If you had the opportunity to do it all over again...

[Gruntina]

I left home when I was 13 and went to my dad's with his family until 17. .. I did not have a clue about saving and investing. I started working every summer starting at 14 and worked year round when I was out of school. I wish I had saved a percentage of money and I wish I knew the option to open the IRA account. I thought it was only offered by employers at the time. How stupid!

I also wished I understood that I had my own power to save for a house myself for the future rather than leave it to "fate". I know... I was pretty naive!!!


now I am on the right track but missed out on compound interest advantages.

[disneysteve]

I would have bought Microsoft and Berkshire Hathaway stock.

[anonymous_saver]

I wouldn't change anything about my financial past. I have always saved 25% of what I've earned and put it towards retirement. At a young age, I guess I saw my mom save $100 per paycheck to go into an emergency fund, which I'm assuming taught me to save 1/4th of everything I earn towards retirement.

I am also incredibly lucky that I read Suze Orman's book for the Young, Fabulous and Broke to learn a little bit more about where to put my Roth IRA and other savings. I am incredibly thankful for learning about online savings accounts that pay 5%+ in interest! I'm sure that alone will significantly change my life. Reading this book has also helped my partner who had actually declared bankruptcy in 2004. Now he has a 401(k), a Roth IRA, and significant money saved towards an emergenc fund and a down payment!

Also, the only debt I have ever had (I am 25 years old) is $7,400 in school loans which I paid off before I was even charged any interest. In fact, now that I think about it, I have NEVER spent any money on interst in my life!!!! The only interest I plan on ever having to pay is when I get a mortgage. I have had a credit card to gain credit for the past year. I wouldn't even change the fact that I got my first credit card at a relatively late age at 24.

I understand that I am lucky.

[debtfreeme]

i would have found a better paying job while in community college.
not moved to SF but stayed and studied in Sacramento.
not taken student loans just to travel, although my major was international relations.

stayed in better contact with friends from college
visited home more often to spend time with grandma
waited another year or two for grad school to take out less loans

[deca]

I would have avoided credit cards. I would also have relied on public transportation instead of letting my then-boyfriend browbeat me into taking on a car loan so he wouldn't always have to drive to my place. He was gone long before the payments were.

[The Budget Man]

If I could do it again I would have invested far more heavily in property. Over the years property has always been good to me. Now if only I had taken a deal I was offered about 24 years ago I could have done very well out of it.

Overall it's been an interesting ride. We've been to the top. We've been to the bottom and I far prefer the top.

I'm looking forward to the next couple of years as we're now in 42 different countries and the future is looking good.

[LuckyRobin]

I had the option of buying stock in the national chain restaurant I worked at through a $40 per month (just $10 a week) payroll deduction. That stock was then selling for $17 a share and is now selling for over $100 a share. I didn't do it and I've always regretted it.

I also would never have accepted the management job at that same restaurant that led to me dropping out of college for 2 years at age 20. I went back at 22, but I always feel like I wasted those two years because of a dumb job.

[Fern]

I assume you're talking about strictly financially-related things....

I would have chosen a different college, and a different major.
I would have skipped law school as i wasn't sufficiently committed to complete law school.

I would have invested more time in jobs i got bored with and put down roots, so to speak, in one area instead of transplantng myself as often as i did.

Those would be the biggies.

[savingandinvesting]

I would have benefited from changing a few things probably but who knows. The key is to focus on the future.

[Hypersion]

Community college instead of a university. But at least I didn't go to a private U for four year like my couson ouch!!!

[Ima saver]

I wish I had continued on at a bookkeeping job I had with a small savings and loan. The following year, they got a computer and gave training. I never had a job with a computer and still don't know anything about them.

[pearlieq]

A million little things. It's not that I'm consumed with regret, it's just that I'm a tweaker--I can always see little things to make it better.

So, I would have:

1.) Avoided credit cards. I didn't get in too deep, but I did charge a lot of junk.
2.) Applied myself a bit more at work. I could have made more money if I had been more focused and disciplined.
3.) Started with one major (business) and stuck with it. I could have gotten out in 2.5 - 3 years instead of 3.5. Since I was footing the bill, that would have made a difference.
4.) Invested in the tech boom (and gotten out in time, of course!)
5.) Spent a little more and had a nicer wedding. Sounds crazy, I know, but I think I would have been happier with that choice.

[T_I_N_A20]

Woah... Cool. I feel lucky to be 18 now. Now if I was a little bit younger, when I was 8, i would wish I had save the money in my bank instead of spending it on clothes and outing. I would have a large chunk of money save now. Possibly in 10k or so.

[cashqueen]

I definately would have started saving for retirement! I feel like I got a late start and am way behind where I should be right now.

[arctanx]

Without a doubt in my mind:

1) Avoid running up my credit card
2) Put a hefty amount in 401k from day one at my job

I started working for a corporation at 21, I didn't even know what a 401k was...and there was no probation, you were 100% percent vested (and they matched up to 6%) from day one!!!! I started after 3 years, I kick myself everyday for not starting sooner.

[pennrj430]

I'm torn on this question. My first thought was to say if I was 20 again, I wouldn't have gotten into big credit card debt. But, because I was in so much CC debt, at 25 I started learning about paying off debt, saving, and investing. I'm now CC debt free, and for the past 4 years have been maxing out my Roth and my 401K up to the company match. I'm not sure that I would be on this track if I hadn't gotten myself in a mess to begin with.

Knowing what I know now though, I would of course go back and start maxing out my Roth, and 401K starting at 18.

[The Budget Man]

Originally Posted by pennrj430

I'm torn on this question. My first thought was to say if I was 20 again, I wouldn't have gotten into big credit card debt. But, because I was in so much CC debt, at 25 I started learning about paying off debt, saving, and investing. I'm now CC debt free, and for the past 4 years have been maxing out my Roth and my 401K up to the company match. I'm not sure that I would be on this track if I hadn't gotten myself in a mess to begin with.

Knowing what I know now though, I would of course go back and start maxing out my Roth, and 401K starting at 18.

What a great story. Congratulations.

[boefixepa]

It's hard to say..as I am what I am today because of my past.

I would like to have learned what I know now sooner, but I think I learned it when I was ready to. I can remember coming across the basic idea years ago in a church class....and I just didn't 'get' it. It didn't make sense to me, so ingrained was my upbringing. So I think I did the best I could.

[Exile]

I would be more questioning and skeptical about my parents'--especially my mother's-- claim that they couldn't help finance my education, this despite my mother's urging me to be the best, blah blah. It's true that I didn't know what professional direction I wanted to take at the time. But I'll never know why high school and college counselors never suggested pursuing what was known at that time as a liberal arts degree. And if my parents were hard up, I don't know why I received 0 guidance in finding a scholarship.

Eventually, I did get a few years of college in along the way (I'm now 62 and retired), and strangely I think a lot of my financial decisions when I left home at 19 were more sound than in later years.

[debtfreecb]

I would not have purchased some much stuff on credit.