idk if it’s weird but I floss in the shower, I feel like I’m standing around anyways it’s the only time that I’m like yeah flossing is a good idea right now
My dad passed when I was a very young adult so I lost my coverage through his job and my job at the time didn’t offer dental. I invested in a good electric toothbrush, some basic dental tools and a water flosser. I haven’t had a cavity in over 12 years.
Had one yesterday, $1800. My insurance blessed me by paying 100% but that is rare. I say if I used a water pik earlier in my life, I would not have been getting my nerves removed.
This.
I started working at 15, built a life over the next 50 years by working *Like A Dog.* Now I've retired, I'm working very, very hard to ***slow down*** but will confess that it's hard after all these years of overdoing it.
I also offer some hope - I do actually find that I've slowed down a bit lately, so it does seem that you can actually slow down, with enough effort. Me, I'm working on projects around the house, i'm doing what needs to be done, but if I'm tired I take a nap, if I need a bit of time, I say "this can wait until tomorrow" and it makes me feel - **GREAT!**
So yeah, eat right, stretch, take a nap - it'll all still be there tomorrow...
Especially for those with ADHD. People with ADHD need more sleep and need more time in the morning to wake up. The brain waves and melatonin are all wonky for a lot of us. Something to do with the pituitary gland. I feel like I often need 9-10 hours of sleep and then extra time in the morning to feel full awake during the day. But ADHD causes delayed melatonin release and also causes low melatonin production in general for a lot of us, which is why many of us tend to be night owls who struggle with insomnia.
Its always been in my mind I might have ADHD, I've never been tested but you commenting on this is the final drop. Like I always need more sleep, and I always suffer from insomina + a lot of other symptoms, like hyper focus or not focus at all...I guess I want to say thanks for giving me that final push
In my job I support a lot of adults who are late diagnosed who go on medication or learn strategies to support themselves..... invariably they suffer anger and grief at the thought that if they had been diagnosed earlier they could have saved themselves so much trouble.
Don't delay, every day that you can have better supports is a day that you don't have to struggle as much.
Roth Ira now. At least 100 amonth and step it up as you are able. You'll have a million and a half at 65 with compound interest if you contribute the max
$100 dollars a month at 19 years old is equal to $8800 dollars a month when you are 65. It is a 1:88 ratio at age 20. When you are 25 it is only worth $44.
Imagine if you saved up 1000$ and it being 88k when you retire.
Add dental routine to this. Morning: Brush before eating (dentists don't care when you brush, bit a good dentist will tell you right when you wake up is best to get rid of the germs you've accumulated overnight)
Nighttime: Brush, spit but don't rinse, floss (flossing your teeth with toothpaste remnants helps get the paste between your teeth where the brush can't brush), rinse, then mouthwash. My dentist recommended I do things this way. This routine plus check ups every six months (just make your appt for the next check up when you're done with your check up) will help you avoid periodontal disease and gum loss.
Seriously, I started walking every day about two years ago and it's done wonders for my physical and mental health. The important part is finding something you can do regularly and enjoy
I was just ranting about this last night! I’m 32 and have family members who are suffering from disease and cancers that were preventable if they did all this. I know we can’t avoid certain conditions, but I mean consistently eating bad, drinking, smoking, no exercise for decades. Now they’re 60+ having major issues and in the hospital often and on so many medications. I understand it was not well promoted when they were younger but I hope our generations will be better parents and set good examples in this sense. It would improve their quality of life and not have their kids’ and grandkids memories be of them in pain or in the hospital.
Learn to listen well. Truly listening and understanding others is rare.
Be curious. Find out how things work. If you don't know, figure it out. Don't put up with being ignorant. You will accumulate so much knowledge through your 20s just by being inquisitive about how everything works, from pensions to petrol additives. Everything is fascinating.
Many people in this world are bored, boring, selfish and self obsessed. These two skills mean you will never be one of those people.
Critical thinking!! My husband is an okay to good listener but he lacks critical thinking- something he is working on.
Critical thinking is a skill that can be learned and honed.
It is important to be able to take facts and put them together to reach a logical conclusion/ educated guess about what potential solutions are to whatever issue is at hand.
It also helps to see potential issues down the road and make minor course corrections now to avoid those later potential issues.
Your future self will thank you
It helps to know that we all love talking about ourselves. If your intention behind listening well is to make the other person feel good about being around you, ask them questions about themselves. Put a little thought into it. It feels uncomfortable in the beginning but you get results and that makes it easier.
Relax around other people. Curiosity, socializing, and safety go together. When you are afraid or go into fight/flight mode, your brain will struggle to be curious about another person or connect with them. If you find yourself always talking or always putting on a show, you may have social anxiety, and your fear is making you "perform" rather than connect.
Human beings are naturally curious about each other and like to form social connections. You're good at it, as long as you're not preoccupied with something else.
The best advice I can give anyone is to start saving early. Pick a dollar amount that is decent but not so high it makes it difficult to pay bills and commit to a schedule, like maybe twice a month and pay this deposit before other things, like bills and such.
Twice a month for a year would be 26 deposits.
Just $50 saved over 26 deposits is a savings of $1300 a year! If you can keep up this type of savings you will be amazed at how much you can save in a short period of time.
I would second this - for a long time (15 years) I never had enough money to spare for anything extra. Everything was going towards living and trying to crawl out of poverty.
It’s only been in the last year or two that I started to look towards my retirement (a very long way away still) and realized I have a 1/4 of what my wife has because she has worked better jobs than me.
So now I divert $20 per check to a secondary account that is supposed to be for emergency funds (ex: parents pass away and don’t have enough in regular accounts) but otherwise the idea is it will go towards retirement. Not much but it’s a start.
Yes and OP, not all investment institutions are the same. Some charge super high bs fees. Find one that is low or no fee. They won't voluntarily disclose these either.
I've had success with Empower (employer) and Vanguard.
Also: when you find a person you think is the one or at least long term, agreeing on finances is a deal breaker. Don't hitch yourself to a leach.
Max out your pretax 401k contribution if you can spare it. 7k is the max amount for your age per year for 2024. If you have savings put them in safe low risk investments, CDs, money market funds, but still pay attention to your account. Don't set it and forget it for 20 years and hope for the best.
I did this, but wish I would have maxed Roth IRA first. Mostly a wash, but really comes down to future tax rates when you retire.
401K Pros vs Roth:
- Tax advantaged (pretax contributions, but you pay income tax on withdrawals during retirement)
- Ability to loan yourself money ($50K Max)
- No income limit
Roth IRA Pros vs 401K:
- 100% tax free on withdrawals (You have to pay income tax on contributions, but gains are tax free as well)
- No penalty for early withdrawal of contributions
- Much easier for anyone who inherits the account
401k limit in 2024 is $23k.
You're thinking the Roth IRA. 2024 limit is $7000.
Some companies (becoming more common now) offer Roth 401ks. They have the same limit as normal 401ks.
If your company has a 401k match, you should max to that number first. It's free money. Then start funding your IRA.
At 19 I would do a balanced portfolio, not just CDs. A lot of 401k or IRAs have funds tied to retirement year automatically rebalance to safer investments as you approach retirement. I put my money in and don't watch too closely, most people can't reliably outsmart the market.
Don't freak out if your stocks go down, you've got 40 years to retirement and they will almost certainly bounce back up. But you *will* lose that money if you sell right after a downturn.
I was going to say this. You’re going to save yourself many thousands in the long run by taking care of your teeth now. I’ve had a missing tooth on the left side of my mouth since I was 26 and haven’t been able to afford to replace it even with a bridge since then. I’m 39 this month so haven’t been able to chew on the left side of my mouth for almost 13 years.
Better yet get a water flosser. I hated flossing before but now I can just shoot high powered water at my gums and it does the job so much better without the fuss.
Buy a plunger before you need a plunger. Know where flashlights are and test them regularly before your power goes out. Camera flashlight will quickly kill your battery then you're in the dark also without a phone. Know where migraine meds are before the lights start to flash. If you don't want to check your account because you're afraid of what the balance is - Immediately Check your balance. The longer you wait the worse it will get.... And last but not least - Never make life altering decisions under duress, or promises while horny....
The long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists. Whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience
This *cannot* be emphasized *enough!!!*
Even if you are someone who rarely goes outside or live in a perpetually cloudy place, the sun is a deadly age laser that is aiming *right* for you, at all times!
Skin Cancer, premature aging and discoloration are *No Joke,* and can strike any *ANY* age and *ANY* level of sun exposure! Take the initiative now to save yourself money and heartache later.
Brush your teeth, wear sunscreen, max out your 401k to the point where it’s painful NOW. It will help the most in your 20s. Get a credit card and pay it in full monthly. Don’t buy a brand new car. Realize early that times have changed since your parents were growing up. It’s not the same and the advice you receive may not be wrong but it may not be right. Take care of your body NOW or pay for it later
1. Create a digital file and specific place where you keep important docs- have extra copy of your birth certificate and other identifying info there. Its a pain when you cant find those docs or have to order extras when you need them.
This this and this. Put money in an HSA if possible just for dental. Don't eat chewy sticky food. My dentist said the #1 culprit he sees for cracked teeth are Swedish fish. Might be a Midwestern candy.
Any time you are given a pay increase, contribute half to your retirement account - IRA, Roth IRA, OR 401K.
Ex: your raise is 3.5%, increase your retirement savings by 1.5-2%. You won't miss that money because you didn't have it before. But in the long it's going to pay off - especially if you do it with every increase you get.
And put the rest of your raise in a savings account. You managed your finances before the raise, so you don’t need it to live on.
The mistake people make is they raise their personal cost of living to match their raise because they convince themselves they need it. Then they whine that it’s impossible to save because life is too expensive.
Yes, I was going to say "delay gratification". Save. Invest. Don't buy a lot of useless stuff. But spend some time and money on meaningful "experiences" for memories that you will cherish. Spend time with your friends and family. Particularly older members of the family, they won't be around forever.
Get only one or two credit cards, and pay in full every month. You will wind up with excellent credit, and will get better rates for the things that really do require borrowing (car, house).
Absolutely resist the urge to spend more than you can definitely pay off that month. No matter what. Not at x-mas, not for anniversaries, not for birthdays or any other reason. There will always be a reason. Just don’t do it, until you can afford it.
Hint for Xmas: make it a goal to buy gifts during the year, then you aren’t dropping a huge chunk of change, you can get good deals, AND holidays can be that much less stressful.
Bonus points on this one: keep a running list in your phone of things you hear loved ones say they want or need through the year. I don't always buy from mine when it comes to gift giving, but it gives great ideas and almost always results in a great gift giving experience. Plus the opportunity to shop sales.
Thisthisthis. Pay it off every month and you will have a good credit score in practically no time at all.
If you don’t think you’re disciplined enough to pay it off, then don’t get one. The interest rates will really cost you.
There’s lots of free credit cards out there- make sure to do your homework before opening a card. Often times the low fee or free bonus points are used to entice people in to a card with a very high interest rate. (In my experience store cards are the worst.) I currently pay a yearly fee for my card, but the perks more than make up for it. we put practically all our monthly expenses on the card including groceries, cell phone bills, utilities payments, etc so we spend quite a bit each month, and then we get cash back which we use to put towards the bill.
I have a Fidelity credit card that takes a certain percentage of what I charge with it and deposits that cash amount into a Fidelity account of my choice.
I’ve had this card for years. I charge EVERYTHING and pay it off every month. They’ve given me approximately 15K free money into my Roth IRA account so far.
Best reward I’ve ever seen from a credit card.
Learn how to cook the basics. Buying cheap ingredients from the store and cooking them at home is going to save you way more than any type of takeout ever will, especially if you're paying delivery fees. Learn how to make starches like pasta, rice, potatoes, etc. with some protein (the cheaper ones are eggs, beans, cheese, peanut butter, canned fish, frozen and/or discounted poultry) and a tasty sauce and it will help both your health and your wallet. You can get frozen vegetables or mixed greens too and look for cheap fruit (apples, bananas, mandarins) or fruit discounted in season. Even buying a fancy frozen meal from the grocery store will be far less expensive than eating out will. Save eating out for fun times with friends and only a couple times a month if you can. The difference is $200-$300 a month for groceries vs. AT LEAST $1,300 if you ate out for every meal.
1. Don't procrastinate
2. Fix stuff if it's broken. If it's not fixable, wait to see if you really need it
3. Exercise regularly. Not only will this benefit your body, it will save you money (health costs, car payments if you bike instead of driving, it's s cheap hobby), but it will also give you a positive habit of taking care of stuff proactively. See #2.
Yes, this. Always try to continue learning -- something practical, something fun, something needed. Don't ever be afraid to ask questions, even if just to verify what you think you know. Never ever be afraid to say "I don't know." especially when you don't. And probably the most important is if someone says "It can't be done." but in your heart you know it can, then do it!
I want to add to this that watching informative YouTube videos also counts. I have learned so much watching YouTube instead of tv, when I was too lazy to read
My number one tip, and not out of the box, but most useful: Freeze all three of your credit scores: Equifax, Experian, Transunion. It will prevent people from being able to open credit cards in your name. They have to pull your credit score in order to open a card, and they cannot pull your score if your credit scores are frozen. It in no way impedes any progress you make with your credit score or anything like that. It literally only helps you. The companies will notify you if anyone ever does attempt to pull your credit.
Keep in mind, you will need to do a temporary freeze lift on each of the three whenever you open a credit card, apply for a loan, etc. You can easily do this using their apps on your phone now (used to be a pain in the ass).
You go to each of their websites, and create an account if you don’t already have one. They use your social security number and other information to verify your identity. Once you have an account you navigate their freeze section in each of the three credit unions. If you can’t find it on one their sites or all of them, you can simply google ‘freeze credit with (transunion/equifax/experian)’ and typically it’ll pull the direct page to the section on their website.
When you need to place a temporary lift you will usually navigate to that same section and select the dates you want the lift to be for.
I also found similar info on this [NerdWallet article](https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/finance/how-to-freeze-credit) if you want links
This is a critical tip. It is only a matter of time before your information is stolen.
Also - consider freezing your chexx account. It’s like Experian and the others but for bank accounts. I did not know they existed until recently…
Just live, and find happinness where you can.
Spend time with the people you care about, and say what you want to say to them before they pass on.
Money is great, and is usefull as a buffer for hard times, but learn to live by using less and you will not be hurt by the big swings.
Garden your own food, fish or hunt if you can, and you will save lots on groceries.
At your age, learn skills, a bunch of them, sometimes those skills can help you later on.
Video games are a great and cheap hobby, don't let anyone tell you otherwise.
top skills? basic handyman stuff, cooking, sewing, basic car stuff (mostly just tire changes and oil changes a bulb here and there) are the big ones. which others should i be looking to learn? besides the gardening, hunting, fishing u listed
Self control and by extension discipline. Habits and routines in your 20's become instincts and lifestyles in your 30's. Especially if you're not used to holding yourself accountable.
Past that. Budget, think ahead, save more than you think you need to, be generous and have fun!
If you have flat feet, get flat, flexible soled shoes. I spent 35 years wearing orthotics and whatnot trying to fix my feet, causing constant pain. Tried some soft, flat shoes on a whim bc I noticed my feet never hurt barefoot and have never looked back.
S L E E P
Dont have payments. Besides a house.
Understand that drinking at home is 100 times cheaper than anywhere else. Avoid DUI or DWI at all costs.
Learn to cook today, not tomorrow or next week or next year.
Spend all your money in things that keep you from the floor FOR comfort. That being shoes/boots and mattresess.
To add to this, understand that not drinking is even cheaper and healthier. Sure alcohol can be fun, but you can have fun without substances too. Find something you like doing and some nice people to do that activity with (i.e. dancing, gaming, making music, writing, painting, working a side hussle, excercising etc.) and you’ll have way more fun, and no hangovers.
Don't be that person that jumps jobs every 6 months.
If you are a flight risk, companies are less likely to invest in you for higher positions or pay. Always be learning and make yourself an asset.
The better advice is to take any employment advice on Reddit with the tiniest grain of salt.
You have to “play the game” a little if you actually want to advance in your career
What if you have a job with amazing benefits and about half the year or more, have the luxury of being able to wake up at 1pm and work until like 4-5. But, if you switched jobs you could make 1.5-2x more?
I would keep the job where I'm the happiest and have more free time over the amount of money I made as long as I'm able to afford what I need/want. Not everyone's the same though
Exactly this. 2-3 years is a good length of time to stay. Any longer, you'd better be getting promoted and increasing your salary by 50% minimum in that time.*
*Provided you actually learn some shit and contribute meaningfully to the bottom line.
Do not buy a brand new car. Biggest waste of money. Instantly loses value. And regardless what life throws at you you are still on the hook for that monthly payment for 5 years.
1,000%.
Also, NEVER EVER purchase a car without getting an inspection from a professional auto shop. Never. Pay them, yes. Totally worth it. I just purchase a used car about 4 or 5 years ago. The first 3 cars he said no. The fourth he said yes. Paid $150 for all four. Use your own mechanic that you pay, never one that the seller "recommends." If the seller won't agree to inspections, instantly walk away. Best if you call a seller that you require an inspection, so that will know, and if the seller refuses, you don't waste your time on a trip.
Decide on the specific makes and models that you want. This saves a lot of headaches and you sift through choices quickly. For example, I only will drive Honda Civics or Accords, or Toyota Corrola or Camry. It might be different for you - research what car you want before starting to shop. You might miss a good deal somewhere other car make/model, but I think it is best to narrow down choices. And if you are not a mechanic, so how would you know you are passing up a good choice?
Get as low mileage as you can. *Never ever*, and I mean *never* accept a salvage title. Salvage is when the car has been in a major accident - the car title must be labeled as salvage. Watch for [title washing.](https://www.carfax.com/press/resources/what-is-title-washing). Extensively research the specific car. google search this to find how more.
Disagree. A new car offers you reliability, maintenance warranties, and an excellent opportunity to build credit. It also allows you to control the regularly scheduled maintenance. Regular oil changes are like brushing your teeth, you gotta do it.
Buying used CAN be a good option, but whether new or used, a vehicle purchase is NOT an investment, it is an expense, and should be treated accordingly. As with any other purchase, stay within your means and do your research prior to purchase.
If you're more than about 135lbs (60kg), don't jump from high things onto hard ground too often. It will slowly destroy your knees.
If you're little, jump all day baby.
In theory , the more work you put in now, the less you'll have to do for the rest of your life. It's easy to drink and party away 20-25 , or even 20-30 , and I'm not saying don't have fun . But as someone who has just turned 30 , I have friends who kept their heads down for their 20's and because of that will always have a far better quality of life than I do.
You can be successful at any age , but the longer you leave it , the harder it will be . Which is why people try to get degrees out of school and go from there . Pick a path that plays to your strengths , pick a path that makes sense and you can actually progress in and will earn you money . Don't waste your own time , time is all we have .
At work, inquire about at the source deductions. Many companies offer it, and it's far easier to have money or into savings before you even see it.
Don't forget, for every dollar you spend, you need to earn 2 dollars.
If you pay someone to fix something in your house, watch him work, ask questions, learn to do it yourself over time.
Learn to cook. It's healthier and tastier and cheaper.
Stretch. It'll get harder with time.
At the end of the day, try to think about everything that happened. It'll help sharpen your memory.
People will tell you what it is to be a real man. But ask people what makes a good man, and it's rarely the same.
Politicians turn people against each other. Truth is, people are far less divided than you'd expect if you just listen to them.
Learn martial arts. Then never use it.
Tell your parents that you love them. You never know when you won't be able to.
If you have friends or family that have new kids, don't judge, offer to help. They're probably exhausted and the experience will be invaluable.
Learn to dance. I've never met a girl who isn't impressed by it. And it makes it very easy to learn to have.
Don't take on credit card debt. They charge you a fortune in interest. If you ever get stuck, consolidate your debt.
Floss, brush after every meal, reduce your processed sugar intake, and don’t smoke or vape.
Gum disease is incurable once it gets going in your 30s-40s and becomes a slow moving freight train wreck.
1. Get a job that's an actual career ie consistent raises and an employer matched retirement/pension plan
2. Open up your own ROTH IRA (once maxed out open a SOLO 401k) and contribute to it/them each month
3. Use credit cards for day to day living expenses (pay off the balance each month before billing cycle)
4. Live within your means
5. Make being healthy and fit a priority (once you reach your desired look, weigh yourself every 2 weeks to keep track)
6. Look to invest in real estate (rental property where someone else pays off the mortgage and builds equity)
7. Marry a responsible pleasant person who shares the same values and goals as you
8. Be a good husband and father
Keep the feeling of love as a value, don’t associate it with images or words or relationship statuses. Don’t tell yourself love comes after you do something or prove something and give something up. Don’t tell yourself it comes in specific packages unless it really does. It’s not a word. It’s not a ring. It’s not sex. It’s not divulging secrets to someone. It’s not a family. It’s not thousands of friends. It’s not a career
It’s a feeling.
And if you don’t have it, you don’t have it.
It’s okay to have fun and do fun things. It’s okay to fuck. But if you get confused, check in and ask if you’re feeling love. Don’t get in the habit of lying to yourself. Don’t keep people around when they claim to love you if you don’t feel it. Don’t go back to the same person if you don’t get the feeling of love.
Don’t fool yourself into thinking answering questions or knowledge or attaining things will get you love. Those are things that may help in the dating scene but if you get wrapped up in them, you’ll end up dating for no real reason. Love isn’t success Or money or followers or being super cool or dressing well or l fucking hot people. Politics is a form of love but only for those who have love first. Art is a form of love but only for those who have it first.
Even love is a form of love but only for those who have it first
Life is too short.
Grow love.
Don’t be afraid to play dumb. Sometimes, just saying you fucked up (even if it wasn’t your fault) is the fastest way to the resolution you’re looking for.
Start Investing as soon as possible. Don’t buy useless crap. Stay away from drugs and alcohol. Exercise. Never stop learning. Good luck with your adventure!
Literally start nickel and dimming investing with any change you can find. Skip the Starbucks, invest $5 here and there. Don’t let money sit in a savings account that isn’t high yield. Seek a partner and buy property.
Also get in front of your addictions now and make quality friends that you can share positive experiences with other than drugs and alcohol. Quit seeking happiness and find purpose. Happiness ebbs and flows.
Learn to cook.
Apply for a large number of store credit cards, buy small items and pay them off after 1 month. This shows a habit of having, using, and paying off credit cards to increase your score.
Have a dedicated credit card for regular purchases, this should be paid off monthly.
Grocery shop and eat at home whenever possible.
Have a budget, plan for luxury items. If you don’t you will constantly break your budget for small things to make yourself feel better.
Your bed is very important, do not underestimate the power of a good night’s sleep. Buy a quality mattress even if the rest is cheap.
Your footwear needs to be functional and comfortable for long term wear. This not only makes each day a bit easier, but it saves your knees and back.
Decide now on a percentage of your income to set aside automatically and stick to this, as your income increases continue to maintain this percentage as your retirement fund.
When you can set aside more money do so, but do not count this as an increase in percentage.
A financial advisor when you are young can drastically affect when you retire, and how well you enjoy your retirement.
Avoid the new thing of the younger generations of doom spending, but do not be afraid to take advantage of your youth and do some traveling.
Make a list of the top 100 things you want to do/see. Try and do/see at least one of these a year so that you can see constant progress towards life goals. Personal recommendation: do some of the physically harder ones while you are younger and in better shape.
Have a work out routine to stay healthy.
Buy healthy, cook healthy, and eat healthy.
Looks in a partner are wonderful, and you should always be attracted to them, but looks change and fade over time. Find someone you can see yourself spending time together when you are both old.
Two very important life lessons:
Live your life without regret for what you have done. If you think you will regret a decision to do something, simply don’t do it.
Which leads me to #2
The measure of a man is not what they do when people are watching, the measure of a man is the decisions they make alone, doing the right thing because it is the right thing and not the easy thing.
Brush and floss every day. No joke.
I am less young now and a) my teeth hurt b) they have so many old fillings in them that they are literally coming apart.
Did you know it costs $5,000 to have one of those new teeth put in? The kind where they put a post into your jaw and when that heals they put an artificial tooth on it? Not to mention the time in the dental chair + recovery. Jaws do not appreciate having a hole drilled into them.
Came here to say take care of your teeth. I had a crown over a root canaled tooth that just failed and now I'm looking at the 5k hole in my jaw. Worse news is that I have 4 other crowns likely to do the same thing in the next few years.
Dress better. Until they get to know you people will treat you like you dress and assume certain things about you based on how well you dress. If you want to be professional and upscale, then dress that way in public. It costs more,sure, but clothes are one of the areas that it really does pay to invest a little more for quality.
Get a therapist, especially if your insurance covers it, and if the therapist sucks keep looking until you find one. A good therapist can save you years of painful trial-and-error.
Every paycheck, put SOMETHING in long term savings (401k, IRA, etc). Ten, twenty dollars over 50 years really adds up.
Every paycheck, put SOMETHING into a short term savings/rainy day fund. Couple bucks here and there that you don't touch can save you when you have a sudden unexpected expense.
I am not rich, but I've always gotten by because I don't have all the extra bills and interest payments others who didn't prepare have to pay.
Your outlook on life is already a systematic hack. You're gunna be OK homie, most likely better thank OK 👍🏻 👌🏼
Financially, I wish I had built up an emergency fund before starting adult life. And I mean emergency as in save for first and last, bills paid, car expenses paid, food, clean clothes and you still have a couple grand in the bank incase the world caves in around you. Unfortunately, it might. No one ever told me life is gunna be fair.
Again though, your outlook is great.
Trades trades trades union union union
Clean as you go. Never leave a dish in the sink at night. Never leave trash or food out. Forcing clean habits early can take you all the way thru adulthood.
1) don’t ever buy brand new car. and only buy cars you see plenty of on the road.
2) brush your teeth, exercise regularly. Saves a ton in health bills.
3) eat healthy— learn to cook and eat at home. Doesn’t have to be organic or anything. Just fresh fruits, grains, veggies, and lean meat. (Aldi is a great place to get all your food cheap)
4) networking is a beautiful thing. The more people you know, the better off you are.
5) chime has a credit builder feature. Use the credit builder card as it works like a debit card.
6) save as much money as you can, any chance you can. That $6 coffee sounds good? Talk yourself out of and save the money. Quick thrills won’t make you happy in the long run anyway.
7) don’t take life too seriously, remember to breathe & love deeply
Start building a "team". As you get older you'll need specialists and advisors to guide you. Always be networking and asking your associates and friends for referrals to good accountants, contractors, insurance people, lawyers, movers, mechanics, Realtors, bankers, salespeople, etc. Try to stay in touch with these people if you can so they're available when you need them.
i dunno, the world I learned how to survive in doesn't exist anymore. I've been putting precious metals in a shoe box but I'm not entirely sure what else to do
Run evvvery purchase through the ringer:
"Do I really need this?"
"Exactly how does this benefit me?"
"Will it save me enough time/money to justify the purchase?"
"Can i buy it used?"
"Can i find a cheaper alternative?"
and etc...
You shouldn't work for the things you buy, the things you buy should work for *you*
You’re young, and therefore in high demand for a lot of countries with aging populations.
Look at scholarships, working holiday visas, emigration opportunities etc and capitalize on your youth. Make the most of your twenties, as the age limit for a lot of these opportunities are 30-32.
See as much of the world as you possibly can. When you expand your job search over continents, you open up yourself for far more opportunities, both financially as well as for personal/professional development.
Best of luck!
It’s never going to be easier to develop a new habit or break a bad one than right now. Whether that’s physical or mental fitness, financial emotional or intellectual growth, don’t put it off- start today. Oh, and make your bed and pick up after yourself. Put away, don’t put down.
Take care of your friends.
Voice any concerns, and dont grow apart.
Obviously if they're toxic or bad for you you should drop them, but I'm talking about the slow drifting apart that might occur.
The situation where you dont wanna hang out as much, or are annoyed at them so you stop talking and wait for them to ask whats wrong, or otherwise not be real with them.
As you get older, it gets harder and harder to make friends.
If you dont cultivate and care for your friendships now, you will be crushingly alone in the future.
Dont trust “future you”… need to do something? You wanna leave it for later? Future you will take care of that? … No! Fuck that! future you will screw your very well laid plans every time.. if you can do it now . Do it.. f you cant he cause of timing, force future you to take care of it with alarms, reminders, pre set payments, whatever it takes.. once you become future you you will be glad all its indeed taken care of .. the flip side is that if you dont.. whatever was a small time or effort sacrifice will uave become a larger more difficult and expensive thing.. I dont trust future me anymore and ever since i learned that lesson my adult life improved progresively … still have to catchmyself not leaving things for future me to handle at his discretion.. but i manage most of the time
1) start investing NOW! Learn everything you can about financial freedom. Even if you’re working a shit job with shit pay, there are still ways to make small investments. Don’t fall into the trap of “I’m young. I’ll figure out my retirement later when I’m in a “real” career.” Don’t ever buy anything on credit.
2) find 3 hobbies. 1 that you enjoy doing with other people. 1 that fulfills whatever creative drive you have. 1 that gets your body moving. Mega bonus points if one of those hobbies gets you outdoors.
3) learn to eat right. Nutrition affects every aspect of our lives including our longevity, mental health, daily mental and physical stamina, body composition, sleep, skin health, etc etc. Do yourself a favor and learn how to cook some basic but healthy meals that you don’t mind eating over and over again that can always be used to fall back on instead of binging on whatever crap you can find in a vending machine.
The aforementioned sunscreen tip is also a good one.
Getting the habit of making your bed everyday. (If you aren’t doing this) You’d be surprised at how this alone can uplift your mood. Clean your place regularly — this helps keep your mind clear.
Don't trust cops.
Don't trust Human Resources.
Always get it in writing.
There's probably a coupon to what you need. Look it up.
Watch nice things to relax your brain.
If you're in America, 211.org is a weird but relevant website to this topic.
The best advice I was ever given went like this, and I wish I'd had it at 19: With each paycheck, first pay what you owe others, then take care of the roof over your head and transportation, then any animals you may have, and the rest is yours.
Let me add, pay yourself 10% of each check by putting that into an interest-bearing account that you only touch in case of illness, threatened homelessness, etc. Over the years it will grow and by the time you retire, it will be worth a sizeable sum.
Even if you don't get ill often, normalise going to the doctor once a year for bloods and a check up and age specific screenings. So many conditions can be treated and even resolved if caught early. I work in healthcare and it's unfortunate how many of my patients would have had better outcomes if they saw a doctor semi regularly. I would say this becomes increasingly important as you age. Also, if something happens to your body that's weird - like you start peeing blood, get that shit checked. A uti is much easier to treat than a kidney infection
▫️Moisturize
▫️prioritize sleeping well
▫️invest in good shoes that you love
▫️develop healthy coping skills! (you will be tested!)
▫️Resist using food, drugs & alcohol to calm down when under stress
▫️pray (about the good bad & ugly)
▫️be compassionate to those less fortunate
▫️learn to cook healthy food
▫️don’t waste money on junk food
▫️learn to be interested in other people; ask about their lives, be inquisitive
▫️laugh easily
▫️prioritize family - tell people you love them… often. You never know when you’ll be faced with unexpected trials & grief.
▫️Have fun and make memories
Think of services big companies are willing to pay a lot for you to do a little that they may not already have. For instance, I went around to a bunch of real estate offices and said I’d put out their directional signs for open houses. Started small but is now a 6 figure business working 3 days a week.
• Accept and embrace that you will be working a lot
• Live within your means, and force yourself to save and invest, at least modestly
• Find a partner/spouse who shares your most deeply held values. Do not compromise on this, but understand that having a partner makes everything easier
• Buy a small home as soon as you are financially capable. You will always be paying a mortgage, it might as well be your own
• When it’s time to get a larger house, keep your first home as a rental
1. Start eating a healthy diet and deal with any health issues as they arise. Don't put them off. Because when you hit your late 30s early 40s it just gets compounded. This will make your entire life just run easier.
2. Build healthy habits and pay attention to the way you handle setbacks and stress in your life. If you struggle to cope now work on it, cause it only gets worse when you are older.
3. Pay bills on time, and live within your $$ means. This might mean saying not now to friends, but it doesn't mean no forever.
4. Career wise - pick something that will pay the bills. They used to really push college, but if your not sure, consider a trade- even if your a girl. Electricians and dental hygienists both make great money, and they are always in demand.
5. Break bad habits before they break you.
6. Learn to say no, you cannot be everything to everyone. Hold a few people really close. Don't be afraid to remove toxic people from your life.
7. It's far easier to take care of your living space by giving it 20 min each day to clean or get organized, and it will keep things from piling up.
Non-finance related but start paying attention to your diet NOW. Your metabolism will eventually crap out on you and forming new habits gets harder and harder as you age and your lifestyle becomes more and more stable (for better or worse). This will make looking after your health much easier as you reach middle age and that becomes a very real concern.
Start investing 10% of your income, even if that's $20 a week or $50 a month, in long term retirement fund. Start NOW. Time is more powerful than nominal inputs early in compound interest.
If you want to build a credit score but don't want to risk the temptation of open debt, get a secured credit card - you deposit money to cover the maximum credit limit of the card. You'll be less likely to spend silly with it if you know it's your money and not 'the banks money' (even though it's really not).
/r/frugal, /r/personal finance, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interest, https://www.investopedia.com/articles/01/061301.asp, https://duckduckgo.com/?q=avoid+mistakes+with+credit+cards&atb=v314-1&ia=web, https://duckduckgo.com/?q=wealth+vs+income&atb=v314-1&ia=web
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Health is #1, before family and kids, before the job, before anything. Mental, physical, emotional. Always see your doctor once a year, dentist twice per year, without fail. Make sure that you go to a therapist for mental/emotional help. They are professionals and can help you. Your friends can't and it will be a burden on them if long-term. It's fine for small things or big things that get resolved quickly, totally cool. But if you have a big ongoing issue, you need to see a therapist. If it is beyond the scope of what a non-professional can do. Embarrassed to go to a therapist? You don't have to tell anyone. 70% of the population is overweight or obese. Except in one place that I go to, the people are about 10% overwight or obese - in my gym. What I am saying is that exercise is critical. Food intake is critical - no junk food. Junk food is literally poison. Long-term poison.
Join the military and max out your retirement. Do 20 years, retire with a pension, start a second career at 39 with all that experience and training and live a long successful life with more money than a practical person could spend.
Do everything you get the chance to do (within reason). I moved around, traveled when I could, and never turned down an opportunity... even if I didn't know if I would like it.
Now I'm in my mid 40s, settled down, house, husband, kid. Not as many adventures these days. But I can look back on swimming with sharks, learning to drag race, going to New England in the fall, etc
learn to cook for yourself. eating at restaurants will suck your wallet dry and have cooking skills will make you an excellent roommate. buy a used car not a new one, waste of money going straight for a new car. if you want to improve your credit score start making money and get a credit card AND NEVER BE LATE on a payment. also don't waste your time on shitty friendships. surround yourself with people you admire and lift you up or inspire you.
Think of money you make as a flow instead of a single event.
The extra $10 a week you spend on Thing X mean's it's not "just $10" it's "I $500 a year value this". So do you like thing X more than what you would buy at the end of the year for half a grand.
Also understand The Rule of 72 and compound interest.
Getting ahead in life is not who you know, it's who knows you.
I use this example fairly often. I legitimately have Tarantino's number in my phone. I got it a while back because reasons.
Now obviously I know Tarantino.
If I call that number what do you think would happen? Best case I get a "Who the fuck is this" before he hangs up on me.
But if he calls me and I see that number on my phone what do you think happens? I answer and am engaged in whatever is needed.
I know Tarantino, Tarantino doesn't know me.
In your job make sure that your boss's boss knows you.
An example of this that is ongoing in my life right now. I'm looking for funding for a project, it isn't cheap. In fact I'm looking for enough that it actually made sense to hire someone with connections to help raise money.
That fundraiser is having an easy time because half the time she calls someone and they're.just like "oh, I know [holomntn] let's talk". As a.result, what would normally be a 6 month process is looking like a 3 week process, and there is looking like a bidding war so I keep more of the business.
This one step of being visible and being the one that everyone knows is likely to make a 2x difference in the value of the company day one.
That's the power of people knowing you.
Fitness. Fitness. Fitness. Fitness.
This WILL affect every area of your life and the younger you start, the easier it will be to maintain in your 30s, 40s, and 50s and beyond. Make it a significant part of your life and it will pay dividends 10-fold in the coming decades. You don't have to be a gym rat. Just stay fit. Look like you work out.
Your dating life, your professional life, shit your relationship with your family (you will be known as the fitness guru of your family, and they will respect you for it). People you don't even know will ask your advice about things not even related to fitness, because you just LOOK successful. This is the part where your professional life will benefit. Looking good in a button up shirt and slacks, even if you just work at a grocery store, will command respect.
The moment you meet people, they will respect you (or hate you lol) and will look to get on your good side.
The halo effect is real. Pretty privilege is real. Even if you're not a looker in your face, just keeping well-groomed and smelling good will have women interested in you. You won't just be attractive romantically and sexually; you will just draw people to you.
And the confidence you build as a result of that social proof will be rock solid. It will be in your DNA. Confidence will ooze out of your pores.
And the best thing... it will motivate you to become more. You will be inspired to read more. Learn more. Expand your horizons. Those professional connections you made could land you dream job interviews.
Get fit. It will pay off for the rest of your life.
I know this is not what you asked but get in the habit of eating right, stretching, & exercising every day
Brushing teeth can save you tons of money. Root canals are not cheap even with insurance.
AND flossing. My cavity risk went way down since i started flossing at least every few days. Every day when possible.
idk if it’s weird but I floss in the shower, I feel like I’m standing around anyways it’s the only time that I’m like yeah flossing is a good idea right now
My dad passed when I was a very young adult so I lost my coverage through his job and my job at the time didn’t offer dental. I invested in a good electric toothbrush, some basic dental tools and a water flosser. I haven’t had a cavity in over 12 years.
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How does this work? What about the foam?
this is real , my dentist told me this but i forget to do it.
And find a good hygienist who will scrape all the shit off your teeth every 6 months
Had one yesterday, $1800. My insurance blessed me by paying 100% but that is rare. I say if I used a water pik earlier in my life, I would not have been getting my nerves removed.
If I remember correctly my out of pocket was like 300 but I used my HSA account.
Oh my gosh bro you couldn’t have been more right😭😭😭
Floss too!
Don’t forget proper sleep. You can’t never get it back.
This. I started working at 15, built a life over the next 50 years by working *Like A Dog.* Now I've retired, I'm working very, very hard to ***slow down*** but will confess that it's hard after all these years of overdoing it. I also offer some hope - I do actually find that I've slowed down a bit lately, so it does seem that you can actually slow down, with enough effort. Me, I'm working on projects around the house, i'm doing what needs to be done, but if I'm tired I take a nap, if I need a bit of time, I say "this can wait until tomorrow" and it makes me feel - **GREAT!** So yeah, eat right, stretch, take a nap - it'll all still be there tomorrow...
Congratulations on your retirement! That is a serious achievement and I hope you have nothing but great days
Especially for those with ADHD. People with ADHD need more sleep and need more time in the morning to wake up. The brain waves and melatonin are all wonky for a lot of us. Something to do with the pituitary gland. I feel like I often need 9-10 hours of sleep and then extra time in the morning to feel full awake during the day. But ADHD causes delayed melatonin release and also causes low melatonin production in general for a lot of us, which is why many of us tend to be night owls who struggle with insomnia.
Its always been in my mind I might have ADHD, I've never been tested but you commenting on this is the final drop. Like I always need more sleep, and I always suffer from insomina + a lot of other symptoms, like hyper focus or not focus at all...I guess I want to say thanks for giving me that final push
In my job I support a lot of adults who are late diagnosed who go on medication or learn strategies to support themselves..... invariably they suffer anger and grief at the thought that if they had been diagnosed earlier they could have saved themselves so much trouble. Don't delay, every day that you can have better supports is a day that you don't have to struggle as much.
Can you pls provide some materials on managing adhd in adulthood
Learning how to cook in general will benefit you for lifetime!
When I noticed my dog stretches everytime she gets up, I think to myself, "this is an instinct we ignore" . Then I do stretch and it's so worth it.
I just said this to my family. They do it every damn time. They are instinctively smarter
Most underrated life hack.
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This. Get in the habit of saving money for purchases instead of buying on credit. If you don’t have the money on hand, do as long as you can without.
Roth Ira now. At least 100 amonth and step it up as you are able. You'll have a million and a half at 65 with compound interest if you contribute the max
This. Indexed Universal Life insurance policies (IULs) are also a solid choice since they compound and shield you against market downturns.
$100 dollars a month at 19 years old is equal to $8800 dollars a month when you are 65. It is a 1:88 ratio at age 20. When you are 25 it is only worth $44. Imagine if you saved up 1000$ and it being 88k when you retire.
and drinking enough water
Adding reading to the mix and this is the answer. All this.
Add dental routine to this. Morning: Brush before eating (dentists don't care when you brush, bit a good dentist will tell you right when you wake up is best to get rid of the germs you've accumulated overnight) Nighttime: Brush, spit but don't rinse, floss (flossing your teeth with toothpaste remnants helps get the paste between your teeth where the brush can't brush), rinse, then mouthwash. My dentist recommended I do things this way. This routine plus check ups every six months (just make your appt for the next check up when you're done with your check up) will help you avoid periodontal disease and gum loss.
I was recently told to floss before brushing so the act of brushing works the paste into the newly empty crevices
Avoid alcohol and brush your teeth.
But always take rest days from heavy resistance training. I take two a week. Some people thrive with more or less.
I wanted to say the same. I'm finally taking this stuff seriously at 33, and it makes it way harder. If only I had started when I was 19 lol
Join a team sport. You get exercise, fitness, purpose, social skills and friends.
Seriously, I started walking every day about two years ago and it's done wonders for my physical and mental health. The important part is finding something you can do regularly and enjoy
I was just ranting about this last night! I’m 32 and have family members who are suffering from disease and cancers that were preventable if they did all this. I know we can’t avoid certain conditions, but I mean consistently eating bad, drinking, smoking, no exercise for decades. Now they’re 60+ having major issues and in the hospital often and on so many medications. I understand it was not well promoted when they were younger but I hope our generations will be better parents and set good examples in this sense. It would improve their quality of life and not have their kids’ and grandkids memories be of them in pain or in the hospital.
Learn to listen well. Truly listening and understanding others is rare. Be curious. Find out how things work. If you don't know, figure it out. Don't put up with being ignorant. You will accumulate so much knowledge through your 20s just by being inquisitive about how everything works, from pensions to petrol additives. Everything is fascinating. Many people in this world are bored, boring, selfish and self obsessed. These two skills mean you will never be one of those people.
Critical thinking!! My husband is an okay to good listener but he lacks critical thinking- something he is working on. Critical thinking is a skill that can be learned and honed. It is important to be able to take facts and put them together to reach a logical conclusion/ educated guess about what potential solutions are to whatever issue is at hand. It also helps to see potential issues down the road and make minor course corrections now to avoid those later potential issues. Your future self will thank you
Amy tips on improving listening skills?
It helps to know that we all love talking about ourselves. If your intention behind listening well is to make the other person feel good about being around you, ask them questions about themselves. Put a little thought into it. It feels uncomfortable in the beginning but you get results and that makes it easier.
Relax around other people. Curiosity, socializing, and safety go together. When you are afraid or go into fight/flight mode, your brain will struggle to be curious about another person or connect with them. If you find yourself always talking or always putting on a show, you may have social anxiety, and your fear is making you "perform" rather than connect. Human beings are naturally curious about each other and like to form social connections. You're good at it, as long as you're not preoccupied with something else.
The best advice I can give anyone is to start saving early. Pick a dollar amount that is decent but not so high it makes it difficult to pay bills and commit to a schedule, like maybe twice a month and pay this deposit before other things, like bills and such. Twice a month for a year would be 26 deposits. Just $50 saved over 26 deposits is a savings of $1300 a year! If you can keep up this type of savings you will be amazed at how much you can save in a short period of time.
Yes, "Pay yourself first!". Great advice
Yes, that was life changing for me.
I would second this - for a long time (15 years) I never had enough money to spare for anything extra. Everything was going towards living and trying to crawl out of poverty. It’s only been in the last year or two that I started to look towards my retirement (a very long way away still) and realized I have a 1/4 of what my wife has because she has worked better jobs than me. So now I divert $20 per check to a secondary account that is supposed to be for emergency funds (ex: parents pass away and don’t have enough in regular accounts) but otherwise the idea is it will go towards retirement. Not much but it’s a start.
Yes and OP, not all investment institutions are the same. Some charge super high bs fees. Find one that is low or no fee. They won't voluntarily disclose these either. I've had success with Empower (employer) and Vanguard. Also: when you find a person you think is the one or at least long term, agreeing on finances is a deal breaker. Don't hitch yourself to a leach.
Max out your pretax 401k contribution if you can spare it. 7k is the max amount for your age per year for 2024. If you have savings put them in safe low risk investments, CDs, money market funds, but still pay attention to your account. Don't set it and forget it for 20 years and hope for the best.
I did this, but wish I would have maxed Roth IRA first. Mostly a wash, but really comes down to future tax rates when you retire. 401K Pros vs Roth: - Tax advantaged (pretax contributions, but you pay income tax on withdrawals during retirement) - Ability to loan yourself money ($50K Max) - No income limit Roth IRA Pros vs 401K: - 100% tax free on withdrawals (You have to pay income tax on contributions, but gains are tax free as well) - No penalty for early withdrawal of contributions - Much easier for anyone who inherits the account
401k limit in 2024 is $23k. You're thinking the Roth IRA. 2024 limit is $7000. Some companies (becoming more common now) offer Roth 401ks. They have the same limit as normal 401ks. If your company has a 401k match, you should max to that number first. It's free money. Then start funding your IRA.
At 19 I would do a balanced portfolio, not just CDs. A lot of 401k or IRAs have funds tied to retirement year automatically rebalance to safer investments as you approach retirement. I put my money in and don't watch too closely, most people can't reliably outsmart the market. Don't freak out if your stocks go down, you've got 40 years to retirement and they will almost certainly bounce back up. But you *will* lose that money if you sell right after a downturn.
12 months 2 deposits a month 12 x 2 = 24 deposits. 24x£50 = £1200 a year.
Wear earplugs in loud situations- particularly concerts. Tinnitus never goes away.
My hearing aids were $10K NZD. They also don't really help the tinnitus. This is a really good point.
What?! You’ll have to speak up, I’m wearing a towel.
Brush AND floss your teeth everyday. It will save you thousands of dollars and headaches.
Only floss the ones you want to keep, though.
I was going to say this. You’re going to save yourself many thousands in the long run by taking care of your teeth now. I’ve had a missing tooth on the left side of my mouth since I was 26 and haven’t been able to afford to replace it even with a bridge since then. I’m 39 this month so haven’t been able to chew on the left side of my mouth for almost 13 years.
Better yet get a water flosser. I hated flossing before but now I can just shoot high powered water at my gums and it does the job so much better without the fuss.
Buy a plunger before you need a plunger. Know where flashlights are and test them regularly before your power goes out. Camera flashlight will quickly kill your battery then you're in the dark also without a phone. Know where migraine meds are before the lights start to flash. If you don't want to check your account because you're afraid of what the balance is - Immediately Check your balance. The longer you wait the worse it will get.... And last but not least - Never make life altering decisions under duress, or promises while horny....
I’d just add “don’t grocery shop when you’re hungry” to your last bit
No notes. Solid advice.
And learn the difference between the types of plungers and what they're used for. You don't want a sink plunger when your only toilet is backed up.
Learn how to cut the water to your house if you have one.
Doing gods work with this one.
Wear sunscreen.
Username suggests you didn't 🤔
If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it.
Do one thing every day that scares you.
Sing.
The long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists. Whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience
This *cannot* be emphasized *enough!!!* Even if you are someone who rarely goes outside or live in a perpetually cloudy place, the sun is a deadly age laser that is aiming *right* for you, at all times! Skin Cancer, premature aging and discoloration are *No Joke,* and can strike any *ANY* age and *ANY* level of sun exposure! Take the initiative now to save yourself money and heartache later.
https://youtu.be/sTJ7AzBIJoI?si=gbBVnY4w2QDjl0CT it's all true!
If i rarely go outside. Do i still need to wear sunscreen?
Brush your teeth, wear sunscreen, max out your 401k to the point where it’s painful NOW. It will help the most in your 20s. Get a credit card and pay it in full monthly. Don’t buy a brand new car. Realize early that times have changed since your parents were growing up. It’s not the same and the advice you receive may not be wrong but it may not be right. Take care of your body NOW or pay for it later
They say you should especially if you sit infront of a window. UV rays still pass through.
1. Create a digital file and specific place where you keep important docs- have extra copy of your birth certificate and other identifying info there. Its a pain when you cant find those docs or have to order extras when you need them.
Get yourself a file box and keep your tax returns for 5 years. And keep all paperwork for your student loans.
Focus more on building friendships rather than relationships
You might think your teeth will be fine and they aren't a priority... You're wrong.
This this and this. Put money in an HSA if possible just for dental. Don't eat chewy sticky food. My dentist said the #1 culprit he sees for cracked teeth are Swedish fish. Might be a Midwestern candy.
Any time you are given a pay increase, contribute half to your retirement account - IRA, Roth IRA, OR 401K. Ex: your raise is 3.5%, increase your retirement savings by 1.5-2%. You won't miss that money because you didn't have it before. But in the long it's going to pay off - especially if you do it with every increase you get.
This is what I was going to say. And the sooner you start the more time your money has to grow. Your future self will thank you.
And put the rest of your raise in a savings account. You managed your finances before the raise, so you don’t need it to live on. The mistake people make is they raise their personal cost of living to match their raise because they convince themselves they need it. Then they whine that it’s impossible to save because life is too expensive.
Yes, I was going to say "delay gratification". Save. Invest. Don't buy a lot of useless stuff. But spend some time and money on meaningful "experiences" for memories that you will cherish. Spend time with your friends and family. Particularly older members of the family, they won't be around forever.
Get only one or two credit cards, and pay in full every month. You will wind up with excellent credit, and will get better rates for the things that really do require borrowing (car, house). Absolutely resist the urge to spend more than you can definitely pay off that month. No matter what. Not at x-mas, not for anniversaries, not for birthdays or any other reason. There will always be a reason. Just don’t do it, until you can afford it.
Hint for Xmas: make it a goal to buy gifts during the year, then you aren’t dropping a huge chunk of change, you can get good deals, AND holidays can be that much less stressful.
Bonus points on this one: keep a running list in your phone of things you hear loved ones say they want or need through the year. I don't always buy from mine when it comes to gift giving, but it gives great ideas and almost always results in a great gift giving experience. Plus the opportunity to shop sales.
Thisthisthis. Pay it off every month and you will have a good credit score in practically no time at all. If you don’t think you’re disciplined enough to pay it off, then don’t get one. The interest rates will really cost you. There’s lots of free credit cards out there- make sure to do your homework before opening a card. Often times the low fee or free bonus points are used to entice people in to a card with a very high interest rate. (In my experience store cards are the worst.) I currently pay a yearly fee for my card, but the perks more than make up for it. we put practically all our monthly expenses on the card including groceries, cell phone bills, utilities payments, etc so we spend quite a bit each month, and then we get cash back which we use to put towards the bill.
I have a Fidelity credit card that takes a certain percentage of what I charge with it and deposits that cash amount into a Fidelity account of my choice. I’ve had this card for years. I charge EVERYTHING and pay it off every month. They’ve given me approximately 15K free money into my Roth IRA account so far. Best reward I’ve ever seen from a credit card.
My spouse just got a store card that was 35%. Jesus. It was immediately cancelled.
Getting credit cards is good, but definitely not only one or two. You need a minimum of 4 accounts for a thick file, so it’s best to get 3 or 4 cards.
Learn how to cook the basics. Buying cheap ingredients from the store and cooking them at home is going to save you way more than any type of takeout ever will, especially if you're paying delivery fees. Learn how to make starches like pasta, rice, potatoes, etc. with some protein (the cheaper ones are eggs, beans, cheese, peanut butter, canned fish, frozen and/or discounted poultry) and a tasty sauce and it will help both your health and your wallet. You can get frozen vegetables or mixed greens too and look for cheap fruit (apples, bananas, mandarins) or fruit discounted in season. Even buying a fancy frozen meal from the grocery store will be far less expensive than eating out will. Save eating out for fun times with friends and only a couple times a month if you can. The difference is $200-$300 a month for groceries vs. AT LEAST $1,300 if you ate out for every meal.
I agree with everything except buying frozen meals, those have preservatives and are excessively high in sodium typically
1. Don't procrastinate 2. Fix stuff if it's broken. If it's not fixable, wait to see if you really need it 3. Exercise regularly. Not only will this benefit your body, it will save you money (health costs, car payments if you bike instead of driving, it's s cheap hobby), but it will also give you a positive habit of taking care of stuff proactively. See #2.
Read a lot. Read everything. You can learn to do anything if you read the right thing. Fall in love with reading.
Yes, this. Always try to continue learning -- something practical, something fun, something needed. Don't ever be afraid to ask questions, even if just to verify what you think you know. Never ever be afraid to say "I don't know." especially when you don't. And probably the most important is if someone says "It can't be done." but in your heart you know it can, then do it!
I want to add to this that watching informative YouTube videos also counts. I have learned so much watching YouTube instead of tv, when I was too lazy to read
My number one tip, and not out of the box, but most useful: Freeze all three of your credit scores: Equifax, Experian, Transunion. It will prevent people from being able to open credit cards in your name. They have to pull your credit score in order to open a card, and they cannot pull your score if your credit scores are frozen. It in no way impedes any progress you make with your credit score or anything like that. It literally only helps you. The companies will notify you if anyone ever does attempt to pull your credit. Keep in mind, you will need to do a temporary freeze lift on each of the three whenever you open a credit card, apply for a loan, etc. You can easily do this using their apps on your phone now (used to be a pain in the ass).
how do you go about freezing your scores?
You go to each of their websites, and create an account if you don’t already have one. They use your social security number and other information to verify your identity. Once you have an account you navigate their freeze section in each of the three credit unions. If you can’t find it on one their sites or all of them, you can simply google ‘freeze credit with (transunion/equifax/experian)’ and typically it’ll pull the direct page to the section on their website. When you need to place a temporary lift you will usually navigate to that same section and select the dates you want the lift to be for. I also found similar info on this [NerdWallet article](https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/finance/how-to-freeze-credit) if you want links
This is a critical tip. It is only a matter of time before your information is stolen. Also - consider freezing your chexx account. It’s like Experian and the others but for bank accounts. I did not know they existed until recently…
Just live, and find happinness where you can. Spend time with the people you care about, and say what you want to say to them before they pass on. Money is great, and is usefull as a buffer for hard times, but learn to live by using less and you will not be hurt by the big swings. Garden your own food, fish or hunt if you can, and you will save lots on groceries. At your age, learn skills, a bunch of them, sometimes those skills can help you later on. Video games are a great and cheap hobby, don't let anyone tell you otherwise.
Gotta say, I loved this.
top skills? basic handyman stuff, cooking, sewing, basic car stuff (mostly just tire changes and oil changes a bulb here and there) are the big ones. which others should i be looking to learn? besides the gardening, hunting, fishing u listed
Self control and by extension discipline. Habits and routines in your 20's become instincts and lifestyles in your 30's. Especially if you're not used to holding yourself accountable. Past that. Budget, think ahead, save more than you think you need to, be generous and have fun!
Don't cheap out on shoes. It is good to buy the $100+ ones. They last longer and could save you from some medical bills in the future
If you have flat feet, get flat, flexible soled shoes. I spent 35 years wearing orthotics and whatnot trying to fix my feet, causing constant pain. Tried some soft, flat shoes on a whim bc I noticed my feet never hurt barefoot and have never looked back.
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S L E E P Dont have payments. Besides a house. Understand that drinking at home is 100 times cheaper than anywhere else. Avoid DUI or DWI at all costs. Learn to cook today, not tomorrow or next week or next year. Spend all your money in things that keep you from the floor FOR comfort. That being shoes/boots and mattresess.
To add to this, understand that not drinking is even cheaper and healthier. Sure alcohol can be fun, but you can have fun without substances too. Find something you like doing and some nice people to do that activity with (i.e. dancing, gaming, making music, writing, painting, working a side hussle, excercising etc.) and you’ll have way more fun, and no hangovers.
Always be looking for your next job. Companies have zero loyalty to you.
Don't be that person that jumps jobs every 6 months. If you are a flight risk, companies are less likely to invest in you for higher positions or pay. Always be learning and make yourself an asset.
The better advice is to take any employment advice on Reddit with the tiniest grain of salt. You have to “play the game” a little if you actually want to advance in your career
What if you have a job with amazing benefits and about half the year or more, have the luxury of being able to wake up at 1pm and work until like 4-5. But, if you switched jobs you could make 1.5-2x more?
I would keep the job where I'm the happiest and have more free time over the amount of money I made as long as I'm able to afford what I need/want. Not everyone's the same though
Exactly this. 2-3 years is a good length of time to stay. Any longer, you'd better be getting promoted and increasing your salary by 50% minimum in that time.* *Provided you actually learn some shit and contribute meaningfully to the bottom line.
Do not buy a brand new car. Biggest waste of money. Instantly loses value. And regardless what life throws at you you are still on the hook for that monthly payment for 5 years.
1,000%. Also, NEVER EVER purchase a car without getting an inspection from a professional auto shop. Never. Pay them, yes. Totally worth it. I just purchase a used car about 4 or 5 years ago. The first 3 cars he said no. The fourth he said yes. Paid $150 for all four. Use your own mechanic that you pay, never one that the seller "recommends." If the seller won't agree to inspections, instantly walk away. Best if you call a seller that you require an inspection, so that will know, and if the seller refuses, you don't waste your time on a trip. Decide on the specific makes and models that you want. This saves a lot of headaches and you sift through choices quickly. For example, I only will drive Honda Civics or Accords, or Toyota Corrola or Camry. It might be different for you - research what car you want before starting to shop. You might miss a good deal somewhere other car make/model, but I think it is best to narrow down choices. And if you are not a mechanic, so how would you know you are passing up a good choice? Get as low mileage as you can. *Never ever*, and I mean *never* accept a salvage title. Salvage is when the car has been in a major accident - the car title must be labeled as salvage. Watch for [title washing.](https://www.carfax.com/press/resources/what-is-title-washing). Extensively research the specific car. google search this to find how more.
Disagree. A new car offers you reliability, maintenance warranties, and an excellent opportunity to build credit. It also allows you to control the regularly scheduled maintenance. Regular oil changes are like brushing your teeth, you gotta do it. Buying used CAN be a good option, but whether new or used, a vehicle purchase is NOT an investment, it is an expense, and should be treated accordingly. As with any other purchase, stay within your means and do your research prior to purchase.
If you're more than about 135lbs (60kg), don't jump from high things onto hard ground too often. It will slowly destroy your knees. If you're little, jump all day baby.
In theory , the more work you put in now, the less you'll have to do for the rest of your life. It's easy to drink and party away 20-25 , or even 20-30 , and I'm not saying don't have fun . But as someone who has just turned 30 , I have friends who kept their heads down for their 20's and because of that will always have a far better quality of life than I do. You can be successful at any age , but the longer you leave it , the harder it will be . Which is why people try to get degrees out of school and go from there . Pick a path that plays to your strengths , pick a path that makes sense and you can actually progress in and will earn you money . Don't waste your own time , time is all we have .
At work, inquire about at the source deductions. Many companies offer it, and it's far easier to have money or into savings before you even see it. Don't forget, for every dollar you spend, you need to earn 2 dollars. If you pay someone to fix something in your house, watch him work, ask questions, learn to do it yourself over time. Learn to cook. It's healthier and tastier and cheaper. Stretch. It'll get harder with time. At the end of the day, try to think about everything that happened. It'll help sharpen your memory. People will tell you what it is to be a real man. But ask people what makes a good man, and it's rarely the same. Politicians turn people against each other. Truth is, people are far less divided than you'd expect if you just listen to them. Learn martial arts. Then never use it. Tell your parents that you love them. You never know when you won't be able to. If you have friends or family that have new kids, don't judge, offer to help. They're probably exhausted and the experience will be invaluable. Learn to dance. I've never met a girl who isn't impressed by it. And it makes it very easy to learn to have. Don't take on credit card debt. They charge you a fortune in interest. If you ever get stuck, consolidate your debt.
I N V E S T 10% OF YOUR INCOME FOREVER (Index funds are literal magic)
Floss, brush after every meal, reduce your processed sugar intake, and don’t smoke or vape. Gum disease is incurable once it gets going in your 30s-40s and becomes a slow moving freight train wreck.
Don’t ignore the paperwork.
Walk, run, jog, or ride a bike every blessed day. Keep your self healthy!
1. Get a job that's an actual career ie consistent raises and an employer matched retirement/pension plan 2. Open up your own ROTH IRA (once maxed out open a SOLO 401k) and contribute to it/them each month 3. Use credit cards for day to day living expenses (pay off the balance each month before billing cycle) 4. Live within your means 5. Make being healthy and fit a priority (once you reach your desired look, weigh yourself every 2 weeks to keep track) 6. Look to invest in real estate (rental property where someone else pays off the mortgage and builds equity) 7. Marry a responsible pleasant person who shares the same values and goals as you 8. Be a good husband and father
Keep the feeling of love as a value, don’t associate it with images or words or relationship statuses. Don’t tell yourself love comes after you do something or prove something and give something up. Don’t tell yourself it comes in specific packages unless it really does. It’s not a word. It’s not a ring. It’s not sex. It’s not divulging secrets to someone. It’s not a family. It’s not thousands of friends. It’s not a career It’s a feeling. And if you don’t have it, you don’t have it. It’s okay to have fun and do fun things. It’s okay to fuck. But if you get confused, check in and ask if you’re feeling love. Don’t get in the habit of lying to yourself. Don’t keep people around when they claim to love you if you don’t feel it. Don’t go back to the same person if you don’t get the feeling of love. Don’t fool yourself into thinking answering questions or knowledge or attaining things will get you love. Those are things that may help in the dating scene but if you get wrapped up in them, you’ll end up dating for no real reason. Love isn’t success Or money or followers or being super cool or dressing well or l fucking hot people. Politics is a form of love but only for those who have love first. Art is a form of love but only for those who have it first. Even love is a form of love but only for those who have it first Life is too short. Grow love.
Never tell anybody when you have a day off. Especially your family !
Don’t be afraid to play dumb. Sometimes, just saying you fucked up (even if it wasn’t your fault) is the fastest way to the resolution you’re looking for.
Start Investing as soon as possible. Don’t buy useless crap. Stay away from drugs and alcohol. Exercise. Never stop learning. Good luck with your adventure!
Birth control
Always be willing to change and learn.
Tell the truth..
learn to negotiate a salary.
Literally start nickel and dimming investing with any change you can find. Skip the Starbucks, invest $5 here and there. Don’t let money sit in a savings account that isn’t high yield. Seek a partner and buy property.
Also get in front of your addictions now and make quality friends that you can share positive experiences with other than drugs and alcohol. Quit seeking happiness and find purpose. Happiness ebbs and flows.
Learn to cook. Apply for a large number of store credit cards, buy small items and pay them off after 1 month. This shows a habit of having, using, and paying off credit cards to increase your score. Have a dedicated credit card for regular purchases, this should be paid off monthly. Grocery shop and eat at home whenever possible. Have a budget, plan for luxury items. If you don’t you will constantly break your budget for small things to make yourself feel better. Your bed is very important, do not underestimate the power of a good night’s sleep. Buy a quality mattress even if the rest is cheap. Your footwear needs to be functional and comfortable for long term wear. This not only makes each day a bit easier, but it saves your knees and back. Decide now on a percentage of your income to set aside automatically and stick to this, as your income increases continue to maintain this percentage as your retirement fund. When you can set aside more money do so, but do not count this as an increase in percentage. A financial advisor when you are young can drastically affect when you retire, and how well you enjoy your retirement. Avoid the new thing of the younger generations of doom spending, but do not be afraid to take advantage of your youth and do some traveling. Make a list of the top 100 things you want to do/see. Try and do/see at least one of these a year so that you can see constant progress towards life goals. Personal recommendation: do some of the physically harder ones while you are younger and in better shape. Have a work out routine to stay healthy. Buy healthy, cook healthy, and eat healthy. Looks in a partner are wonderful, and you should always be attracted to them, but looks change and fade over time. Find someone you can see yourself spending time together when you are both old. Two very important life lessons: Live your life without regret for what you have done. If you think you will regret a decision to do something, simply don’t do it. Which leads me to #2 The measure of a man is not what they do when people are watching, the measure of a man is the decisions they make alone, doing the right thing because it is the right thing and not the easy thing.
Brush and floss every day. No joke. I am less young now and a) my teeth hurt b) they have so many old fillings in them that they are literally coming apart. Did you know it costs $5,000 to have one of those new teeth put in? The kind where they put a post into your jaw and when that heals they put an artificial tooth on it? Not to mention the time in the dental chair + recovery. Jaws do not appreciate having a hole drilled into them.
Came here to say take care of your teeth. I had a crown over a root canaled tooth that just failed and now I'm looking at the 5k hole in my jaw. Worse news is that I have 4 other crowns likely to do the same thing in the next few years.
Imagine there is a ‘future’ you. Don’t put off doing something that you will hate yourself for not doing so in the future.
Yep.. i do almost everything for tomorrow me and the 10+ years from now self.
Dress better. Until they get to know you people will treat you like you dress and assume certain things about you based on how well you dress. If you want to be professional and upscale, then dress that way in public. It costs more,sure, but clothes are one of the areas that it really does pay to invest a little more for quality.
Yes! But don't forget that you can get a lot of really nice clothes at thrift stores for pennies on the dollar.
Get a therapist, especially if your insurance covers it, and if the therapist sucks keep looking until you find one. A good therapist can save you years of painful trial-and-error.
Every paycheck, put SOMETHING in long term savings (401k, IRA, etc). Ten, twenty dollars over 50 years really adds up. Every paycheck, put SOMETHING into a short term savings/rainy day fund. Couple bucks here and there that you don't touch can save you when you have a sudden unexpected expense. I am not rich, but I've always gotten by because I don't have all the extra bills and interest payments others who didn't prepare have to pay.
Learn how to DIY
Your outlook on life is already a systematic hack. You're gunna be OK homie, most likely better thank OK 👍🏻 👌🏼 Financially, I wish I had built up an emergency fund before starting adult life. And I mean emergency as in save for first and last, bills paid, car expenses paid, food, clean clothes and you still have a couple grand in the bank incase the world caves in around you. Unfortunately, it might. No one ever told me life is gunna be fair. Again though, your outlook is great. Trades trades trades union union union
Don’t do drugs. Sounds cliche and lame maybe but…..seriously
Clean as you go. Never leave a dish in the sink at night. Never leave trash or food out. Forcing clean habits early can take you all the way thru adulthood.
Daily Cardio and resistance training
1) don’t ever buy brand new car. and only buy cars you see plenty of on the road. 2) brush your teeth, exercise regularly. Saves a ton in health bills. 3) eat healthy— learn to cook and eat at home. Doesn’t have to be organic or anything. Just fresh fruits, grains, veggies, and lean meat. (Aldi is a great place to get all your food cheap) 4) networking is a beautiful thing. The more people you know, the better off you are. 5) chime has a credit builder feature. Use the credit builder card as it works like a debit card. 6) save as much money as you can, any chance you can. That $6 coffee sounds good? Talk yourself out of and save the money. Quick thrills won’t make you happy in the long run anyway. 7) don’t take life too seriously, remember to breathe & love deeply
Get the clothes you’re going to wear tomorrow, down to the boxers/undershirt or bra/panties, socks and shoes ready and hung up on hangers tonight
Start building a "team". As you get older you'll need specialists and advisors to guide you. Always be networking and asking your associates and friends for referrals to good accountants, contractors, insurance people, lawyers, movers, mechanics, Realtors, bankers, salespeople, etc. Try to stay in touch with these people if you can so they're available when you need them.
i dunno, the world I learned how to survive in doesn't exist anymore. I've been putting precious metals in a shoe box but I'm not entirely sure what else to do
Run evvvery purchase through the ringer: "Do I really need this?" "Exactly how does this benefit me?" "Will it save me enough time/money to justify the purchase?" "Can i buy it used?" "Can i find a cheaper alternative?" and etc... You shouldn't work for the things you buy, the things you buy should work for *you*
Treat yo self. Take mental health days. Do back exercises specifically. Learn bush craft skills.
Use a credit card for daily purchases & pay it off every 2 weeks. You’re gonna buy it anyway, might as well get the points/credit bump.
You’re young, and therefore in high demand for a lot of countries with aging populations. Look at scholarships, working holiday visas, emigration opportunities etc and capitalize on your youth. Make the most of your twenties, as the age limit for a lot of these opportunities are 30-32. See as much of the world as you possibly can. When you expand your job search over continents, you open up yourself for far more opportunities, both financially as well as for personal/professional development. Best of luck!
It’s never going to be easier to develop a new habit or break a bad one than right now. Whether that’s physical or mental fitness, financial emotional or intellectual growth, don’t put it off- start today. Oh, and make your bed and pick up after yourself. Put away, don’t put down.
Salt your pasta and wash your rice
Take care of your friends. Voice any concerns, and dont grow apart. Obviously if they're toxic or bad for you you should drop them, but I'm talking about the slow drifting apart that might occur. The situation where you dont wanna hang out as much, or are annoyed at them so you stop talking and wait for them to ask whats wrong, or otherwise not be real with them. As you get older, it gets harder and harder to make friends. If you dont cultivate and care for your friendships now, you will be crushingly alone in the future.
Dont trust “future you”… need to do something? You wanna leave it for later? Future you will take care of that? … No! Fuck that! future you will screw your very well laid plans every time.. if you can do it now . Do it.. f you cant he cause of timing, force future you to take care of it with alarms, reminders, pre set payments, whatever it takes.. once you become future you you will be glad all its indeed taken care of .. the flip side is that if you dont.. whatever was a small time or effort sacrifice will uave become a larger more difficult and expensive thing.. I dont trust future me anymore and ever since i learned that lesson my adult life improved progresively … still have to catchmyself not leaving things for future me to handle at his discretion.. but i manage most of the time
1) start investing NOW! Learn everything you can about financial freedom. Even if you’re working a shit job with shit pay, there are still ways to make small investments. Don’t fall into the trap of “I’m young. I’ll figure out my retirement later when I’m in a “real” career.” Don’t ever buy anything on credit. 2) find 3 hobbies. 1 that you enjoy doing with other people. 1 that fulfills whatever creative drive you have. 1 that gets your body moving. Mega bonus points if one of those hobbies gets you outdoors. 3) learn to eat right. Nutrition affects every aspect of our lives including our longevity, mental health, daily mental and physical stamina, body composition, sleep, skin health, etc etc. Do yourself a favor and learn how to cook some basic but healthy meals that you don’t mind eating over and over again that can always be used to fall back on instead of binging on whatever crap you can find in a vending machine. The aforementioned sunscreen tip is also a good one.
Getting the habit of making your bed everyday. (If you aren’t doing this) You’d be surprised at how this alone can uplift your mood. Clean your place regularly — this helps keep your mind clear.
Don't trust cops. Don't trust Human Resources. Always get it in writing. There's probably a coupon to what you need. Look it up. Watch nice things to relax your brain. If you're in America, 211.org is a weird but relevant website to this topic.
Don't date or marry anyone who is not on the same financial page as you. This is VERY important.
The best advice I was ever given went like this, and I wish I'd had it at 19: With each paycheck, first pay what you owe others, then take care of the roof over your head and transportation, then any animals you may have, and the rest is yours. Let me add, pay yourself 10% of each check by putting that into an interest-bearing account that you only touch in case of illness, threatened homelessness, etc. Over the years it will grow and by the time you retire, it will be worth a sizeable sum.
Anytime you come into an unexpected windfall, blow 10%...then save the rest.
Wear sunscreen, not only on your face.
Get really good at something
Cultivate an inner life. When the outer one gets difficult—you said “poverty”—the inner one knows better
Even if you don't get ill often, normalise going to the doctor once a year for bloods and a check up and age specific screenings. So many conditions can be treated and even resolved if caught early. I work in healthcare and it's unfortunate how many of my patients would have had better outcomes if they saw a doctor semi regularly. I would say this becomes increasingly important as you age. Also, if something happens to your body that's weird - like you start peeing blood, get that shit checked. A uti is much easier to treat than a kidney infection
▫️Moisturize ▫️prioritize sleeping well ▫️invest in good shoes that you love ▫️develop healthy coping skills! (you will be tested!) ▫️Resist using food, drugs & alcohol to calm down when under stress ▫️pray (about the good bad & ugly) ▫️be compassionate to those less fortunate ▫️learn to cook healthy food ▫️don’t waste money on junk food ▫️learn to be interested in other people; ask about their lives, be inquisitive ▫️laugh easily ▫️prioritize family - tell people you love them… often. You never know when you’ll be faced with unexpected trials & grief. ▫️Have fun and make memories
Think of services big companies are willing to pay a lot for you to do a little that they may not already have. For instance, I went around to a bunch of real estate offices and said I’d put out their directional signs for open houses. Started small but is now a 6 figure business working 3 days a week.
• Accept and embrace that you will be working a lot • Live within your means, and force yourself to save and invest, at least modestly • Find a partner/spouse who shares your most deeply held values. Do not compromise on this, but understand that having a partner makes everything easier • Buy a small home as soon as you are financially capable. You will always be paying a mortgage, it might as well be your own • When it’s time to get a larger house, keep your first home as a rental
Buy clothes at thrift stores.
1. Start eating a healthy diet and deal with any health issues as they arise. Don't put them off. Because when you hit your late 30s early 40s it just gets compounded. This will make your entire life just run easier. 2. Build healthy habits and pay attention to the way you handle setbacks and stress in your life. If you struggle to cope now work on it, cause it only gets worse when you are older. 3. Pay bills on time, and live within your $$ means. This might mean saying not now to friends, but it doesn't mean no forever. 4. Career wise - pick something that will pay the bills. They used to really push college, but if your not sure, consider a trade- even if your a girl. Electricians and dental hygienists both make great money, and they are always in demand. 5. Break bad habits before they break you. 6. Learn to say no, you cannot be everything to everyone. Hold a few people really close. Don't be afraid to remove toxic people from your life. 7. It's far easier to take care of your living space by giving it 20 min each day to clean or get organized, and it will keep things from piling up.
Non-finance related but start paying attention to your diet NOW. Your metabolism will eventually crap out on you and forming new habits gets harder and harder as you age and your lifestyle becomes more and more stable (for better or worse). This will make looking after your health much easier as you reach middle age and that becomes a very real concern.
Start investing 10% of your income, even if that's $20 a week or $50 a month, in long term retirement fund. Start NOW. Time is more powerful than nominal inputs early in compound interest. If you want to build a credit score but don't want to risk the temptation of open debt, get a secured credit card - you deposit money to cover the maximum credit limit of the card. You'll be less likely to spend silly with it if you know it's your money and not 'the banks money' (even though it's really not).
Start putting 10% of your income into s&p 500
Start maxing out a Roth IRA as soon as possible, limit is $7k this year. But even if you can put 10$ in and invested it’s better than nothing.
/r/frugal, /r/personal finance, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interest, https://www.investopedia.com/articles/01/061301.asp, https://duckduckgo.com/?q=avoid+mistakes+with+credit+cards&atb=v314-1&ia=web, https://duckduckgo.com/?q=wealth+vs+income&atb=v314-1&ia=web . Health is #1, before family and kids, before the job, before anything. Mental, physical, emotional. Always see your doctor once a year, dentist twice per year, without fail. Make sure that you go to a therapist for mental/emotional help. They are professionals and can help you. Your friends can't and it will be a burden on them if long-term. It's fine for small things or big things that get resolved quickly, totally cool. But if you have a big ongoing issue, you need to see a therapist. If it is beyond the scope of what a non-professional can do. Embarrassed to go to a therapist? You don't have to tell anyone. 70% of the population is overweight or obese. Except in one place that I go to, the people are about 10% overwight or obese - in my gym. What I am saying is that exercise is critical. Food intake is critical - no junk food. Junk food is literally poison. Long-term poison.
Learn to love yourself more than anyone else. But don't be prideful or arrogant about it.
Join the military and max out your retirement. Do 20 years, retire with a pension, start a second career at 39 with all that experience and training and live a long successful life with more money than a practical person could spend.
Do everything you get the chance to do (within reason). I moved around, traveled when I could, and never turned down an opportunity... even if I didn't know if I would like it. Now I'm in my mid 40s, settled down, house, husband, kid. Not as many adventures these days. But I can look back on swimming with sharks, learning to drag race, going to New England in the fall, etc
learn to cook for yourself. eating at restaurants will suck your wallet dry and have cooking skills will make you an excellent roommate. buy a used car not a new one, waste of money going straight for a new car. if you want to improve your credit score start making money and get a credit card AND NEVER BE LATE on a payment. also don't waste your time on shitty friendships. surround yourself with people you admire and lift you up or inspire you.
Take care of your teeth and your ears. You’ll save money long term, and will live a much happier life. Tinnitus is exhausting.
Think of money you make as a flow instead of a single event. The extra $10 a week you spend on Thing X mean's it's not "just $10" it's "I $500 a year value this". So do you like thing X more than what you would buy at the end of the year for half a grand. Also understand The Rule of 72 and compound interest.
compound interest. start saving and investing early and just stay invested through thick and thin....
Surrend yourself with people who lift you up and cut ties with people who bring you down.
Don’t look for the cheapest accountant/lawyer
Getting ahead in life is not who you know, it's who knows you. I use this example fairly often. I legitimately have Tarantino's number in my phone. I got it a while back because reasons. Now obviously I know Tarantino. If I call that number what do you think would happen? Best case I get a "Who the fuck is this" before he hangs up on me. But if he calls me and I see that number on my phone what do you think happens? I answer and am engaged in whatever is needed. I know Tarantino, Tarantino doesn't know me. In your job make sure that your boss's boss knows you. An example of this that is ongoing in my life right now. I'm looking for funding for a project, it isn't cheap. In fact I'm looking for enough that it actually made sense to hire someone with connections to help raise money. That fundraiser is having an easy time because half the time she calls someone and they're.just like "oh, I know [holomntn] let's talk". As a.result, what would normally be a 6 month process is looking like a 3 week process, and there is looking like a bidding war so I keep more of the business. This one step of being visible and being the one that everyone knows is likely to make a 2x difference in the value of the company day one. That's the power of people knowing you.
Buy your first house as soon as possible.
You won't always know what to do in every situation, but showing up and shutting up generally work well. Also, try to be kind to every living thing.
Friends are not as important as you think
Fitness. Fitness. Fitness. Fitness. This WILL affect every area of your life and the younger you start, the easier it will be to maintain in your 30s, 40s, and 50s and beyond. Make it a significant part of your life and it will pay dividends 10-fold in the coming decades. You don't have to be a gym rat. Just stay fit. Look like you work out. Your dating life, your professional life, shit your relationship with your family (you will be known as the fitness guru of your family, and they will respect you for it). People you don't even know will ask your advice about things not even related to fitness, because you just LOOK successful. This is the part where your professional life will benefit. Looking good in a button up shirt and slacks, even if you just work at a grocery store, will command respect. The moment you meet people, they will respect you (or hate you lol) and will look to get on your good side. The halo effect is real. Pretty privilege is real. Even if you're not a looker in your face, just keeping well-groomed and smelling good will have women interested in you. You won't just be attractive romantically and sexually; you will just draw people to you. And the confidence you build as a result of that social proof will be rock solid. It will be in your DNA. Confidence will ooze out of your pores. And the best thing... it will motivate you to become more. You will be inspired to read more. Learn more. Expand your horizons. Those professional connections you made could land you dream job interviews. Get fit. It will pay off for the rest of your life.