Adulting
It’s amazing how quickly we have to be responsible! Sometimes we might need a bit of a hand handling money (if only!), navigating the workplace when we get a job, or dealing with legal questions or situations.
We’ll try to answer some of your questions and point you in the right direction by taking a look at a few of these topics. If you would like more information on topics not mentioned on this page, contact us on youth@mvcc.vic.gov.au.
Your Rights
Whether you are a consumer, employee or tenant it’s good to get the right information from a reliable source. Of course it's a good idea to ask an adult for some advice, but if you want to go straight to the source, below are some helpful resources to get you started.
Know your rights:
Youth Central - Know Your Rights
Young people and the law:
Legal Aid - Young People and the Law
Youth rights at work:
Money
Spending money is the easy part, but learning how to save can be a really easy as well if you have the right tools. It's great to get into good habits and is worth talking to an adult for some advice. If you have a part time job, this is a good time to start organising your spending early. This way you can save for awesome things like travelling or a even a car.
A budget is a great way to plan your spending - and your saving. It keeps track of how much money you earn (called income) and how much money you spend (called expenses). Whatever is leftover once you subtract your expenses from your income is your "disposable income". That's money you can afford to spend on things you like, or save for the future.
HELP debt can be one of the kinds of debt people worry about, and it is worth considering. However, most financial advisors will tell you this is the best kind of debt to have, as it is for something that will (hopefully) enable you to make money, doesn’t charge high interest, and won’t come out of your funds until you earn above a certain amount. Most of the time by then you’ll barely notice it!
Lots of people have been talking about the book "The Barefoot Investor" - check it out if you want to get stuck into saving your money and dominoing any debts!
For advice on managing your money, Youth Central have got you sorted.
Lodging a tax return? Here’s FYA's check list.