If you had only known...

[Sonja]

I am not too much older now yet Anyway, I would tell myself to be more careful with loans, mortgages, etc. Of course, it is great when you get a pretty sum of money at once to buy what you want, but every loan means that you have to pay back much more than you have borrowed. If you can do without something for a while, why not be patient? Why not start saving the money little by little and buy the thing a little later? Yes, to save enough money to buy a house without making a loan is a real challenge, but when we speak of some electronics, furniture, even cars - why not? Put your savings into a bank and make the interest rates work for you, not for the bank I think if I had begun doing like that a few years earlier I would have felt more free now.

[maat55]

I am not too much older now yet Anyway, I would tell myself to be more careful with loans, mortgages, etc. Of course, it is great when you get a pretty sum of money at once to buy what you want, but every loan means that you have to pay back much more than you have borrowed. If you can do without something for a while, why not be patient? Why not start saving the money little by little and buy the thing a little later? Yes, to save enough money to buy a house without making a loan is a real challenge, but when we speak of some electronics, furniture, even cars - why not? Put your savings into a bank and make the interest rates work for you, not for the bank I think if I had begun doing like that a few years earlier I would have felt more free now.

I pay cash for all my consumption purchases now and saving in advance for them gives you an extra EF for security as apposed to having debt when hard times come.

[illinigamer]

26 would have been 2 years ago so I probably would have said wait a bit on buying that house.

[mommyof4]

Live way below your means and save money in the bank, don't buy stupid plastic stuff from Walmart, and don't think you "deserve" anything.