If you receive a paycheque instead of an allowance, it's time to start thinking about your financial future. It may seem unnecessary. It may seem way too gown-up, but it's also very, very necessary.

There are several key reasons for considering your finances now and for your future: you presumably have expectations: things you want to do and achieve, which probably involve money. You'll have financial set-backs in your life that will require a safety cushion to temporarily fall back on. And one day ' no matter how much you love it and can't imagine doing anything else ' you'll decide you've had enough of this work thing and you want to slow down and relax.

We've highlighted some areas that you may want to consider, starting with how to go about getting started with financial planning (talk to a financial planner; it's their job), what kind of investments to look for and a little something we like to call the 'magic of compound interest.' It is, according to Albert Einstein, the greatest mathematical discovery of all time. Let it work for you.