Things… can only get better

There is a myth that’s being mercilessly pedalled to students. Supplemented by the TV shows- the Ally McBeals, Friends, and even that movie classic, Clueless. The message is simple: 'Working world = stacks of cash'. Money may have been tight at uni, but just wait until you get that first pay cheque.

You see it in the TV shows all the time. Gorgeous sassy women sustaining successful careers with fantastic social lives and amazing suits, boots and whatever else they and their massive salaries can get their hands on. Men with the amazing flats, sports cars and enough money to take his latest girlfriend to the most exclusive restaurant followed by champagne cocktails. And they’re all about 24.

But my fortune was not, (as I felt it should be) an overflowing pot of gold at the end of my degree. The reality? That first year out of university was one of the most financially stressful of my life.

University may have been difficult, money wise, but it was a bubble - one where a student could happily mooch around in the mankiest pair of jeans/ sneakers because a) they were comfy b) that was what was expected c) everyone else was. And cash in hand jobs, combined with a lot of eating at home always managed to tide me over when I was getting tight.

It was a source of concern that the real world made no such allowances. Unless you are organised enough to get yourself onto a placement scheme with a golden handshake, or have parents prepared to sub you on a few expenses, there is no mistaking that life in the first few months of finishing university will be tough.

I was very lucky in that I managed to get a relatively well-paying job reasonably fast. But starting work for me was a series of one-off costs that I quite simply had not budgeted for. Going to interviews and going to meet clients in trainers doesn’t often go down well with the bosses. First, I had to buy the suit, then the shirts, skirts, trousers. Luckily living in central London I didn’t need a car, but for some this was just another expense. Travel of any sort, even on the underground, is always more expensive than you think it’s going to be.

This was before I walked in through the door of my first job. At this point, many of my peers were temping or working in bars to pay their way when they were still trying to get jobs. One of my friends held down two jobs for several months just to pay the rent in London when he was going to interviews.

Of course, lurking its ugly head in the background was student debt. Like around a quarter of all students, I had racked up a credit card bill (albeit a lot smaller than some of my counterparts) with an unfairly large interest rate, which I had to be disciplined in paying off. And all of a sudden my bank started charging me interest on my overdraft. Controlling debt just didn’t seem possible.