The 5 Mistakes New College Graduates Make

3. The employee’s new clothes

You have a great new job and suddenly the jeans and flip flops you lived in during school just don’t work. Time to hit the shops! FUN!! Right? Wrong! There are a few things wrong with this theory. 1 – most people can’t afford a whole new wardrobe without putting a serious hurt on their credit cards. 2 – you may have a skewed idea of what people are actually wearing to work each day so you may buy the wrong stuff. 3 – odds are good that you’ll experience a bit of a weight shift after graduation so you don’t want a whole new wardrobe in the wrong size.

Instead of running out and shopping until you drop, buy just a couple of basics that you can mix and match. A basic suit that you can wear to meetings with clients and then some shirts/pants/skirts/ties that you can mix and match to make any number of outfits is all that you need to get started. Classic pieces will get you far while trendy clothes will make you stick out in 6 months when fashions have changed but your budget to replace them hasn’t. Stick to clothes in the same color palette so that it’s easy to combine them. Shop discount stores like Filenes Basement, TJ Maxx, Marshalls, etc and look for great deals. A wardrobe should be built over time.

To keep your clothes looking good, make sure you treat them well. Dry clean your suits only a couple times a year or you risk ruining them. Hand-wash sweaters to save money, learn to iron and use the correct settings on your washing machine so you don’t ruin delicate fabrics.

1. Ooh, pretty, sparkly

2. The super sized apartment with a side of furniture

4. Retirement? I’m only 23! I’ve got plenty of time!

5. Credit, credit, who’s got good credit?