Summer is just starting, and the job market is hot. For those of you getting ready for college or on summer break between years, this is a year to celebrate. Many employers are so desperate for employees that they are offering up-front signing bonuses to new employees. In addition, entry-level hourly wages seem to be up all around. This is a great opportunity for you to add money to your “pay for college costs” fund.

On the broadcast news, on the internet, in the newspaper (yes, those still exist), and just driving around town, we see advertisements from companies looking for employees. If I were looking for work, this would be a great time for me. If you are before or between years at college, this is a great time for you. Get a job. Work for the summer. Put your earnings in the bank for future use.

Any college student, even one with a full-ride scholarship, should have a “pay for college costs” fund. The nice thing about having this fund is that if it isn’t spent on college, you’ll have money when you graduate for things like work clothes, first month and security deposit for an apartment, unforeseen emergencies, a celebratory trip after graduation, or other items which will come up.

If you use money from the fund while in school, every dollar you don’t borrow will result in fewer dollars going towards interest as you pay off your student loans. Paying interest is one of the least productive ways of using what money is earned. Earning money over the summer and using it wisely is a “win-win” situation. And there aren’t that many “win-win” situations out there.

Speaking of “win-win” situations, today is the first anniversary of the release of my book, “Say No! To College Debt.” If you haven’t gotten a copy for you, your student, a college-bound friend, or a college-bound grandchild, you should. It has lots of good ideas for how to keep down or eliminate your college debt. The publisher set the paperback price at $14.99. I sell it cheaper on my website. To be really frugal, I got to set the price of the Kindle version so almost anyone can afford it ($2.99). Go to https://saynotocollegedebt.com/buy-the-book/ to buy a paperback copy or link to Amazon for the Kindle version.

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