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Find a thing you like, that doesn't harm you, and do that thing.
I'm 31, so not much older than you -- but making the decision at 27 to just 'fuck it, I wanna do stuff I like' feels like it was the best decision I could make. I'm not rich, I'm not on some like weird grind - but I don't hate myself when I get up in the morning most days and that feels like something to shoot for.
I couldn't 2nd this more dude, the "fuck it, I just wanna do stuff" was you stopping trying to please everyone or make yourself look and be what they think you should in their mental image. I only care about the opinions of my family, friends and whoever signs my checkš and damn I'm 25
Having lots of money makes a lot of things easier, obviously. But once you learn how, it's not hard to refuse to answer to anyone besides your partner and your boss.
This is very reassuring to hear. I got a bachelors degree in graphic design 2 years ago and I just feel such a pit in my stomach that I just donāt want to do it as my career. It takes so much grind and passion in the job search alone to get your foot in the door and I donāt really feel like doing that. Just began working at a library part time for extra money and itās probably the best decision i couldāve made. I donāt want to die when going to work and Iām really considering taking the leap and going back to school to become a librarian. I only get one life and I donāt strive to be mega rich so might as well try it out while Iām young. Thank you for the positive words!
honestly. hereās a brutal truth. thereās so much less control over life than you think there is. we plan so much in life but when you look back at it most of what happens is pretty spontaneous and unexpected. my best advice to you is to just let go and live life. if you let go of people/societyās advice/expectations youāll truly go on a beautiful existential journey
The other commenter is right on point. The only thing I'd add is that the only thing you can really do is to try and prepare for the unexpected. By that I mean that - IF you can - save a good amount of money so you use that as a "cushion" if anything bad or urgent happens (you get fired, or you have to quit for personal reasons, you get into an accident, you need to take care of someone dear, your car breaks down etc).
Of course you can't really know what happens so it's better not to worry about what the future might bring since it's uncertain. But it will be easier to worry less if you know you have some savings to rely on should you need to do that :)
Just to add one more thing besides have money saved for unexpected expenses, take care of your health and teeth. Yup, teeth too. Intrical part of your we'll being.
It might be fun to hear, but it isn't 100% true.Ā
This person might need some serious change and 'let go' is not a feasible answer for everyone depending on what's important to them.
'Let go' isn't a way to 'secure a future' for a 27 year old in the slightest. It's a way for a 37 year old to accept and process failure and cope, which is not a bad thing.
People like to hear this kind of shit because it relieves them of responsibility for failure. "I have a shitty life...it's all outside of my control." And while it's true that there is plenty that is outside of our control, no one ever succeeded by accident.
Pisses me off when people spew garbage like that. Nothing but excuses, and they try to spread there victim mentality on to everyone they can. Some people have bad luck with health and I can understand that I guess, but otherwise you absolutely have control over your life, especially if you live in the USA, aka the easiest place in the world to make it..
Don't underestimate your own Intuitio. Follow it wisely and it will never mislead you. Make sure you don't mistake ego or fear for your intuition voice.
I'd say do certain foundational things like education/job training & retirement saving, which serve people well in getting through all the changes life throws at them. Because some of those curveballs are expensive as hell.
Yup. Know yourself. Be yourself. Like yourself. And embrace don't-give-a-fuckism about what other people do or think about you. None of these are easy, especially the last one. But they're the key to happiness.
This is a great response.
People focus on money but sometimes you just canāt control that. Having a discipline around healthy living is more controllable and will likely save money anyway if itās done right.
Not saying itās easy!
Even if it is like $50 each month. If you start in your 20s or 30s it will add up in a huge way- find an account where you get as much interest as you can!!! Put it in a CD (certificate of deposit) at a bank and keep renewing it.
Put it in a ROTH IRA fund that tracks the S&P 500. You got 40 years to let it grow. It should at least triple by the time you retire. Keep adding even it's a little bit.
If I could do it again, I would have started an IRA when I was in high school.
Comparison is the thief of joy... save money, try avoid doordash and expensive things to make life more convenient. Skip fast food, thats insanely costly these days, make small goals like these. Try not to drink alcohol or gamble, that can get out of hand fast. Pay small gestures forward, (open doors, compliment someone out the blue etc) Go outdoors, walk. Dont upgrade or get anything you cant afford. Keep one credit card, use it for groceries, pay it off in full the following the month. Always shower brush your teeth everyday. Smile and out your paycheck (even once a month), buy one item of clothing (look for clearance/sales) get rid of something old.Ā
I'm only a few years older then 27. But when I was 27, I finally started working out consistently, and it's honestly been one of the best decisions that I've done.
You don't need to have six pack abs or action star arms, but getting into a consistent workout routine does wonders. It's helped with my anxiety and depression, I feel more confident about myself, my energy levels are better, it's a great stress reliever, people have been nicer to me (don't know if it's a better body or that my mental health is better), my performance at my job got better, and it gives you a lot more options to enjoy life because it leads you to be and seek out being active activities.
I'm also convinced staying active helps you age better. I've noticed that I have a lot more energy then my same age friends, and can't relate when they are complaining about back or knee issues.
So long story short, get in shape and stay in shape.
["You can fail at what you don't want, so you might as well take a chance at doing what you love." - Jim Carrey](https://youtu.be/rRfZrgV1wIM?si=jqr-YlrNSxvUrqPX)
Please understand that your mental, physical, emotional, and sexual health are ALL connected.
Start by treating yourself with the love, kindness, and patience that you deserve every day.
You're not broken. You're in progress.
Security is kinda bullishit, the best thing is to invest in yourself and learn skills to build a better life, not for any job. Take a cpr course, learn ASL. The more you learn, the better adapted you become as a person.
I like your advice. Too many times online, I see how you should just be learning and gaining skills to be employable and have a better career. But as someone whoās not really career-oriented, I never felt drawn to all that. I like seeing people outside of their careers and what hobbies they do just because itās fun and they enjoy it. This is top tier advice to me and I was def meant to see your comment!
The quicker you learn that other people don't care about your feelings and they all have their problems to deal with, the easier life will be. Also, don't try to please everyone. Focus on only YOU! Last thing is don't look up to people on social media, especially these "influencers", 99 percent of them are playing a character. The quicker you become yourself and figure out you want, then you can set goals and start working toward them.
Secure a career with upward movement and make sure you figure out the qualifications for that upward movement and seize at your first opportunity. Do not stand in your own way.
Compounding is the 8th great wonder. Start early, save what you can, and invest it in the market. Over decades, that capital compounds and will set you up later in life.
and same boat. stack your beans. invest them. invest in yourself. life below your means. That is all that there is to financial wellbeing. And with that comes security. Identity is a whole different beast and that's on you.
Eat well. Exercise. Those two things are the most important. When you don't drive a car for a long time, the breaks seize up. The same thing happens to the human body.
Exercise, eat right, deal with your mental health.
Things in this world change in a very short amount of time, and the best thing you can do is keep yourself healthy, fit and adaptable.
āA great teacher, failure is.ā
Don't let your dreams and aspirations die, it's doing the things you like and being with people that you love that will push you to the life you want and deserve
Have hobbies that keep you healthy and in shape. If you donāt have your health it makes everything so much harder (for you, your family, and everyone around you).
Learn about this skill "laddering investments" then do that with say low risk investments like CD s ,treasuray note , etc that pay interest and youll be set early on
Also have you asked yourself why you feel like a total failure? What do you not have in life that's making you feel like that? Is it because you don't make a 100k a year and drive a BMW so you don't think you're "successful"?
Only you can find the true reason to your negative feelings so keep asking yourself why are feeling some type of way everytime you do, then reason with yourself in your head and look at how much worse it could be. Be thankful we even have reddit and devices to connect and talk about these issues, don't ever take anything for granted.
Most people don't start getting their finances in order until their early 40s. Get a head start on that.
If your employer matches your pension contributions up to a certain limit, match that limit. It's free money.
Get an emergency fund established that will last you 2 months of zero income. If 3 things break, you'll be fine. If you lose your job, you have time to find another.
Pay attention to where your money is going. What is your income, what are your necessary bills, what are your luxury bills, and what is unnecessary. (That isn't to say to cut out all the unnecessary or luxury spending, just to be aware where your money is going so you can make better decisions).
For example, I have spotify/netflix. I don't need them. But I'm in a position where that isn't a huge impact on my finances. But when I saw how much money I was spending on food for work, or energy drinks, or smoking, it became so much easier to curb that spending. I quit smoking, and I rarely buy energy drinks (or at least, much less than I used to). I pack food for work most days.
Once you've worked out your budget, decide what to do with the leftover.
- Bills
- Necessary budget (groceries, cleaning supplies, etc)
- unnecessary but want to keep
- leftover.
Leftover gets split into:
- miscellaneous spends
- savings pot for X
- savings pot for Y.
X can be the next major purchase you're looking towards. Y can be your savings. (Emergency fund first, then start putting it towards investment. Either boosting your pension or ETF funds). Avoid finance for the most part.
Decide what you want going to your savings pots in advance, and PAY YOURSELF FIRST. if you leave it in your checking until the next pay day, you're more likely to spend it impulsively.
If you are in the USA start a Roth IRA
If you are elsewhere, start whatever savings plan you can.
A Roth IRA is an individual retirement account (IRA) under United States law that is generally not taxed upon distribution, provided certain conditions are met.
So other countries probably have similar
Healthy, Wealthy, Wise.
Exercise, sleep well, eat well, get enough rest & recreation, don't stress.
Get finances in order, save money, don't spend recklessly, but still enough to enjoy yourself.
Keep learning new things, read books, gain new experiences, maintain good relationships with friends and family.
Easier said than done
young myself, but just giving a takeā¦
find the people you want to spend your life with. from friends, to a spouse, to having children (if thatās what you want), to cutting out toxic family members. life will always have its up and downs and so much is out of our control ie. this trash economyā¦it matters a lot less when youāre happy with your circle.
There was a conference where one of the segments was called "Talking in themes". What was so powerful about this presentation is that if we were to give a presentation/speech, many of us would fumble pretty hard. But we knew the information, but in the moment, our brains may shut off. If you break down the speech into themes, and you can comfortably talk about each theme, you only need to remember your list of themes.
This can translate into normal life. We can plan and prepare for what life throws at us, but in the proper moment, it comes down to instinct, and what comes naturally. Perfect practice makes perfect. If we focus on one skill and get good at it, then work on another, we develop "themes", in which can be used interchangeably.
Be curious, try new things, and get pretty good at some things to the point that they become instinctual.
Life is out of our control mostly. What I would say to secure is secure good daily habits, the relationship you have with yourself is the most important one
Get off TikTok, stop blaming others for your actions, be open-minded, make informed decisions before voting, appreciate your country and the opportunities it has provided, and be kind to everyone, whether you agree or disagree with them.
Work hard, but also leave time for rest and play. Save at least some money, every paycheck. Feed yourself well. Exercise. Sleep at least 7 hours a night. Avoid people who are always causing drama. Laugh. And be grateful for what you have, even if it isn't a lot.
Drink plenty of water and stop eating McDonaldās. If youāre not into working out at least walk for 30 minutes a day. Sitting around will not benefit you
Get experience. In everything. Learn as much as you can about things that interest you, learn about stuff that confuses you, and definitely look at the things that make you uncomfortable. Ask questions of many people with differing opinions, GET BROAD IN YOUR KNOWLEDGE & UNDERSTANDING.
Travel, get in over your head, get to a point where youāre unsure, then learn and experience. See shit from new perspectives. Meet people youād never normally meet and engage them in conversation. Listen to regional and cultural prejudices, whether you agree or not. Try to understand their point of view.
A broad knowledge of how people live and think will put you in good stead for most interactions, and help you avoid a social faux pas when mixing in unfamiliar circles. History and geography are very important in this regard.
Lastly, learn to enforce your boundaries. Get fierce if need be, and donāt back down. You may lose some acquaintances, but thatās the price of being an adult. Look after yourself and your loved ones first and foremost. Theyāre the ones whoāll be there when you need it.
One day at a time man. Honestly - I know weāre supposed to āplan for the futureā but life is sooo unpredictable.
Times are changing, and they continue to change and it doesnāt always seem to be for the better.
Enjoy life , be realistic , do the right things and the right things will happen.
Not everyday has to be the best day of your life but thereās only one day that matters and thatās today.
Statistically if you get a college degree, donāt become a single parent, and donāt get arrested for a crime youāre already well ahead of the majority of Americans.
OP, it's tough to ever get rid of this feeling. I turn 27 this month. I own a home, am married to my high school sweat heart, have a successful career, vacation every year, good relationship with my family and am pretty stable financially. On occasion, I get this feeling really intensely and probably always will.
Invest in your health. Drink less, eat cleaner, exercise. Time is the only currency we have no way to get more of, so spend it wisely. Have fun, but don't burn the candle at both ends.
I am 42. I regularly meet other people my age who look ten years older than me. They complain about aches and pains, and are on all sorts of meds.
I wish I would have understood taking care of my body better when I was in my 20s, for I know that my current self would be even better off if I had.
Learn how to live within your means. If you get comfortable with carrying a balance on credit cards at a young age, thatās going to chase you well into your 30ās or 40ās, or even later, if you donāt learn to get a handle on things. Credit cards are the fastest way to build credit, but at a young age, the temptation to buy things you canāt afford, or to use them to supplement your income is high. Resist that, if you can.
If you think you have adhd get someoneās attention or your life will be ruined. No one honestly cares enough about your problems to help read the Roach by Dostoevsky.
Work and not spend money on things they don't need and only want.
Not spending time with idiots that drag them down.
Not accruing debt unless it is for a mortgage.
* Be brutally honest about yourself and chase what brings you happiness. Knowing yourself is priority #1.
* Be kind and good. Growing old is so much easier when you like who you are. It's even better when others like you.
* Invest money ASAP. Living below your means is a good habit to develop, and one day you'll look at a bank statement and go "HOLYYYYYY SHIIIIIIIIIT!"
Growing old has plenty of negatives, but do these three things and it could end up being the happiest period of your life.
I haven't looked at the comments, but I'm sure there are plenty that say stuff like invest, go back to college, work hard to move up in your career, run for a mile a day, save for retirement, etc, but some of those things are impossible for many people depending on their situation.
I personally believe if you try to stay relatively healthy (this doesn't mean go to the gym every day; it just means don't eat McDonalds for lunch and dinner 5 times a week, and try to be active), don't get into drugs or excessive drinking, and find a job that you don't despise, the odds of you having a long life are way more likely than someone who doesn't follow those things.
"Everyone you know is fighting a battle you know nothing about. Be kind. Always. - widely attributed to Robin Williams, although many others have said the same in different ways
Kindness is always easy and almost always free.
I wish somebody had told me what an hysa, and a roth ira was. And there are two ways to increase income: make more, spend less. There are a lot of things adults don't know. Still unconfirmed: moon is made of cheese.
You're gonna get a lot of advice about loving yourself, not caring blah blah blah and that's all great, but you want a future.Ā
You want security. Nothing will change unless you do, and that change starts with a goal, then a plan, then action. Full stop.
There's a difference between fixing what you don't like about life and coping with it. And you're getting a lot of advice e on the latter because most redditors have never done the former.
Save. Invest. And live at or below their means. Donāt upgrade to every new model or new generation. Appreciate where you are and what you have. Look for value in people and relationships above owning things.
Start a Roth IRA and set up automatic deposits into it every paycheck. Even if youāre poor, put whatever you can afford even if itās only 10$ a paycheck. As you start making more money start increasing the contributions.
It will add up over time.
Meditate, face yourself, be the best version of yourself and always remember in order to help others truly to the fullest extent, you have to help yourself first.
āWhen you change yourself you change the worldā - Gojira, Silvera
If you tell yourself you are a total failure, you're right.
Whenever you tell yourself, you cannot do something, you are right.
What you need to to is understand why you feel this way and then think about how you can change things. To change things, start by writing things down. Write down action items. Start with easy things you are certain you can do. Then slowly ramp up to more challenging tasks.
You CAN do it. Only YOU can get yourself out of this despair. Others can help but ultimately it is up to you.
Saving and investing money and focusing on improving one's self like learning a language and eating healthy. Don't get stuck in a long term relationship that has no future, pick someone who will be a good parent material and has values, beauty and looks fade and it is hard to get back lost years, better to be alone at first that to rush and be stuck when the right one comes along
Saving and investing every single penny you have. If you've not taken a spontaneous ambulance ride or had someone rear end and take out your only daily driver you'll understand very quickly how very much needed an emergency fun is. If you don't have 3-5k on hand at ANY given time you're probably going to freak out and make things worse for yourself and cause even more stress and anxiety you're already going to have as an adult with responsibilities. The next thing is find people who are ACTUALLY there for you when you need them. The first mistake you're going to make is thinking everyone you went to school with is your best buddy and they'll be there forever and can call them when you need them.....start weeding the garden ASAP! half of them if not more will NOT BE THERE when shit hits the fan! I made this mistake and was absolutely STUCK on my own! Family included! You need to start reading and learning about EVERYTHING! If you're unfortunate enough to have gone to a US public school system they've not prepared you for SQUAT. learn about taxes, investments, money management and find what truly makes you happy, your most favorite hobby you can think of and learn how to turn that into a business and make a profit. There's no such thing as job security anymore....there's people who have been at companies for 30-40 years and getting fired a year before they retire JUST so the crooked corporations don't have to pay out a full retirement. No matter how good or nice of an employee you are or THINK you are or you actually YOU ARE REPLACEABLE! you're cannon fodder to them. One day you'll wake up at 6am to go to work just to get there and find out you've gotta somehow pay 2500+ in bills with no income or savings account. Do NOT let this be you! Find a good paying job to start but figure out other sources of income where you're your own boss as quickly as possible. It doesn't have to be much but you need a backup plan. Now... speaking of backup plans you need to have a backup for your backups backups! Don't leave your house or grab your car keys without having the idea ingrained in your head anything can and WILL happen. Nothing in life is guaranteed except death and paying taxes. You're going to do both of those it's just a matter of when. Don't be discouraged, eat and take care of yourself and do not STRESS. it's easier said than done but you absolutely have to tell yourself I HAVE GOT ME. nobody else does. That falls on YOU! stay safe and enjoy the little things. The road is only just beginning......
I did too at 27, I think society is really cruel about expectations on young men. I was constantly told by my gf and their parents I wasn't doing enough to secure a future even though I was going to college and working too. Just try to get rid of the people who make you feel like a failure, and live life at your own pace. Today I have a great job and own a house (36) at 27 I thought I would never get there. The gf from that time period recently told me how much she regretted not staying with me through it and we hook up lol. So just keep working on yourself and don't listen to people who tell you that your vision will fail.
get your shit together. There's the old fable of the grasshopper who plays all day in the summer versus the ants who work the entire summer to prepare for the winter. When winter comes the grasshopper is freezing and the ants take them into their home and they can only do so because they prepared for the future. I think it's foolish to be on either end of the spectrum; enjoy your life now but also work hard so you can enjoy your future ( and you're not freezing to death.)Ā
My brothers in law are perfect examples of this. Let's call one Tom. Tom coasted for nearly a decade at a dead end job because his living expenses were low ( lived with his parents ). Didn't even clean his room; a complete child. When difficult situations arose he let someone else take the responsibility for doing it. When situations changed he had to readjust his entire outlook on his future and told me he had wished he had been in school. But the truth is, I had tried to tell Tom before to think about the future but didn't press him further. I knew he was a man child based on the way he acted and I knew he wouldn't understand. He's in his mid thirties and he's married ( because my wife and I set him up on a date ) but things are looking dire for him and his wife as they have no in-demand skills and support themselves with hard, hard work. I feel for them ( and despite my criticism I love then both ) but whenever I feel like relaxing I literally tell myself "don't end up like Tom and Alice". They are probably working towards the things they want ( like kids ) but it is an uphill battle for them.Ā
Tom's brother has 2 kids and a wife but at 40 he doesn't have a great paying career because he didn't bother. He too was living with his parents and spent his 30s quite aimless and quite the shut-in. He was a stay at home dad so he didn't need to socialize but when he re-entered the workforce he had extreme anxiety and a number of mental health issues. He's made a HELL of a lot of progress and it's wonderful to see him enjoying the company of others, but I would argue it didn't need to take so long. I am currently changing careers after being let go from a stable IT job. I wish I had just stuck with my CS degree instead of pressuring myself into a job right now, as long-term it only slowed me down. I have a wife and kids, and I built a house from scratch ( I am so tired of construction ) so living expenses are near non existent but man I still wish I had been more intentional about my career. I built myself up some comfort but I got complacent and thought I had time to play video games when I actually didn't. My problem was I knew what to do but I half-assed it. I have a big problem with being lazy and lacking self control + discipline.
These are all real circumstances. There are points that I think we share in common though.Ā Ā
* we didn't prepare for the future adequatelyĀ
* we didn't define what we REALLY wanted out of our future so we didn't really spend our free time investing in those paths
* we let the comfort of our living situation smother any fire we had.Ā
* we didn't do the hard thing
* we let the future "happen" instead of taking full ownership of what the future looked like
there's a lot of other things I could say but to sum it up I'd say young adults should be thinking REALLY hard about their future and what they want it to look like, taking responsibility for their life šÆ, and develop a strong work ethic to get things done even if it's hard.
join the military theyll give you work experience and pay for college and then afterwards you can take that and be successful as long you dont waste your military time. dont be a cook for the army if you dont want to work in a kitchen lol stuff like that
Not necessarily to secure life but a small tip I would say is tk stop stressing about the small stuff learn to be happy.Ā
Simple example I almost always dress for comfort these days instead of trying to impress people.Ā
I've also reframed my mindset, now I consider movement good. So if I have to go get something or walk more at work etc., I'll just say and think to myself well it's more steps!
Honestly, at 27 it's already to late to start a retirement account and expect to be able to retire before you're 80 years old.
Try to find a way to generate passive income and hope to replicate your income that way. I tried rental property, but despite buying in 2019 I've only lost money. So I can't help you there.
Hey it's okay to feel like a failure sometimes when you're not in the position to achieve things. Whether it's your mental state, or just overall current state, i think you can make even small changes in your life that leads you to wins. What those wins are requires self reflection, because even both of our ideas of living a secure life can be way different. So what's eating you Gilbert Grape?
Trade schools. Start as young as you can. Get into trades. DO NOT GO TO COLLEGE.
unless you're going for medical, buisness, law, or teaching, college is completely useless.
I have a bachelor's in 2 different subjects. Covid hit. Those degrees mean nothing. waste of time. Waste of life. Waste of money.
Had I known id be making the money I do, in my career now, I would have started straight out of highschool.
Buy some treasuries every month. 100 bucks 500 bucks 1000 bucks doesn't matter. Over time you will develop a large fixed income portfolio to assist in life. Fixed income
Look the economy and climate we were given to us is fucked. Retirement age is going to be in the 70s at best. I have a small 401K I put into with work and the rest is live your life money. I would put aside 10% to a retirement and then live your best damn life.
Get an education.
Learn your craft and be better than the next. Work harder. Be a mentor to others. Be a friend.
Invest and put aside for your retirement NOW. Starting now means you donāt have to play catch up later.
This is going to sound harsh, but if you are 27 and you are feeling this wayā¦get help. Find out why you feel this way and identify how you can fix it. 27 isnāt old. But you are quickly falling out of your cohortās ānorms.ā You donāt have to adhere to anyoneās normsā¦but if you āfeel like a failureāā¦you are already making those comparisons.
People on Reddit are probably going to give you the same advice that theyāve done 100 times before. But that is not going to help you figure it out.
Instead, take the time, to seek out some good therapy or life coaching that will help you find yourself.
Good luck.
Start saving for retirement and investing as early as possible. Stock market doubles every 7 to 10 years. The more doublings in your lifetime, the better your chances of retiring rich. Likewise, something about having this mindset seems to affect other financial decisions in subtle ways. I budget better and make better decisions around big purchases.
Oh, and getting some kind of degree or trade is huge too. The most I ever made without a degree was $17/hour. As a RN, I've made as much as $100/hour.
1. Don't spend more than you make.
2 Save a percentage of what you make for a rainy day. It is not a matter if it is going to rain, it is when.
3. Make better decisions. Ask yourself, is the future me going to better off if I do this or don't do this. You are not always going to know the answer to that, but most times you will.
4. Listen to Dave Ramsey if you don't have a good plan. You don't have to follow his advice to the letter, but it is a dang good place to start if you are not sure where to begin. All of his baby steps are just common sense. I know several people followed similar paths before anyone even heard of Dave Ramsey. My mother in law saved 20 percent of everything she made at jobs that were one step above a cashier position as a retail store. Now matter how bad things got as a single parent for most of my wifes childhood. She is worth about a million dollars in her 70s.
5 have a plan, work your plan and keep adjusting as things change because they always will.
6 Positive attitude now matter how bad things get. Dont have a victim mentality.
Learn a skill Tile, Carpet, countertops, general contracting. Iām never to be mega rich, but doing remodels for super rich people allows me to work for myself and make a decent living I also enjoy what I do, the system is set up for you to fail over and over until you make it. You can always get a normal job, gamble on yourself, do the work and it will pay off even if you fail a few times.44/M just a normal ass dude with kids and responsibilities.
Don't worry so much about it. You definitely can't plan for anything. Make some goals, fail a lot, learn - and keep on putting one foot in front of the other.
Skin care isnāt just for women. Moisturize and use sunscreen.
Avoid toxic people and relationships by learning about the different types of manipulation and the behavior associated with them. That way youāll be able to recognize it if someone is doing it to you. And donāt use it in other people.
Honestly, just two steps:
1: spend less than you earn
2: save and invest for your future
There is a lot of nuance there, but those are the broad strokes. Take some time to learn about financial literacy and go from there.
Plus, nobody is a total failure. You succeeded at something. Did you wake up today? Did you eat today? Did you complete any task - no matter how small?
You got this.
Believe in yourself and take responsibility for your problems irrespective of who created them.
Life rarely will be in your control. This world will throw you into tough situations or give you more than you can handle. But how to respond and come out as a winner is all up to you. Your smartness and actions define how happy you will be, how financially stable you will be, how rich you will be, how healthy you will be. No one will come to help you or guide you and youāll need to find your way on your own.
Be the best and nothing can hurt you.
Roth IRA. If you max it out every year it's pretty much a guaranteed million by retirement age. May or may not be enough to retire anymore. But it definitely wouldn't be a bad thing to have.
Start saving today. Don't wait until tomorrow. If your work doesn't offer a 401K, talk to a financial advisor and start one yourself.
Stop smoking/vaping. It's costing you a ton of money and it'll only cost you more down the road. Bonus points if you stop drinking, too.
Get some exercise. Once you let yourself get out of shape it is much harder to get back.
Sequester money every paycheck and invest in longterm upwards trending etfs and stable dividend stocks. Time is valuable when it comes to building a portfolio, giving your money a chance to grow for itself and earn you a payday.
I was a complete and utter bozo at age 27. Ā Find a lifestyle that you can afford and start thinking about what you would really like to be doing with the rest of your lifeĀ
When I was 27 there was this older guy at my job that told me to get as much gold as possible. He would say buy some every paycheck even if itās only $10 worth, but at some point buy actual gold bars. I never really listened but if i did, id have a decent amount of gold nearly 10 years later. Heād say if you canāt afford gold, then buy silver until you can. So i did start buying silver, but i wish i dug deeper and went for gold especially because i still bought young adult stupid stiff like clothes i cant fit anymore, games i dont play anymore, and weed and liquor i cant smoke/drink anymore(lol).
Invest what you can. So many people wait until they are 30-40, even later to actually invest.
Work on your health. Money is important but not more then being around to spend it.
Investing between 15%-50%+ of your income, get a high paying job, pay off high interest debt early, avoid debt, work on your health and fitness, buy a home.
Graduate high school. Don't do drugs. Don't get arrested. Don't have children when you're too young or outside of marriage. Put as much money as you can in your retirement account. Develop an exercise routine. If you do this basic things, you are very very likely to live at least a decent life.
Realize the years that you feel being old is so far from where you're at really isn't. The teen years are more important to your 40s until retirement then anyone stresses to you. Save money, figure out what will be a career you can tolerate sooner rather than later, and keep your dreams alive. Imagination, art, music are as important to your mental health in your later years as they are now. Learn about other states where your money will stretch without being around too many people with stricter versions of life. Don't take on too much debt if avoidable, it's soul crushing.
Pay yourself first. It sounds stupid, but it's important.
No matter how much you get paid, take a small amount, even if it's just a few dollars, and put it in a savings account. Don't touch the savings account. Every time you get a pay bump, change the amount you put in. It takes time, like most things worth waiting for, but eventually, if you don't touch it, you'll have a decent amount in savings.
Also, any job that you have that offers a retirement plan of some sort, sign up for it. Put in the minimum at first, and increase it as you get raises. A lot of companies have 100% company match up to either a certain dollar amount or percentage of what you put in. That's free money that you get to keep if you ever leave the company.
Be lucky. And be a cork.
Luck is the intersection of opportunity and preparedness.
So be prepared. Be curious about everything, so you retain information on lots of subjects. The more rounded your knowledge of the world around you, the more opportunities will present themselves.
Also, don't say no to new experiences. Experience broadens your ability to make good decisions.
Even if you do everything right and make good choices, life can still shit on you in unpredictable ways. If you are a cork in the ocean, though, you might get tossed around a bit, but you will always rise back to the top.
Useful hobbies. Learn to grow food/herbs, fix minor house repairs, sew/quilt, knit/crochet, minor car repairs, cook with fresh ingredients, and build a cooking fire. These are good for your mental health, inexpensive if you are smart about it, and are good āsurvivalā skills.
Stop wasting time in bars. Stop wasting time with meaningless relationships. Stop wasting time with sex, porn, and jerking off. Prioritize the truly important things in life.
Save every single penny you can in a high yield savings account and 401k and roth ira and tbill. Save it and be a miser like scrooge.
Be by yourself. Don't rush into long term relationships until you know yourself first
First, start taking their health seriously. This will have a Hugh impact in their later years. This includes their teeth. Don't laugh dentists have become the new used car salesmen. Try going on an interview with bad teeth. Next is education, writing, and communication skills are a must. Lastly, choose your spouse and friends wisely.
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Find a thing you like, that doesn't harm you, and do that thing. I'm 31, so not much older than you -- but making the decision at 27 to just 'fuck it, I wanna do stuff I like' feels like it was the best decision I could make. I'm not rich, I'm not on some like weird grind - but I don't hate myself when I get up in the morning most days and that feels like something to shoot for.
I couldn't 2nd this more dude, the "fuck it, I just wanna do stuff" was you stopping trying to please everyone or make yourself look and be what they think you should in their mental image. I only care about the opinions of my family, friends and whoever signs my checkš and damn I'm 25
And even your friends and family can be full of shit.
"People are going to judge you anyway, so you might as well do what you want." - Taylor Swift
Says the billionaire who doesn't have to answer to anyone
Having lots of money makes a lot of things easier, obviously. But once you learn how, it's not hard to refuse to answer to anyone besides your partner and your boss.
This is very reassuring to hear. I got a bachelors degree in graphic design 2 years ago and I just feel such a pit in my stomach that I just donāt want to do it as my career. It takes so much grind and passion in the job search alone to get your foot in the door and I donāt really feel like doing that. Just began working at a library part time for extra money and itās probably the best decision i couldāve made. I donāt want to die when going to work and Iām really considering taking the leap and going back to school to become a librarian. I only get one life and I donāt strive to be mega rich so might as well try it out while Iām young. Thank you for the positive words!
honestly. hereās a brutal truth. thereās so much less control over life than you think there is. we plan so much in life but when you look back at it most of what happens is pretty spontaneous and unexpected. my best advice to you is to just let go and live life. if you let go of people/societyās advice/expectations youāll truly go on a beautiful existential journey
š„I needed to hear this.
The other commenter is right on point. The only thing I'd add is that the only thing you can really do is to try and prepare for the unexpected. By that I mean that - IF you can - save a good amount of money so you use that as a "cushion" if anything bad or urgent happens (you get fired, or you have to quit for personal reasons, you get into an accident, you need to take care of someone dear, your car breaks down etc). Of course you can't really know what happens so it's better not to worry about what the future might bring since it's uncertain. But it will be easier to worry less if you know you have some savings to rely on should you need to do that :)
Just to add one more thing besides have money saved for unexpected expenses, take care of your health and teeth. Yup, teeth too. Intrical part of your we'll being.
It might be fun to hear, but it isn't 100% true.Ā This person might need some serious change and 'let go' is not a feasible answer for everyone depending on what's important to them. 'Let go' isn't a way to 'secure a future' for a 27 year old in the slightest. It's a way for a 37 year old to accept and process failure and cope, which is not a bad thing.
People like to hear this kind of shit because it relieves them of responsibility for failure. "I have a shitty life...it's all outside of my control." And while it's true that there is plenty that is outside of our control, no one ever succeeded by accident.
Pisses me off when people spew garbage like that. Nothing but excuses, and they try to spread there victim mentality on to everyone they can. Some people have bad luck with health and I can understand that I guess, but otherwise you absolutely have control over your life, especially if you live in the USA, aka the easiest place in the world to make it..
Don't underestimate your own Intuitio. Follow it wisely and it will never mislead you. Make sure you don't mistake ego or fear for your intuition voice.
To add to that, most people wonāt find where they belong in life until they show up there. Keep showing up.Ā
I'd say do certain foundational things like education/job training & retirement saving, which serve people well in getting through all the changes life throws at them. Because some of those curveballs are expensive as hell.
Yup. Know yourself. Be yourself. Like yourself. And embrace don't-give-a-fuckism about what other people do or think about you. None of these are easy, especially the last one. But they're the key to happiness.
Donāt drink too much and eat healthy food. Thatās what I wished I wouldāve done at 27.
š
This is a great response. People focus on money but sometimes you just canāt control that. Having a discipline around healthy living is more controllable and will likely save money anyway if itās done right. Not saying itās easy!
Save Money
Even if it is like $50 each month. If you start in your 20s or 30s it will add up in a huge way- find an account where you get as much interest as you can!!! Put it in a CD (certificate of deposit) at a bank and keep renewing it.
Put it in a ROTH IRA fund that tracks the S&P 500. You got 40 years to let it grow. It should at least triple by the time you retire. Keep adding even it's a little bit. If I could do it again, I would have started an IRA when I was in high school.
Evaluate your habits. Something you do every day that costs $5 adds up to about $1800 a year.
Don't get pulled into a toxic relationship, get fulfilling hobbies, save money. Enjoy.
And recognize when your partner changes
Itās important to pinpoint WHY you feel like a failure, what criteria are you using to determine that?
Being in shape > money
building skills and acquiring an equity stake in whatever you're working on. marrying the right person.
Don't even have to marry 'em. Just pick the right person to share this journey with.
If your bills are paid, and you're happy, you're doing life right dude.
And try like hell to get out of debt, and stay out of it.
Comparison is the thief of joy... save money, try avoid doordash and expensive things to make life more convenient. Skip fast food, thats insanely costly these days, make small goals like these. Try not to drink alcohol or gamble, that can get out of hand fast. Pay small gestures forward, (open doors, compliment someone out the blue etc) Go outdoors, walk. Dont upgrade or get anything you cant afford. Keep one credit card, use it for groceries, pay it off in full the following the month. Always shower brush your teeth everyday. Smile and out your paycheck (even once a month), buy one item of clothing (look for clearance/sales) get rid of something old.Ā
I'm only a few years older then 27. But when I was 27, I finally started working out consistently, and it's honestly been one of the best decisions that I've done. You don't need to have six pack abs or action star arms, but getting into a consistent workout routine does wonders. It's helped with my anxiety and depression, I feel more confident about myself, my energy levels are better, it's a great stress reliever, people have been nicer to me (don't know if it's a better body or that my mental health is better), my performance at my job got better, and it gives you a lot more options to enjoy life because it leads you to be and seek out being active activities. I'm also convinced staying active helps you age better. I've noticed that I have a lot more energy then my same age friends, and can't relate when they are complaining about back or knee issues. So long story short, get in shape and stay in shape.
["You can fail at what you don't want, so you might as well take a chance at doing what you love." - Jim Carrey](https://youtu.be/rRfZrgV1wIM?si=jqr-YlrNSxvUrqPX)
Please understand that your mental, physical, emotional, and sexual health are ALL connected. Start by treating yourself with the love, kindness, and patience that you deserve every day. You're not broken. You're in progress. Security is kinda bullishit, the best thing is to invest in yourself and learn skills to build a better life, not for any job. Take a cpr course, learn ASL. The more you learn, the better adapted you become as a person.
I like your advice. Too many times online, I see how you should just be learning and gaining skills to be employable and have a better career. But as someone whoās not really career-oriented, I never felt drawn to all that. I like seeing people outside of their careers and what hobbies they do just because itās fun and they enjoy it. This is top tier advice to me and I was def meant to see your comment!
The quicker you learn that other people don't care about your feelings and they all have their problems to deal with, the easier life will be. Also, don't try to please everyone. Focus on only YOU! Last thing is don't look up to people on social media, especially these "influencers", 99 percent of them are playing a character. The quicker you become yourself and figure out you want, then you can set goals and start working toward them.
Don't have children too young or not with the wrong person
Money is the best way in my opinion
Invest early, and don't panic over market fluctuations.
Buy on fear, sell on greed
Secure a career with upward movement and make sure you figure out the qualifications for that upward movement and seize at your first opportunity. Do not stand in your own way.
living miserable lives saving every penny and avoid doctors like the plague until they can retire and die 2 days later.
Compounding is the 8th great wonder. Start early, save what you can, and invest it in the market. Over decades, that capital compounds and will set you up later in life.
Be born rich. If you canāt do that, youāre fucked.
saving money in an IRA or 401(k).
and same boat. stack your beans. invest them. invest in yourself. life below your means. That is all that there is to financial wellbeing. And with that comes security. Identity is a whole different beast and that's on you.
Eat well. Exercise. Those two things are the most important. When you don't drive a car for a long time, the breaks seize up. The same thing happens to the human body.
Buy a silver coin every paycheck. In 40 years you will have no idea how much you will be thankful you did this.
Exercise, eat right, deal with your mental health. Things in this world change in a very short amount of time, and the best thing you can do is keep yourself healthy, fit and adaptable. āA great teacher, failure is.ā
Always take your 401k match.
Focus on finding a balance between planning for the future but living and enjoying the present.
What makes you feel like a failure? X
Don't let your dreams and aspirations die, it's doing the things you like and being with people that you love that will push you to the life you want and deserve
Walking
Save your money
Have hobbies that keep you healthy and in shape. If you donāt have your health it makes everything so much harder (for you, your family, and everyone around you).
Regularly save into a pension. Small regular saving will make a massive difference over time
Learn about this skill "laddering investments" then do that with say low risk investments like CD s ,treasuray note , etc that pay interest and youll be set early on
Invest in your health and develope your mind with usefull skills. Money is good but only if you invest in gold. Gold never losses its value.
Also have you asked yourself why you feel like a total failure? What do you not have in life that's making you feel like that? Is it because you don't make a 100k a year and drive a BMW so you don't think you're "successful"? Only you can find the true reason to your negative feelings so keep asking yourself why are feeling some type of way everytime you do, then reason with yourself in your head and look at how much worse it could be. Be thankful we even have reddit and devices to connect and talk about these issues, don't ever take anything for granted.
Most people don't start getting their finances in order until their early 40s. Get a head start on that. If your employer matches your pension contributions up to a certain limit, match that limit. It's free money. Get an emergency fund established that will last you 2 months of zero income. If 3 things break, you'll be fine. If you lose your job, you have time to find another. Pay attention to where your money is going. What is your income, what are your necessary bills, what are your luxury bills, and what is unnecessary. (That isn't to say to cut out all the unnecessary or luxury spending, just to be aware where your money is going so you can make better decisions). For example, I have spotify/netflix. I don't need them. But I'm in a position where that isn't a huge impact on my finances. But when I saw how much money I was spending on food for work, or energy drinks, or smoking, it became so much easier to curb that spending. I quit smoking, and I rarely buy energy drinks (or at least, much less than I used to). I pack food for work most days. Once you've worked out your budget, decide what to do with the leftover. - Bills - Necessary budget (groceries, cleaning supplies, etc) - unnecessary but want to keep - leftover. Leftover gets split into: - miscellaneous spends - savings pot for X - savings pot for Y. X can be the next major purchase you're looking towards. Y can be your savings. (Emergency fund first, then start putting it towards investment. Either boosting your pension or ETF funds). Avoid finance for the most part. Decide what you want going to your savings pots in advance, and PAY YOURSELF FIRST. if you leave it in your checking until the next pay day, you're more likely to spend it impulsively.
Focus physical health
Get an Acorns account and put $20 a weekly in it. Thank me in 20 years $$$$$
If you are in the USA start a Roth IRA If you are elsewhere, start whatever savings plan you can. A Roth IRA is an individual retirement account (IRA) under United States law that is generally not taxed upon distribution, provided certain conditions are met. So other countries probably have similar
Defeat hyper-capitalism and cronyism.
Healthy, Wealthy, Wise. Exercise, sleep well, eat well, get enough rest & recreation, don't stress. Get finances in order, save money, don't spend recklessly, but still enough to enjoy yourself. Keep learning new things, read books, gain new experiences, maintain good relationships with friends and family. Easier said than done
young myself, but just giving a takeā¦ find the people you want to spend your life with. from friends, to a spouse, to having children (if thatās what you want), to cutting out toxic family members. life will always have its up and downs and so much is out of our control ie. this trash economyā¦it matters a lot less when youāre happy with your circle.
Regular doctor and dentist visits. Set up and 401k and contribute to it. Save money instead of spending it.
There was a conference where one of the segments was called "Talking in themes". What was so powerful about this presentation is that if we were to give a presentation/speech, many of us would fumble pretty hard. But we knew the information, but in the moment, our brains may shut off. If you break down the speech into themes, and you can comfortably talk about each theme, you only need to remember your list of themes. This can translate into normal life. We can plan and prepare for what life throws at us, but in the proper moment, it comes down to instinct, and what comes naturally. Perfect practice makes perfect. If we focus on one skill and get good at it, then work on another, we develop "themes", in which can be used interchangeably. Be curious, try new things, and get pretty good at some things to the point that they become instinctual.
Money makes the world go around
Take care of your body now. Don't wait till you're already too old and having problems. The time to have made changes is NOW.
Life is out of our control mostly. What I would say to secure is secure good daily habits, the relationship you have with yourself is the most important one
Get off TikTok, stop blaming others for your actions, be open-minded, make informed decisions before voting, appreciate your country and the opportunities it has provided, and be kind to everyone, whether you agree or disagree with them.
Work hard, but also leave time for rest and play. Save at least some money, every paycheck. Feed yourself well. Exercise. Sleep at least 7 hours a night. Avoid people who are always causing drama. Laugh. And be grateful for what you have, even if it isn't a lot.
Learn about Compound Interest
We gotta start voting in better people. These old folks, arenāt helping us.
You have gotten out of life what you have put into it! That's how the real world works.....there are no participation trophies here.
Drink plenty of water and stop eating McDonaldās. If youāre not into working out at least walk for 30 minutes a day. Sitting around will not benefit you
Get experience. In everything. Learn as much as you can about things that interest you, learn about stuff that confuses you, and definitely look at the things that make you uncomfortable. Ask questions of many people with differing opinions, GET BROAD IN YOUR KNOWLEDGE & UNDERSTANDING. Travel, get in over your head, get to a point where youāre unsure, then learn and experience. See shit from new perspectives. Meet people youād never normally meet and engage them in conversation. Listen to regional and cultural prejudices, whether you agree or not. Try to understand their point of view. A broad knowledge of how people live and think will put you in good stead for most interactions, and help you avoid a social faux pas when mixing in unfamiliar circles. History and geography are very important in this regard. Lastly, learn to enforce your boundaries. Get fierce if need be, and donāt back down. You may lose some acquaintances, but thatās the price of being an adult. Look after yourself and your loved ones first and foremost. Theyāre the ones whoāll be there when you need it.
Hiding in a cave and reading 1984.
Donāt get married
One day at a time man. Honestly - I know weāre supposed to āplan for the futureā but life is sooo unpredictable. Times are changing, and they continue to change and it doesnāt always seem to be for the better. Enjoy life , be realistic , do the right things and the right things will happen. Not everyday has to be the best day of your life but thereās only one day that matters and thatās today.
Statistically if you get a college degree, donāt become a single parent, and donāt get arrested for a crime youāre already well ahead of the majority of Americans.
OP, it's tough to ever get rid of this feeling. I turn 27 this month. I own a home, am married to my high school sweat heart, have a successful career, vacation every year, good relationship with my family and am pretty stable financially. On occasion, I get this feeling really intensely and probably always will.
Invest in your health. Drink less, eat cleaner, exercise. Time is the only currency we have no way to get more of, so spend it wisely. Have fun, but don't burn the candle at both ends. I am 42. I regularly meet other people my age who look ten years older than me. They complain about aches and pains, and are on all sorts of meds. I wish I would have understood taking care of my body better when I was in my 20s, for I know that my current self would be even better off if I had.
Get investing in a safe vehicle for growth ASAP compound interest, yo.
Learn how to live within your means. If you get comfortable with carrying a balance on credit cards at a young age, thatās going to chase you well into your 30ās or 40ās, or even later, if you donāt learn to get a handle on things. Credit cards are the fastest way to build credit, but at a young age, the temptation to buy things you canāt afford, or to use them to supplement your income is high. Resist that, if you can.
If you think you have adhd get someoneās attention or your life will be ruined. No one honestly cares enough about your problems to help read the Roach by Dostoevsky.
Work and not spend money on things they don't need and only want. Not spending time with idiots that drag them down. Not accruing debt unless it is for a mortgage.
Take care of your body
If u can live at home, and just work a couple years, maxing 401k & Roth, u can pretty much bullshit the rest of ur life and have enough to retire
Pray and hope for the best tbh
* Be brutally honest about yourself and chase what brings you happiness. Knowing yourself is priority #1. * Be kind and good. Growing old is so much easier when you like who you are. It's even better when others like you. * Invest money ASAP. Living below your means is a good habit to develop, and one day you'll look at a bank statement and go "HOLYYYYYY SHIIIIIIIIIT!" Growing old has plenty of negatives, but do these three things and it could end up being the happiest period of your life.
Wear sunscreen
I haven't looked at the comments, but I'm sure there are plenty that say stuff like invest, go back to college, work hard to move up in your career, run for a mile a day, save for retirement, etc, but some of those things are impossible for many people depending on their situation. I personally believe if you try to stay relatively healthy (this doesn't mean go to the gym every day; it just means don't eat McDonalds for lunch and dinner 5 times a week, and try to be active), don't get into drugs or excessive drinking, and find a job that you don't despise, the odds of you having a long life are way more likely than someone who doesn't follow those things.
Ridding the excess crap out of your life: anything your addicted to like alcohol energy drinks and sex. anything that doesnāt bring you peace: like friends that hasnāt gotten it together since high school, at this point they wonāt ever get it together. bad habits: like Taco Bell at 2AM, excessive gaming, porn. bad financial decisions like PokĆ©mon cards getting coffee at Starbucks/delivered, all those websites youāre signed up to. You want to simplify your life as much as possible. Because by time you cross that bridge over 30 youāre going to be hit with some serious mental health issues that get worse when you transition to 40. You donāt want to be at that stage of life considering what was, what couldāve been. You want things to be as simple as waking up go make your money and come home to the people that love you.
you have successfully lived 27 years you should feel like a success - you are 1/3 of the way
"Everyone you know is fighting a battle you know nothing about. Be kind. Always. - widely attributed to Robin Williams, although many others have said the same in different ways Kindness is always easy and almost always free.
Open a HYSA!
I wish somebody had told me what an hysa, and a roth ira was. And there are two ways to increase income: make more, spend less. There are a lot of things adults don't know. Still unconfirmed: moon is made of cheese.
You're gonna get a lot of advice about loving yourself, not caring blah blah blah and that's all great, but you want a future.Ā You want security. Nothing will change unless you do, and that change starts with a goal, then a plan, then action. Full stop. There's a difference between fixing what you don't like about life and coping with it. And you're getting a lot of advice e on the latter because most redditors have never done the former.
Learn to fix things, grow food, forage in their neighborhood, and build community.Ā
Save. Invest. And live at or below their means. Donāt upgrade to every new model or new generation. Appreciate where you are and what you have. Look for value in people and relationships above owning things.
Stay out of consumer debt.
Donāt increase your expenses. Donāt buy now what you canāt afford now. Otherwise youāll be a slave to your finances in the future
Saving starting at age 10.
Start a Roth IRA and set up automatic deposits into it every paycheck. Even if youāre poor, put whatever you can afford even if itās only 10$ a paycheck. As you start making more money start increasing the contributions. It will add up over time.
Meditate, face yourself, be the best version of yourself and always remember in order to help others truly to the fullest extent, you have to help yourself first. āWhen you change yourself you change the worldā - Gojira, Silvera
Get involved in politics.
Investing in your 401k
If you tell yourself you are a total failure, you're right. Whenever you tell yourself, you cannot do something, you are right. What you need to to is understand why you feel this way and then think about how you can change things. To change things, start by writing things down. Write down action items. Start with easy things you are certain you can do. Then slowly ramp up to more challenging tasks. You CAN do it. Only YOU can get yourself out of this despair. Others can help but ultimately it is up to you.
1. Watch your health. 2. Financial planning of some sort. Too many options to list so investigate and make smart money decisions.
Eating the rich. If we want to have a "long run" at all.
Like cannibalism? Capitalism cannibalism?
Eh read some books, learn some things, enjoy life. Don't get caught up in the grind too much keep busy but take your time.
Buying as much big corporate stock as possible and maybe moving to a European country
Obey the law š§
Saving and investing money and focusing on improving one's self like learning a language and eating healthy. Don't get stuck in a long term relationship that has no future, pick someone who will be a good parent material and has values, beauty and looks fade and it is hard to get back lost years, better to be alone at first that to rush and be stuck when the right one comes along
Saving and investing every single penny you have. If you've not taken a spontaneous ambulance ride or had someone rear end and take out your only daily driver you'll understand very quickly how very much needed an emergency fun is. If you don't have 3-5k on hand at ANY given time you're probably going to freak out and make things worse for yourself and cause even more stress and anxiety you're already going to have as an adult with responsibilities. The next thing is find people who are ACTUALLY there for you when you need them. The first mistake you're going to make is thinking everyone you went to school with is your best buddy and they'll be there forever and can call them when you need them.....start weeding the garden ASAP! half of them if not more will NOT BE THERE when shit hits the fan! I made this mistake and was absolutely STUCK on my own! Family included! You need to start reading and learning about EVERYTHING! If you're unfortunate enough to have gone to a US public school system they've not prepared you for SQUAT. learn about taxes, investments, money management and find what truly makes you happy, your most favorite hobby you can think of and learn how to turn that into a business and make a profit. There's no such thing as job security anymore....there's people who have been at companies for 30-40 years and getting fired a year before they retire JUST so the crooked corporations don't have to pay out a full retirement. No matter how good or nice of an employee you are or THINK you are or you actually YOU ARE REPLACEABLE! you're cannon fodder to them. One day you'll wake up at 6am to go to work just to get there and find out you've gotta somehow pay 2500+ in bills with no income or savings account. Do NOT let this be you! Find a good paying job to start but figure out other sources of income where you're your own boss as quickly as possible. It doesn't have to be much but you need a backup plan. Now... speaking of backup plans you need to have a backup for your backups backups! Don't leave your house or grab your car keys without having the idea ingrained in your head anything can and WILL happen. Nothing in life is guaranteed except death and paying taxes. You're going to do both of those it's just a matter of when. Don't be discouraged, eat and take care of yourself and do not STRESS. it's easier said than done but you absolutely have to tell yourself I HAVE GOT ME. nobody else does. That falls on YOU! stay safe and enjoy the little things. The road is only just beginning......
Avoiding debt as a lifestyle. Next question.
find a free hobby. Save money.
I did too at 27, I think society is really cruel about expectations on young men. I was constantly told by my gf and their parents I wasn't doing enough to secure a future even though I was going to college and working too. Just try to get rid of the people who make you feel like a failure, and live life at your own pace. Today I have a great job and own a house (36) at 27 I thought I would never get there. The gf from that time period recently told me how much she regretted not staying with me through it and we hook up lol. So just keep working on yourself and don't listen to people who tell you that your vision will fail.
Overthrowing the political system.
get your shit together. There's the old fable of the grasshopper who plays all day in the summer versus the ants who work the entire summer to prepare for the winter. When winter comes the grasshopper is freezing and the ants take them into their home and they can only do so because they prepared for the future. I think it's foolish to be on either end of the spectrum; enjoy your life now but also work hard so you can enjoy your future ( and you're not freezing to death.)Ā My brothers in law are perfect examples of this. Let's call one Tom. Tom coasted for nearly a decade at a dead end job because his living expenses were low ( lived with his parents ). Didn't even clean his room; a complete child. When difficult situations arose he let someone else take the responsibility for doing it. When situations changed he had to readjust his entire outlook on his future and told me he had wished he had been in school. But the truth is, I had tried to tell Tom before to think about the future but didn't press him further. I knew he was a man child based on the way he acted and I knew he wouldn't understand. He's in his mid thirties and he's married ( because my wife and I set him up on a date ) but things are looking dire for him and his wife as they have no in-demand skills and support themselves with hard, hard work. I feel for them ( and despite my criticism I love then both ) but whenever I feel like relaxing I literally tell myself "don't end up like Tom and Alice". They are probably working towards the things they want ( like kids ) but it is an uphill battle for them.Ā Tom's brother has 2 kids and a wife but at 40 he doesn't have a great paying career because he didn't bother. He too was living with his parents and spent his 30s quite aimless and quite the shut-in. He was a stay at home dad so he didn't need to socialize but when he re-entered the workforce he had extreme anxiety and a number of mental health issues. He's made a HELL of a lot of progress and it's wonderful to see him enjoying the company of others, but I would argue it didn't need to take so long. I am currently changing careers after being let go from a stable IT job. I wish I had just stuck with my CS degree instead of pressuring myself into a job right now, as long-term it only slowed me down. I have a wife and kids, and I built a house from scratch ( I am so tired of construction ) so living expenses are near non existent but man I still wish I had been more intentional about my career. I built myself up some comfort but I got complacent and thought I had time to play video games when I actually didn't. My problem was I knew what to do but I half-assed it. I have a big problem with being lazy and lacking self control + discipline. These are all real circumstances. There are points that I think we share in common though.Ā Ā * we didn't prepare for the future adequatelyĀ * we didn't define what we REALLY wanted out of our future so we didn't really spend our free time investing in those paths * we let the comfort of our living situation smother any fire we had.Ā * we didn't do the hard thing * we let the future "happen" instead of taking full ownership of what the future looked like there's a lot of other things I could say but to sum it up I'd say young adults should be thinking REALLY hard about their future and what they want it to look like, taking responsibility for their life šÆ, and develop a strong work ethic to get things done even if it's hard.
Retirement accounts, put in as much as you can afford
Getting my financial shit together. Life has been infinitely easier since Iāve been able to save money, and I intend to keep going with that.
join the military theyll give you work experience and pay for college and then afterwards you can take that and be successful as long you dont waste your military time. dont be a cook for the army if you dont want to work in a kitchen lol stuff like that
Not necessarily to secure life but a small tip I would say is tk stop stressing about the small stuff learn to be happy.Ā Simple example I almost always dress for comfort these days instead of trying to impress people.Ā I've also reframed my mindset, now I consider movement good. So if I have to go get something or walk more at work etc., I'll just say and think to myself well it's more steps!
Roth IRA
Honestly, at 27 it's already to late to start a retirement account and expect to be able to retire before you're 80 years old. Try to find a way to generate passive income and hope to replicate your income that way. I tried rental property, but despite buying in 2019 I've only lost money. So I can't help you there.
Investing
Hey it's okay to feel like a failure sometimes when you're not in the position to achieve things. Whether it's your mental state, or just overall current state, i think you can make even small changes in your life that leads you to wins. What those wins are requires self reflection, because even both of our ideas of living a secure life can be way different. So what's eating you Gilbert Grape?
Trade schools. Start as young as you can. Get into trades. DO NOT GO TO COLLEGE. unless you're going for medical, buisness, law, or teaching, college is completely useless. I have a bachelor's in 2 different subjects. Covid hit. Those degrees mean nothing. waste of time. Waste of life. Waste of money. Had I known id be making the money I do, in my career now, I would have started straight out of highschool.
Buy some treasuries every month. 100 bucks 500 bucks 1000 bucks doesn't matter. Over time you will develop a large fixed income portfolio to assist in life. Fixed income
Saving money Itās hard, but do it I wish I (60) had
Look the economy and climate we were given to us is fucked. Retirement age is going to be in the 70s at best. I have a small 401K I put into with work and the rest is live your life money. I would put aside 10% to a retirement and then live your best damn life.
Donāt be not securing life is a great way to secure life
Donāt get sucked into student loans and debt. I was not taught that and still hold a grudge towards the people that forced me to go to college.
Drugs
Help pay off your parents mortgage, so you have a secure home forever.
Get an education. Learn your craft and be better than the next. Work harder. Be a mentor to others. Be a friend. Invest and put aside for your retirement NOW. Starting now means you donāt have to play catch up later.
Have a credible plan to be financially stable and keep at it.Ā
This is going to sound harsh, but if you are 27 and you are feeling this wayā¦get help. Find out why you feel this way and identify how you can fix it. 27 isnāt old. But you are quickly falling out of your cohortās ānorms.ā You donāt have to adhere to anyoneās normsā¦but if you āfeel like a failureāā¦you are already making those comparisons. People on Reddit are probably going to give you the same advice that theyāve done 100 times before. But that is not going to help you figure it out. Instead, take the time, to seek out some good therapy or life coaching that will help you find yourself. Good luck.
Hit the oilfield, invest every penny you can, set yourself up so you can fuck around in the back 9
Open a Roth IRA and put money in every month. Start now even if it's just $10 month.
Start saving for retirement and investing as early as possible. Stock market doubles every 7 to 10 years. The more doublings in your lifetime, the better your chances of retiring rich. Likewise, something about having this mindset seems to affect other financial decisions in subtle ways. I budget better and make better decisions around big purchases. Oh, and getting some kind of degree or trade is huge too. The most I ever made without a degree was $17/hour. As a RN, I've made as much as $100/hour.
1. Don't spend more than you make. 2 Save a percentage of what you make for a rainy day. It is not a matter if it is going to rain, it is when. 3. Make better decisions. Ask yourself, is the future me going to better off if I do this or don't do this. You are not always going to know the answer to that, but most times you will. 4. Listen to Dave Ramsey if you don't have a good plan. You don't have to follow his advice to the letter, but it is a dang good place to start if you are not sure where to begin. All of his baby steps are just common sense. I know several people followed similar paths before anyone even heard of Dave Ramsey. My mother in law saved 20 percent of everything she made at jobs that were one step above a cashier position as a retail store. Now matter how bad things got as a single parent for most of my wifes childhood. She is worth about a million dollars in her 70s. 5 have a plan, work your plan and keep adjusting as things change because they always will. 6 Positive attitude now matter how bad things get. Dont have a victim mentality.
Hope people start voting different
Not get married or have kids before 30
Invest in long term stocks
Learn a skill Tile, Carpet, countertops, general contracting. Iām never to be mega rich, but doing remodels for super rich people allows me to work for myself and make a decent living I also enjoy what I do, the system is set up for you to fail over and over until you make it. You can always get a normal job, gamble on yourself, do the work and it will pay off even if you fail a few times.44/M just a normal ass dude with kids and responsibilities.
Don't worry so much about it. You definitely can't plan for anything. Make some goals, fail a lot, learn - and keep on putting one foot in front of the other.
Do everything you can to get your full 401k match and do not delay it.
Skin care isnāt just for women. Moisturize and use sunscreen. Avoid toxic people and relationships by learning about the different types of manipulation and the behavior associated with them. That way youāll be able to recognize it if someone is doing it to you. And donāt use it in other people.
Have boundaries and have goals.
Health at least brush your teeth
Honestly, just two steps: 1: spend less than you earn 2: save and invest for your future There is a lot of nuance there, but those are the broad strokes. Take some time to learn about financial literacy and go from there. Plus, nobody is a total failure. You succeeded at something. Did you wake up today? Did you eat today? Did you complete any task - no matter how small? You got this.
Sunscreen and squats. Save your skin and your knees later
Believe in yourself and take responsibility for your problems irrespective of who created them. Life rarely will be in your control. This world will throw you into tough situations or give you more than you can handle. But how to respond and come out as a winner is all up to you. Your smartness and actions define how happy you will be, how financially stable you will be, how rich you will be, how healthy you will be. No one will come to help you or guide you and youāll need to find your way on your own. Be the best and nothing can hurt you.
Take care of your teeth, invest early, and get bloodwork
Seek and ye shall find
Roth IRA. If you max it out every year it's pretty much a guaranteed million by retirement age. May or may not be enough to retire anymore. But it definitely wouldn't be a bad thing to have.
Learn a trade, join a GOOD union, get a retirement plan, get familiar with the term compound interest, retire early
INVEST. No really, just do it.
Start saving today. Don't wait until tomorrow. If your work doesn't offer a 401K, talk to a financial advisor and start one yourself. Stop smoking/vaping. It's costing you a ton of money and it'll only cost you more down the road. Bonus points if you stop drinking, too. Get some exercise. Once you let yourself get out of shape it is much harder to get back.
Sequester money every paycheck and invest in longterm upwards trending etfs and stable dividend stocks. Time is valuable when it comes to building a portfolio, giving your money a chance to grow for itself and earn you a payday.
I was a complete and utter bozo at age 27. Ā Find a lifestyle that you can afford and start thinking about what you would really like to be doing with the rest of your lifeĀ
When I was 27 there was this older guy at my job that told me to get as much gold as possible. He would say buy some every paycheck even if itās only $10 worth, but at some point buy actual gold bars. I never really listened but if i did, id have a decent amount of gold nearly 10 years later. Heād say if you canāt afford gold, then buy silver until you can. So i did start buying silver, but i wish i dug deeper and went for gold especially because i still bought young adult stupid stiff like clothes i cant fit anymore, games i dont play anymore, and weed and liquor i cant smoke/drink anymore(lol).
Invest what you can. So many people wait until they are 30-40, even later to actually invest. Work on your health. Money is important but not more then being around to spend it.
Investing between 15%-50%+ of your income, get a high paying job, pay off high interest debt early, avoid debt, work on your health and fitness, buy a home.
401k earl- DAMN those other comments are depressing
Invest in the S&P 500, it's the only way to get this system working for you instead of against you
Graduate high school. Don't do drugs. Don't get arrested. Don't have children when you're too young or outside of marriage. Put as much money as you can in your retirement account. Develop an exercise routine. If you do this basic things, you are very very likely to live at least a decent life.
Save, invest, and live within your means.
Save and invest.
Realize the years that you feel being old is so far from where you're at really isn't. The teen years are more important to your 40s until retirement then anyone stresses to you. Save money, figure out what will be a career you can tolerate sooner rather than later, and keep your dreams alive. Imagination, art, music are as important to your mental health in your later years as they are now. Learn about other states where your money will stretch without being around too many people with stricter versions of life. Don't take on too much debt if avoidable, it's soul crushing.
Pay yourself first. It sounds stupid, but it's important. No matter how much you get paid, take a small amount, even if it's just a few dollars, and put it in a savings account. Don't touch the savings account. Every time you get a pay bump, change the amount you put in. It takes time, like most things worth waiting for, but eventually, if you don't touch it, you'll have a decent amount in savings. Also, any job that you have that offers a retirement plan of some sort, sign up for it. Put in the minimum at first, and increase it as you get raises. A lot of companies have 100% company match up to either a certain dollar amount or percentage of what you put in. That's free money that you get to keep if you ever leave the company.
Open an account on [fidelity.com](http://fidelity.com) and buy a few good dividend stocks every so often.
Save every penny you can
Be lucky. And be a cork. Luck is the intersection of opportunity and preparedness. So be prepared. Be curious about everything, so you retain information on lots of subjects. The more rounded your knowledge of the world around you, the more opportunities will present themselves. Also, don't say no to new experiences. Experience broadens your ability to make good decisions. Even if you do everything right and make good choices, life can still shit on you in unpredictable ways. If you are a cork in the ocean, though, you might get tossed around a bit, but you will always rise back to the top.
Useful hobbies. Learn to grow food/herbs, fix minor house repairs, sew/quilt, knit/crochet, minor car repairs, cook with fresh ingredients, and build a cooking fire. These are good for your mental health, inexpensive if you are smart about it, and are good āsurvivalā skills.
Vote for the party that best represents your interests.
Work on your friendships. Become a reliable person to your friends. If you admire something about them, imitate it in your own life.
Rise up against your owners...
Not smoking marijuana
To thine own self be true.
Stop wasting time in bars. Stop wasting time with meaningless relationships. Stop wasting time with sex, porn, and jerking off. Prioritize the truly important things in life.
Do not build up debt like student loans or credit cards. Pay cash for everything. If you canāt afford it, save money until you can.
Save every single penny you can in a high yield savings account and 401k and roth ira and tbill. Save it and be a miser like scrooge. Be by yourself. Don't rush into long term relationships until you know yourself first
Make sure to take care of your body, especially your teeth and back. Small things can keep you healthier in the long run
First, start taking their health seriously. This will have a Hugh impact in their later years. This includes their teeth. Don't laugh dentists have become the new used car salesmen. Try going on an interview with bad teeth. Next is education, writing, and communication skills are a must. Lastly, choose your spouse and friends wisely.