourself from the misfortunes that you may incur as a renter. This
insurance covers furniture, clothing, jewelry, electronic equipment and other items that may be
damaged, stolen or destroyed. You can obtain renter's insurance from any insurance agent that
sells homeowner's insurance. Some of the factors to consider when purchasing a renter's
insurance policy are the amount of coverage provided, the deductible amount and whether you
will be reimbursed for the actual cash value of lost property or the replacement cost.
3. Filing Taxes
Everyone who earns an income above a certain level must file federal and state income tax
returns. Filing a tax return means providing information that will determine if all of your required
taxes have been correctly withheld from your salary and whether you are eligible for a refund or
owe more taxes. Most recent college graduates will have simple enough finances that they can
file their own tax return and avoid the expense of professional tax preparation. The best way to
determine if you need to file a tax return is to visit the
IRS website well before the April 15th
filing deadline and follow the instructions regarding filing. The IRS provides tools like
e-file that
allow you to submit your tax return electronically. There are also commercial software packages
and websites that will help you e-file both your federal and state tax returns.
4. Locking in Heating Oil Prices
In areas where heating bills are a major expense in winter months, energy companies frequently
offer plans that allow you to lock in a rate for home heating oil during spring or summer, which will then be in effect throughout the winter. This will often result in savings since the price of oil
typically climbs during winter months. However, there have been recent years when the price of
oil has dropped, causing people who signed price-lock contracts to pay more than people who
didn't. Despite the risk involved with locking in heating oil prices, it's still a good option for
people who would rather not attempt to budget for fluctuating oil prices during the winter.
Wednesday, November 9, 2011 at 10:00AM 
As they say on MTV “Cribs”, this is where all of the “magic” happens. But, if you have a sleeping bag and a pillow as your bedroom set, you’re certainly going to have to be a magician to make anything happen. So here are a few ways to make your bedroom magical on a budget:
