If you were in ur mid 20s Fresh Out Of College, What would you have done differently?

[bestfreebies]

If you were a 20 sum year old kid again, what would be some of the things you would've done to save money and better yourself?

Thanks

[Singuy]

Nothing.

Was making 115k/year with 0 student loan debt/cc debt at 24yo. Did not change majors, did not drink in college, had scholarships 4/6 years in college, and lived with parents. Graduated with a doctorate degree in something useful. Was not a genuis, my SAT/ACT scores were just above average.

Sounds pretty lame but I treated college as a job, not a place to have fun...if I want to have fun, I'll go to Disney, which is down the street.

[dczech09]

Technically, I am still in my 20's (I'm 26). But I graduated when I was 22 and I have been working for several years.

I have no debt and I am aggressively investing for retirement. So my financial situation is pretty much aces right now.

However, if I had to change anything, I would have worked my butt off to graduate without debt. I graduated with $32,000 in student loans and an $11,000 car loan. Really wished I would not have done that, but it is in the past and I have cleaned up the mess. But if I did not have that debt, I would be even further ahead today.

I lived off campus in a fraternity house, partied a lot, and dined out a lot. I lived pretty well in college, had great experiences, and don't regret those experiences in the least. But the one thing I really wished I would have done was pay for it and not accumulate the debt. I paid for it in the end and incurred a lot of opportunity cost.

That is one of the reasons why I want to reach out to high schools and teach high school seniors what I learned the hard way.

[JoeP]

I would have avoided car loans. My mentality at the time was that car loans enabled me to buy a car I really wanted but could not afford. I think we've had 6 or 7 car loans between when we were single and got married, and that adds up to a lot of avoidable interest. I could have sucked it up, drove my clunkers a while longer, and not cared what people thought...all while saving up.

I would have also been a little more selective when buying my first house. My only regret was that I didn't fully understand the scope of the repairs and updates, and could have negotiated for a lower price.

[Eagle]

If you were a 20 sum year old kid again, what would be some of the things you would've done to save money and better yourself?

Thanks

I'd probably tell myself not to take things so seriously. To enjoy the journey, family, and friends.

Financially, I'd also probably tell my younger self to to buy a 2-3 year old vehicle instead of a new vehicle (Honda Civic) as my second car purchase. The first car I paid cash.

I also would've told my younger self to put more effort in finding a job outside of college. I wouldn't have gotten a job in retail. I would counsel myself not to sell myself short on looking for jobs and accepting the first offer on the table.

I wouldn't have invested in Edward Jones but instead invested with Fidelity or Vanguard.

I think it was a good idea to get a business degree in college. I think it was also a good idea to get a MBA.

[MoneyTips4U]

Nothing.

Was making 115k/year with 0 student loan debt/cc debt at 24yo. Did not change majors, did not drink in college, had scholarships 4/6 years in college, and lived with parents. Graduated with a doctorate degree in something useful. Was not a genuis, my SAT/ACT scores were just above average.

Sounds pretty lame but I treated college as a job, not a place to have fun...if I want to have fun, I'll go to Disney, which is down the street.

I laughed at this post. That is pretty awesome. I too hope to graduate college with zero debt. It's a great goal to have.

My goals being currently in college:

Graduate with no debt.
Work part time to save some money.
If I invest, I invest aggressively.
Buy a cheap car (my car was 1k and I haven't had problems with it since I bought it 6 months ago).
Be smart with my money and don't be afraid to work hard.

Yep.

[dawnwes]

I do wish I had saved a bit more when I was younger. I got married at 29 and had no savings other than retirement.

If I had gotten a solid emergency fund going back then, I would be better off.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

Had kids earlier. I'd be less tired and less financially secure but feel like I could have more kids instead of worrying about time.

[dojo]

It's easy: stop spending like crazy and SAVE money. It took me some years to understand that money should be saved too

[Gina23]

Not too much. I started investing right away @ age 22. I took out a car loan that I probably could have thought through a bit more, but still don't feel like I got ripped off by any means. I'm still driving and love the car, so there's no doubt it was worth it.