Life is really just beginning, and no textbook exists to get you through. May I suggest some books that might help?

Andrew Tobias’s “The Only Investment Guide You’ll Ever Need” is not a technical book about the stock market or real estate. It is a book with practical ideas that do not require a business degree or MBA to understand.

A lot of it is simple math, like buying in bulk. The government cannot tax you on the money you save, and Tobias writes that you can invest the savings, or better yet, pay off the credit card debt you are paying 18 percent interest on.

Another way to save is eating “in” on your usual eating out night, with the goal of using the money to invest or pay off debt.

Buying a used economy car could also save money.

“…the new-car smell is the most expensive fragrance in the world,” Tobias wrote. Plus you save on gasoline.

That’s short-term math, and everyone wants to be a millionaire, which takes a little bit longer and lots more patience in the beginning.

I did the long-term math on becoming a millionaire that is not in Tobias’ book:

*A $1,000 investment earning 10 percent a year untouched, with dividends reinvested, reaches $1 million in 73 years. That requires investing less than $100 a month for a year.

*A $1,000-a-year investment strategy earning 10 percent untouched, with dividends reinvested, reaches $1 million in 48 years.

*A $1,000-a-year investment strategy earning 15 percent, with dividends reinvested, reaches $1 million in 35 years.

*A $1,000-a-year investment strategy earning 20 percent, with dividends reinvested, reaches $1 million in 29 years.

Most graduates – fine arts, liberal arts, journalism, women’s studies and others – may not know how to make investments that earn 10 percent or more.

I have a book for that, too, and you don’t even need to read the whole book (I bought it used for 43 cents, by the way).

It is Peter Lynch’s “Beating the Street”. Before he wrote the book in 1994, Lynch was a manager at the Fidelity Magellan Fund.

Lynch writes about a 7th grade class in Massachusetts that bought stocks with “play money” in 1990. Some stocks decreased in value, but most stocks’ value increased, and by the end of the year, their stock portfolio gained more than 69 percent.

One stock they chose was McDonald’s, because “people have to eat.” Another was Wal-Mart. Both gained a great deal that year. Of course, some investments, such as L.A. Gear, decreased in value.

The idea is to begin investing in stocks of companies with which you are familiar.

I also suggest buying Mary Farrell’s “Beyond the Basics: how to invest your money, now that you know a thing or two” for anyone who wants to go a step further. I have not read it yet, but I bought it for $1.50 at a Wichita Public Library book sale. Farrell was an investment strategist and managing director at PaineWebber when she wrote the book.

Now if you are a business, accounting or other money-type major, you can go to the third floor in the HG section at Ablah Library, find a whole bunch of books and read your brains out about investing.

One of the best pieces of advice I got about investing – or better said, “not spending” – came from business professor Fran Jabara, during a class I took from him. He suggested keeping detailed records about your spending habits.

Since then, I have written down every penny I have spent and divided it into eight categories – rent, utilities, groceries, eating out, junk food, transportation and entertainment, to name a few.

Of course, you need to get a job if you do not have one. I have bought several editions of Richard N. Bolles’ “What Color is Your Parachute” during job searches and did the described exercises. I paid full price for the books, unfortunately, but it was worth it because of what I learned about my skills, interests and other facets that helped me choose what jobs I would be happy having.

You can always visit Career Services in Grace Wilkie Hall for career information and the job search process, too.

The last book on my suggested reading list is former General Electric CEO Jack Welch’s “Winning”. It is an easy-to-read book, not just an easy-to-read business book.

Everybody wants to win, no matter what his or her career goals are. Welch became GE’s CEO in 1981, and the company’s value rose by 4,000 percent during his tenure that ended in 2001.

All places of employment have a business culture, whether it is a Fortune 500 company or a small non-profit organization. Welch describes the business culture, not just at GE, but also about winning ones in general.

GE bought a lot of smaller companies during Welch’s term. Some mergers were rejected, though, because of a cultural clash between the two companies. 

Welch writes that one component of a winning company’s culture is plenty of candor – employees are free to express themselves without fear of retribution. I have worked for many different companies, and the environments with more candor and better communication were the more enjoyable places to work. I am certainly going to ask about candor during my next job interview.

He also refers to working with a difficult boss, has chapters about work-life balance, hiring, leadership, people and crisis management, promotions and hiring the right people.

One chapter is dedicated to finding the right job, which is subtitled “find it and you’ll never really work again.”

Perhaps that quote is the most important to remember as you move forward.