5 ways to survive on a starting salary

You've got your first paycheck. This would call for a celebration, but you had a change of mind. Your colleague jokingly told you to enjoy it while it lasted. And you had a hunch it won't be long.

Your three years at the university flashed through your mind immediately. You struggled to handle the pressure of the coursework, so you resorted to beer (with your housemates). And you let this habit left unchecked. You were grateful to your folks, as they lent a sympathetic ear whenever you told them of your money problems. (And you would exaggerate it.) Retail therapy also helped you in the most pressing times, as you indulged in comic books and your (growing) collection of Star Wars souvenir items. You were a geek, and you were proud of it. This would mask your inability to deal with your spending habits. And it hit you after your first month in the office. It let you down, but it was a Sunday. Work would be the best therapy.

You thought of ways to live through this temporary phase in your professional life. (You figured out that the hard work could pay off. It won't be long before you would be informed about your promotion. Knock on wood.) You were on your way to the office when you had an enlightening moment. It won't be winter on the month of July. You won't see a $100 bill on the sidewalk either. There were five ways to do it:

Come back home. There was no place like home, and you would yearn for your mother's favorite dish now and then. You were having second thoughts, though. After a few years of doing what you liked, what you liked, and with whom you liked, you don't fancy getting orders from your parents. You weren't an ungrateful child after they funded your backpacking in India last summer. Besides, you don't mind the jokes on you. (You have a career, yet you're still living with your parents.) You were torn asunder.

You might as well be semi-dependent. And this will be a phase. You chuckled when you remembered your coursemate's favorite line. Home was where the washing machine was. Not that you couldn't afford it, but you don't want to give up on certain things. A dilemma, without a doubt. This would lead you to the next item.

Don't touch what you couldn't afford. You missed dining out with your friends, but they don't mind going to your (small) place on a few occasions. You consoled yourself with the thought that you weren't the isolated artist in the novel you studied many moons ago, who had to live with limited resources. And then you recalled Russell Leonce. He was one of your housemate's favorite artists. He used to listen to "Troubles Won't Last".

Consider yourself lucky. You weren't one of those young professionals who dealt with student debt and graduate unemployment. Moreover, you found out that traveling could be a privilege. You could have fun without spending much. It was all about discipline. You must change your mindset, which would mean growing up.

Money, money, money, must be funny, in a rich man's world. You knew this line too well, and you weren't a huge fan of this artist. (It was your other housemate, who came from the other side of the Atlantic.) But humor would help you.

You became hopeful, but you had a change of mood. It was Monday blues.