EILEEN ALT POWELL: ON THE MONEY - Grads need debt diets

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After Sandra Hanna graduated from college, she moved back to her parents' home so she could save some money. A year later, she moved out with a stash of $8,000 to help pay for her new life.

But within several months, she had burned through the cash and was starting to pile up credit-card debt.

"It was my first apartment, and I felt I needed to furnish it so it looked like I was successful, career-driven, and had myself together," Ms. Hanna remembers. "And, of course, I needed a lot of nice clothes to project my new image."

Thousands graduating from colleges and universities this year will face challenges like Ms. Hanna did, but they'll have an easier time of it if they get going on the right foot by learning early to live within their means, avoid excessive debt and save for the things they want, experts say.

Ms. Hanna, 26, a graduate of the University of Western Ontario, found her financial bearings by forming a "money club" called Smart Cookies with four other friends in Vancouver, British Columbia.

They would meet weekly, initially following the "debt diet" espoused by television personality Oprah Winfrey, then later setting their own goals for spending and saving. Now they have written a book named for their club; "The Smart Cookies' Guide to Making More Dough" is due to be published in September.

Ms. Hanna's biggest piece of advice to those graduating this year is to overcome the tendency to keep money matters totally private.

"Stop trying to fake it, and have a serious money discussion with your friends," she said. "Everyone will breathe a sigh of relief, because you'll find that you're not alone, that everyone is facing the same money pressures you are."

Nancy Flint-Budde, a certified financial planner in Salem, N.Y., said one of the first things new graduates need to do after starting that first job is to figure out just how much money is coming in and where it's being spent.

She suggests they use personal finance software to track their money for six months or so, then print out a report by category.

"It can be kind of a wake-up call for them," Ms. Flint-Budde said.

She also encourages those starting new jobs to make sure they fully understand the benefits packages they are being offered so they can take full advantage of them.

"A lot of companies offer certain add-ons, which means that you may be able to increase long-term disability or life insurance for a small amount of money," she said.

Understanding benefits is especially crucial when it comes to health insurance coverage, Ms. Flint-Budde added. Some companies may not offer comprehensive health policies, forcing workers to seek private coverage, or there may be waiting periods for coverage to kick in.

"It's important for them to take ownership of their own health care as early as possible," she said. "They shouldn't have a period of not having coverage just because they're young and healthy, because anything could happen."

Ms. Flint-Budde also advises new graduates to try to keep at least $500 in their checking accounts; that makes it harder to overdraw the balance, triggering high fees, and also provides a cushion for emergencies.

Dara Duguay, director of the Citi office of financial education and author of "Please Send Money! A Financial Survival Guide for Young Adults on Their Own," said one of the biggest challenges new graduates face is spending.

"They want their first apartment to look like the parents' house they just left."

Easy access to credit can make that possible - and also can put the new graduate on the road to piling up debt.

Ms. Duguay said the initial bills for student-loan repayment "can be a real shock" to some graduates. Consolidating, or refinancing, student loans over a longer period can bring down the monthly cost, she said.