Summer is here, and for many, this is a time for going out of town and hitting the beach with friends and family. This is also the time where hundreds of thousands of people move from the “student” into the “unemployed” category.

Gone are the days when you get your baon from your parents, which is usually a student’s main form of income. Unless your parents own a publicly listed company or star in soap operas, you are expected to earn for yourself after you receive your diploma.

Congratulations! You’re just starting out in life and you could use some wisdom to get ahead.

I graduated 2 years ago, and here are some of the tips I would recommend to fresh graduates who want to have financial security.

Work Now, Rest Later

After the ceremonial march is said and done, the first thing on a fresh grad’s mind is to take a break. And that’s perfectly normal; everybody needs some time to recharge. But don’t wait for more than 2 weeks before getting on the move.

When you apply to a company as someone who just graduated, do you know what the recruiter will ask you?

“What did you do after graduation?”

Now look at these two responses:

FG1: I took a month-long rest to refresh my mind. My family went on vacation to our beautiful province of Palawan, then I stayed home watching TV and surfing the internet.

FG2: I rested for a week, then I took care of my school clearances and got the necessary government IDs and documents so I can apply for a job.

Which one sounds more responsible and likely to get the job offer? You know the answer.

Also, bear in mind that waiting too long means all the good job positions will be taken by someone else. You know what they say about the “early bird.” You want to get financially secure, a.k.a. rich, and the first tip is to make money as early as you can.

Get a High Paycheck

If you were to choose between a good-paying but boring job and your dream job with minimum wage, which one will you pick?

The financially-aware people will choose the first option.

I finished Broadcast Journalism. When I apply in a BPO company, one of the most common questions asked is why I didn’t apply to a TV network. My answer has always been the same. There’s more money here.

I don’t like talking to people on the phone, especially strangers. In fact, I would love to be sent to the provinces or abroad to cover news and write about it. But I chose the job with better pay.

I would suggest that you pick the job that puts food on the table, pays the bills, and has leftovers to go in the bank. When you’re already rich, then you can do what you want to do, including getting your dream job.

Get Multiple Sources of Income

The primary source of income is more often than not, your day job. Whether you’re a nurse, an assistant in a lawyer’s firm, or an office worker, this is where the money is mainly coming from.

In a different country, you should be getting enough even if you’re just a regular salaryman. But in the local economy, you’ll need another income source to live comfortably.

One easy way to earn more money aside from your day job is online selling. This is a growing industry in the Philippines and a lot of success stories are already being shared online about individuals earning more from their venture. These are the only things you need to start selling online:

1. The Product – The most common things to sell online are gadgets, followed by clothes, then home improvement.
2. A Computer with Internet – You don’t even have to buy an expensive desktop or sign up for the fastest internet available. You just need the basics to be able to post your items online.
3. A Good Camera – Again, you just need the basic camera that will allow you to take good pictures of the product that will help you sell more, faster.

After this, other things you would need to know is where to post your products so people can see them and how to write good descriptions so people will buy them. When you get home from work, check if you received an order, collect the payment and send the product, or schedule a meet-up for the transaction. You can get a few thousand Pesos from this gig if you’re doing it right.

Another thing you may consider is getting an online part-time job. This one I would only recommend if you’re really not earning enough with your day job, or if you want to be more productive in a day.

Of course, it’s going to require more effort on your part, but it could also be a chance for you to somehow pursue your field. If you go to freelancing websites like Upwork or Fiverr, you can check for part-time jobs that you can do over the weekend, or for 2-4 hours a day. The most in-demand people are writers, graphic designers, and online marketers.

These jobs are usually project-based (or paid after the work is done) so you don’t have to put in a certain number of hours of work per day as long as you finish it before the deadline. It can earn you a few hundred dollars a month, but make sure that it doesn’t affect your other schedules and it’s not too taxing on your health.

Learn How to Spend

One of the most common advice that you’ll probably hear from financial bloggers is to learn how to save money. But to me, saving money is something difficult to do. That’s why I changed my way of thinking to make it easier, and it could work for you too.

Instead of learning how to save, I learned how to spend responsibly.

• When I go to work, I only bring the exact amount I would need for the fare and for my meal. These are my daily expenses and they take up roughly 20% of my monthly pay.
• I still live with my parents (perks of being in a Filipino family) and share the cost of the monthly electric and internet bill which is around 10% of my monthly pay.
• About 15% is allotted to hobbies, dates, personal things I want to buy and etc.

So, in one paycheck, I spend almost half for my needs, wants, and responsibilities. The remaining 55% percent is the money that I would spend later.

The situation will be different for all of us. You may have more responsibilities than me, or your work environment might require more money for the fare or meals. Don’t forget to spend money on things that you want, but spend just enough now to make yourself happy. Leave enough money to spend later on something important.

Denying yourself too much now will make you prone to spending a lot later if you get that strong urge. Learn to spend responsibly, and you’ll find it easier to manage your budget.

Discipline, my dear fresh graduates. Discipline.

These are just some of the practices that I’ve learned and followed since graduating. They were taught to me by my parents and co-workers, as well as books and blogs. These bits of advice may not be enough to put me on the Forbes list, but they help me live comfortably today while also laying down the foundation for a financially secure future.