I thought of a dozen clever ways to kick off this blog post, but instead I think I’ll just cut to the chase: You’re probably underpaid.

Editor’s Note: This new series on Financial Fitness comes from personal finance expert, and SoFi content partner, Dr. Tony Pennells, founder of The Freedom Club. Using proven tools and systems, Dr. Tony demystifies “financial freedom” with common sense solutions to help people create true wealth (the type that makes money that you don’t have to work for!). Click here for earlier stories in the series. 

Chances are you’re working hard, doing pretty well financially, and have some money saved up. Maybe it’s a few hundred bucks, or even a couple thousand, or more. While it’s tempting to put it toward something awesome and immediately gratifying, like an epic road trip or relaxing beach vacation, you know you need to get your feet wet in investing. It’s a big part of adulting, after all.

On July 27, SoFi hosted one of its popular community member events in New York City. Held at Interface, an intimate creative space and lounge in North Chelsea, the evening featured Matt Bachmann, co-founder of Wandering Bear Coffee, and Ben LeBlanc, founder of Good Stock Soups. Ainsley O’Connell of Fast Company moderated the lively panel discussion titled “MBA to CEO.”

Editor’s Note: The following article on home renovation and budgeting originally appeared on our web partner Houzz’s website. Some of the content has been slightly edited from its original version, and is written from the perspective of a home designer.

Remodeling is a great way to stay in the house you have. Plus, making changes can improve the way you live. But everyone has heard the horror stories of going 50 percent or more over the remodeling budget. Truth be told, even contractors will admit that it’s hard to provide an exact price on the work, because there are often unforeseen circumstances that could cause the price to rise. I always recommend factoring in about 20 percent over what you think you should budget. But knowing what you want from the very beginning — and sticking to those goals — can greatly help your project stay on track. Even if it seems like it’s going off the rails.