Fictional: a made-up site for Fruitful’s example. Nothing here is real.

Slopslack

First Paycheck

Money and work in your twenties, explained plainly.

I write about the money stuff nobody covered at orientation: paychecks, 401(k)s, raises, rent and how to leave a job. I’m not a financial advisor and I don’t know your situation, so read this as what I’d tell a friend, then check it against your own numbers.

  1. You don't need a budget app. You need two bank accounts.

    One for bills, one for everything else. The only number you check is the second one.

  2. What I wish I'd asked in my first salary negotiation

    I said yes before the recruiter finished her sentence. These are the questions I should have asked instead.

  3. The retirement match is the only free money you'll ever get

    If your employer matches retirement contributions and you’re not collecting all of it, start here.

  4. Lifestyle creep is quieter than you think

    It rarely shows up as one big purchase. It shows up as a new normal.

  5. How to quit a job without burning the building down

    Check the money first, tell your manager second, and keep the letter short.