What did u buy your first year of nursing?

Nurses New Nurse

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I will be graduating from nursing school in May, and is just curious about what type of things do new graduates do when they become a nurse. My plans is to invest in a house and maybe a new car. I have a 10-year old son and he is really looking forward to this. Do you think this is possible with the income new grads will start off making?

Buy the way, in my state (MI) most hospitals start btw 22-24 dollars an hour.

Just curious, RN in 07' :balloons: :balloons: :balloons:

Specializes in pediatric critical care.

i purchased a rather expensive coach handbag...after all, i earned that baby!;)

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After graduation Hubby & I got new cars... We both needed some kind of kudo for that big accomplishment...then hubby got a new Harley and now we're saving for a new house...We kinda went overboard...but the last 4 yrs, while I was in school,we spent nothing. It was nice to have 2 salaries again.

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Specializes in Med/Surg..

I graduated last May - I'm a New "older" Nurse, but not that OLD..:lol2: . Hubby and I had our 25th Wedding Anniversary this week (we both worked). Thanks to my folks, we had a beautiful wedding all those years ago, but we were in the Navy (not much money), so our Honeymoon consisted of a few days at a beach in Mass in the dead of winter (20 below), not exactly the tropical vacation that a lot of Honeymooners get. :scrying:

Ever since then, we kept saying "someday" we'd take a 2nd Honeymoon trip to England/Ireland - where our families are from - then life happened, the kids came along, etc. Finally, we're in a situation that we can hopefully afford this long awaited trip and "hope" to be able to take it before the end of the year. Everything we've ever done is for our 3 Sons, I know I'll feel this horrible guilt not taking the boys with us, but my husband said, after 25 years, it's about time we do something "special" for just the 2 of us - so I'm really looking forward to it. So, this trip is what I'm buying to celebrate my First Year of Nursing...

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congrats & good luck to you! i just graduated and started working only a few months now. my boyfriend and i plan on eventualy getting married, buying a house and a car in the next year or two. sounds like financial madness but with my new salary its do-able! :roll

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Specializes in cardiac med-surg.

new shoes !!!!!

the old ones were 3 years old and fetid

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You know, this sounds pretty boring, but when I started earning a paycheck we paid off every single bill the moment it arrived, lol...nothing had to "wait until the next check"! And then, seeing the balance in that checking account growing is just a marvel to behold :D

My hubby and I live pretty reasonably, always have, and have been fortunate enough to buy pretty much whatever we needed or wanted anyway on his generous income. HOWEVER, that said, it's nice to know I *CAN* buy whatever I want without ANY guilt!

I have been doing the same thing, paying each bill the day it comes. It feels so good to be able to do this. I think not worrying about finances is a bigger thrill to me than spending (I can't believe I just said that). I want to pay off as many bills as possible before my student loans start coming due in May. I do plan on some minor home improvements too.

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Specializes in LTC, cardiac, ortho rehab.

honestly, i dont know what i used my money on(im pretty horrible with money). im 20 years old, so the money i made off my lvn wage was alot for me. i bought a scion tc, paid off some bills,clothes, a new stethescope(littman), paid my tuition for school(im going lvn-rn and also cws), food, and a bunch of other stuff that is useless. after 4 months i ended up quitting nursing right now to go full time to school(16 units) i currently work for my mother, i run my moms residential care facility during the weekends. the pay isnot as great as my lvn pay but its more than enough to get by.

i just wished i saved money during those 4 months.

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Specializes in Peds ER.
I know I'll feel this horrible guilt not taking the boys with us, but my husband said, after 25 years, it's about time we do something "special" for just the 2 of us - so I'm really looking forward to it. So, this trip is what I'm buying to celebrate my First Year of Nursing...

Woo hoo!!! That is the way to do it! You know, I don't know how old your sons are, but quite frankly, I'm not sure I know too many boys who would feel like they REALLY missed out not getting to go to Ireland and England...I mean sure, they'd have fun if they went, and they'd get to see some cool stuff, but seriously, they don't know what they'll be missing, and in their little male minds, there's a good chance they're at least neutral, if not grateful they don't have to drag along :D.

Have a GREAT time!!! You earned it!

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Specializes in Peds, Psych.

I bought a purse.. and am being to pay of student loans.. I really want to save..

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Specializes in LTC.

The first thing I HAVE to do is get the bills paid. It will be so nice to pay all the bills every month AND be able to get groceries.

The thing that has been the most fun for my hubby and I to think about is if we should rent a beautiful new apartment/townhome or buy our own house. We have 4 kids and the apartment thing seems best to me because we won't have to worry about lawn care, shoveling, broken water heaters and all that stressful time-consuming stuff. On the other hand, the kids want their own bedrooms and I really want a couple of dogs and they (kids and dogs) need room to run and play.

And the thing that is #1 on my list is a new bras and underwear. I have only had three new bras in the last 7 years and 2 of them were nursing bras. I splurged when school started and bought a new one but I will spend as much of my first check as I want on underclothes! (How pathetic!)

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Specializes in CVICU, PACU, OR.

I graduated last May and didn't really buy anything right away. In October when I really hated my job I did book our honeymoon in St. Lucia! I was happy that I could afford it at that point in my life and not feel guilty about it. When I spent money in college I was always worried about how much I would have left by the end of the semester.

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Specializes in Float.

natrrgrl..I had to check and make sure I didn't write your post! lol

I just found out the hospital is giving ALL new grads a $2500 sign on bonus even those that already accepted positions. I'm thinking some new shoes/sandals cuz I have like one pair of dress shoes and one pair of tennis shoes and they are BOTH falling apart. Some new socks...I wear my husband's now..how pitiful is THAT? Yes new bras. I bought nice ones from Lane Bryant but umm that was about 4 years ago and I've washed them so much they were coming all apart and I've stiched them up lol...PITIFUL. Let's see some new face cleaners, makeup...and my fave:

a backup for everything! Extra TP, extra tissues, extra shampoo, extra soap/deoderant. I'm soooo tired of having to use the last of every liittle thing because I can't affod it til we absolutely run out! I plan to make a trip to Sams and stock up my pantry. I don't want fancy stuff, just all those necessities that I've put off forever!

I also plan to set up every bill to just click and pay when it arrives before it's even due. I'm sooo tired of calilng and making payment arrangements and explaining "i'm so sorry but I'm a nursing student and if you can JUST bare with me a little bit longer..." that is so stressing and time consuming. I don't wanna be rich..just NOT BROKE lol.

First paycheck June 1, three paychecks in June..not that I've already planned my budget or anything hahaha

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