Be very careful what you do or say. It can either come back to bite you on the butt or kiss you on the cheek (what goes around, comes around)
Sock away $20 EVERY paycheque into a savings account and DON"T TOUCH IT. Whenever you get a raise, consider increasing the amount you sock away by the same percentage. Everytime you are tempted to use it, think about what financial emergency could crop up tomorrow and what would happen if you don't have that money on which to fall back. This is something you will never look back upon and regret.
I wish I had been this smart/wise when I was in my 20s. It sure would have saved me some grief.
My former boss once commented that he wished graduates would all start an IRA or something similar. He was then in his early 50s and just then starting a retirement plan (he had owned his own company since he was in his late 20s). He said the IRA he had as a graduate student (started with a grand total of about $1500) would be worth more at his retirement than the plan he was starting then that he was dumping thousands and thousands into. I thought that was profound. Wish I had done it in my 20s as well.
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That's absolutely true-advice I wish I had been brave enough to act upon! Life is about choices and having to go to work every day when you absolutely hate your job is hell on earth. If you have a chance to do what you love and the money isn't that great, ponder and ponder again. Is the money really worth it? Can you make changes to your lifestyle that will be worth doing what you love? Hmmm, having had the opportunity to go to college for equine studies and not taking it because my father was constantly harping on me about the almighty dollar and what kind of life am I going to have if I train horses-uh hello, a happy one!!!
Money isn't everything and don't let anyone tell you that it is, it depends on how much material things mean to you. If you can do without the latest cell phone or computer or flat screen tv or gucci leather purse, do what you want and to heck with everyone else! You only live once, make it matter! Can you tell I still have lingering issues? lol Sorry for the rant.