Set up your utilities and subscriptions to be paid by the card. Pay the card off monthly. Don’t use the card to buy things you can’t afford. Don’t maintain a balance on the card, this isn’t free money.

> I haven’t used the card for much yet but would like to build credit.

You can build credit with a credit card without paying interest.

> I’d also like to pay things off in a fair amount of time

If you're not paying the full statement balance each month, then just stop right now. Do not use credit cards to pay things off over time.

I haven’t used the card for much yet but would like to build credit. I’d also like to pay things off in a fair amount of time so I can cover both smaller expenses but also larger expenses by freeing up credit easily

Yeah, this also depends on the person. In grad school my friends all lived in one apartment complex and I lived in a cheaper apartment about a mile away. I’m vey shy and missed a lot of social opportunities because of that mile. I paid an extra $300 a month to move into the same apartment as one of my friends and it was worth every penny even though I was a broke grad student.

Credit card is not an expense, unless you're paying interest. If you're using a credit card correctly, i.e. always paying each bill in full and on time, it is just a pass-through and doesn't even appear on your budget.

Here's a link to the PF Wiki for helpful guides and information.

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If you work as a software developer and you were in the army, do you have a security clearance? If yes, the single best thing you could possibly do for retirement (that isn’t part of the wiki) is keep the clearance and make sure you get a job that requires it.

The prime directive is pretty much what you need.

The only other thing would be that sometimes you just gotta increase your income. 75k in LA is probably going to be financially limiting (I’m guessing) so I would focus on career development/advancement. Everything else can be from the flow chart.

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You don't really have a special situation, so I don't see what you want besides the info in the wiki/sidebar. What kind of things are you wanting to know? Your information request is very generic and vague.

This is a pretty easy choice honestly, just be prepared to be "that guy" who's living in the dorms the whole time with freshmen.

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>Bonds or Stocks Which Way Do You Go?

Both. Pick your allocation and stick to it regardless of what the market is doing. The most efficient portfolio for long term growth is one where you don’t try to optimize for current market because you most certainly will mis time the market.

And ignore the bloviating talking heads on media, they don’t know what’s in store in the next year any more than you or I do

No. You should have an allocation strategy and stick to it. You then rebalance occasionally when things get a little out of whack.

You do not try to time the market by changing things up. You will fail. You will not know when a market bottom or top is reached.

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Inflation and recession are not just buzz words. I’d encourage you to study what they mean and why they’re happening. Look up fed raising interest rates and the stimulus checks from 2020 and 2021.

Either way, what you’re asking for is what everyone wants. The best 24 month guaranteed return right now is a CD. Discover currently has a 4.5% CD over 2-5 years.

From a relationship stand point, which one do you want to maintain longer: friends or family? Your friends might be friends for life. Or a few missed rent payments and you're struggling to keep your home. On the other hand, your parents are offering to support you fully for the remainder of school and reward you for that. It's almost like they know something about college roommates. Option A is fraught with financial & relationship risk whereas Option B is much less so. In college, your goal should be completing your education which means being able to focus on that...not adding layers of risk outside of school.

Others have mentioned how bad dorm life can be. They may be romanticizing off campus life a bit. Just think about what you are literally signing up for. You are going to sign a legally enforceable contract with other people while being dependent on those other people to execute said contract successfully. You're basic cosigning a debt with a couple of college kids. If something goes wrong, you are legally and financially responsible. That could mean it ends up in collections or on your credit report for 7 years!! That's quite a risk when compared to Option B. Not to mention the damage it could do to your friendships and relationship with your parents when/if you ask them to bail you out. What if they say no? You opted for this and this is what being an adult looks like.

Make your parents happy and take the dorm and car. College is a few short years in a lifetime of relationships. If your friends are true friends they will understand and you'll hang at their place a lot anyway. Your parents have wisdom from years of life...leverage that wisdom and take Option B. It's the smarter long term choice.

If I were in your shoes, I would take Option B. Many of us weren't as lucky as you to have such caring and supportive parents. Take advantage of that. And then spend the rest of your life being appreciative of everything they have done for you.

The problem with that plan is that you might not enter back into your original positions at the right time (i.e. you might buy back at a higher price that the one you exited at).

Also... if your small nest egg is in single stocks, you are taking too much risk and maybe should reallocate more into index funds.

If your investment horizon is a long time, than just keep your money where it is (though I'd definitely switch to index funds) and ride the wave.

It doesn’t have to be an either/or. That said, a 100% bond portfolio is seldom a good idea for anyone. If you’re unsure how to split up your stock/bond allocation, then choose a target date fund for your age.

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It depends on how long you’re investing for. I don’t plan to pull the money out any time soon so I continue to put it towards an index fund or etf and hold.

>close friends of mine were planning to get an apartment

No.... you don't want to shack up with your friends, that's how you lose friends.

It's hard to draw lines with friends when you have dirty kitchens and dirty toilets and someone brings their gf home for 6 out of 7 days who leaves milk outside the fridge.

I would take whichever option gives you more peace of mind , quiet when you need it setting you up for future success in those moments when you need to buckle down and study ; but that’s me. Any other material things will come down the line.

Yeah but living in campus is ass. Now in OPs situation, 100% take the deal for dorm + car. But living off campus is 100000x better in my opinion than on campus, just feel trapped in on campus housing

This is just anecdotal and your argument reminded me of this story. I worked with this dude that didn't know how to wash dishes. He would have dirty/moldy lunch containers. Apparently he managed to go through life without ever having to do so. In college, he lived in a dorm so all the food came from cafeteria. I don't work with him anymore. I think this is a massive edge case but maybe living in apartment with roommates will force you to learn a thing or two. I have never lived in dorms so my understanding is non existent.

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