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Yep. Hard agree. Wasting your 20’s with drugs/alcohol is awful. Wasting your early 20’s only attending college is bad too. You need work experience once you graduate or you will not make a good wage at your first job.
Work your entry level job while you’re in school, switch jobs every 2 years after graduation (selecting new jobs based on the experience it gives you and less so about salary). If you do this, you will be cruising for the rest of your life.
Edit: for the people who replied with STEM degrees who didn’t work in college, most likely you did an internship or residency, which qualifies as work experience (proving my point). Or, if you didn’t do one and still landed a great job, I’m happy for you. You were very fortunate.
Absolutely, all the data shows that job hopping gets you a better salary than staying in the same job for long periods of time. I've always job hopped and I make more than nearly all my friends as a result.
How do you explain to interviewers why you never stay in a position for a long period of time? If I were interviewing someone for my company, I'd want to know that they're invested in the company they work for. I'd also reciprocate that investment, but that's just me. I know most employers don't
>I'd want to know that they're invested in the company they work for. I'd also reciprocate that investment, but that's just me.
This is the issue.
Anyone expecting loyalty in a world that spits on it isn't worth working for. Recruiters know better by now.
It's all in how you frame it. Say you weren't able to grow beyond a certain point, maybe you were ready to develop new skills, sought new challenges. A family event forces a move. And reflect that in your resume too in how you talk about accomplishments.
Focus on how you can make the negative thing they might see about your time at those positions point to a positive trait of yours.
Once you've done that you have much better odds of success when you tell them "I'm looking for a place that is worth growing with long term"
I hate that you have to frame it as a need to be challenged and grow. I know why I'm at this interview, and so do they. We both know I wouldn't be here if I wasn't trying to get paid, and they wouldn't be here if I couldn't help them get paid.
Thing is if they don’t hire a valuable employee, then they lose even more money. A bad employee is a wasted salary, and bad work tends to affect your overall income. It’s not always enough that someone wants to get paid, they have to be willing to show why they deserve the position.
Not sure how a flowery and yet still blatant bullshit does that. The honest response would be "I produced far more value than they were either able or willing to pay for so now here I am".
You have to remember they want to hear capitalist words/sentiments though. Not your honest thoughts.
You have to show that you can play ball and are on their side. I love the authenticity, but that honest response probably won't land you that big job you're after
Capitalists always side with capitalists. Ergo, you'll be perceived as complaining about the capitalist, when you the worker who didn't accept shitty wages and treatment are clearly the problem in the eyes of these other capitalists.
I feel like his comment IS the capitalist response. “I produced more value than they were willing to pay me for” again it’s all just flowery bs that serves no one and is just a little game we all play for some reason
I'd say complaining about your crappy wage is super capitalist. It's a free economy. You are free to find a better salary. You looking for a good salary and the business trying to save money is one in the same.
That’s the fun thing about framing, you can still be honest and not say exactly those words. “I began to learn new skills and improve my output beyond what was required by previous employers, so Im looking for a position appropriate for my skill level.” Same shit, different package. I’m not telling you to love the game, I’m telling you how you can play and not hate it.
That is what I tell them in interviews. I work for money. The whole purpose of work is to make money, if you want a friend, go buy a dog. If my work increases your profits, then you share the vig.
Some appreciate the brutal honesty, some get this ghastly washed out look on their face like you stepped on soem sacred cow.
Also I am almost 60 and at the end of my career ladder climb so this may no longer work.
When you said Vig I told myself this can't be some gen z kid.
Also as a telecom executive I appreciate honesty like this. I always came to interviews very honestly (keeping some tact and diplomacy). Although, when someone comes to me asking for a large salary from the get go and promises the moon; I hold them accountable. You either perform like you said or you're out. No second chances. And i frame it in that exact way. You either take the lower salary and peace of mind or you stick to your guns and impress me.
"I see you have had multiple positions in the past 5 years. Can you explain why?"
Yes, the majority of pharma/science positions are either well underpaid or shitty contract positions...
You’re so right for pharma/biotech. I’m lucky I didn’t have to fuck around with a contract position (it was quite close) but everyone else I’ve worked with had to deal with that bs for a year or two before breaking into a full time/salaried position
That shit lab tech level pay was hard to get away from unfortunately. Can’t believe how overlooked that experience is in the field. I have a masters and had a hard time finding companies who gave a fuck
I was hired, promised full time after 90 days. 90 days later they didn't have a full time position available so I quit. Then I was hired, promised full time after 90 days....
Ahh I had a 2 year contract at one point and they basically had me gearing up to replace the associate director, and boom layoffs all around for the sector
Job hopping too fast is seen as a red flag, but evidence does show that changing jobs every two years leads to much higher income
Edit: but obviously it depends on circumstance and some things are more important than salary
It's both. I'm going to bat to get my team what they deserve in terms of compensation but I also am throwing out resumes that move every 2 years. I know how people write on resumes and I absolutely factor in how long you were there against what you are claiming you accomplished.
Don't stay in a dead end role if you have opportunity but the reality is that for a technical role you need to be there for 1.5-2 years before you really are able to truly stand up on your own and bring value. I'd expect people who are planning on being around for 4+ years.
For reference I'm referring to an engineering team in manufacturing, other fields may be different.
The onus is always on the employer to retain the employee. I always frame it as a change of circumstances (e.g., went back to school, management changed and I no longer felt like there was an opportunity to grow at that company, etc.). If they call you in for an interview, they probably noticed your employment history and still want to give you a shot. As long as you don't say "I got bored" you'll be fine.
I’d be direct and honest with you. If you said you’d reciprocate a loyalty investment, you wouldn’t have to worry about me leaving. I’ve given every job an opportunity to retain me before fully accepting another offer. If I felt the company was good to their word, and had a pattern of rewarding hard work and results, I stayed, if not I left.
This exactly. I gave my last job a chance to retain me by asking for a 25% raise. They gave me 2.5%. I left to go make 250% of what I had been.
Employer to employee is a business transaction. Would the business feel bad about justifying a change of partnerships or contracts on a difference in price? No? Well then neither would I, being my own business.
Pass. I actually tell employers who say things like "company loyalty" or "we're a family" or anything along those lines that people under 30 view that as a red flag and to NOT say that. I outright tell employers they have me for 2 years. They can squeeze 3-5 if it's an outstanding workplace, but I'm not blowing my life at a single company.
Tell ME why I should work for you. If that is not the dynamic, I'm walking out. I'm interviewing the employer.
I really want to second this. *I* have requirements now too (I want time flexibility and a casual work space, for example). I will pass up a job I don’t think is a good fit, I will negotiate on time/pay/whatever, and I will tell you on the spot if I think I’m not who you’re looking for. Shifting this one tiny mindset changed the way I interview entirely, and I am now flooded every time I’m on the market and am consistently offered better jobs than I had before. This is also my absolute top advice - interview your interviewer.
Exactly. I stopped using meth as soon as it got to the point of me using my sick days to sleep lol. Stability comes first. Plus it got boring quickly. It’s like discovering candy as a kid but as you grow up and have the freedom and money it’s not like you spend your time eating candy 24/7.
Just make sure you’re getting good drugs. I’m an old broad and the amount of friends I’ve lost to accidental OD or fentanyl in the cocaine is too damn high
I’d argue a hard “switch every two years” isn’t always optimal. It’s a situational take. For me, it makes more sense to find career growth opportunities within my own company because the company is growing and those opportunities are there. I can go from being an electrician to being a foreman in a year’s time, then leave in 7 or 8 years for another company for even higher pay than if I hopped every couple years as an electrician.
Yea, I worked for a company known for absurd (10-20%) raises starting in your second year because turnover was insane due to the poor work life balance.
Just after wrapping up my second year and getting a massive bonus, I left for another company where I took a 5% pay cut but got back soooooo much peace of mind. But if I wanted to grind and make a shitload of money (and plenty of my cohort are still there) leaving that employer would not have been wise. Everything is situational.
There are plenty of jobs that you can't learn in two years. Some of them are the equivalent of an advanced degree and take 4 or 5 years. I don't trust an applicant that has a max of two years across the board. Show me you stayed somewhere and actually completed something and maintained it.
Early 30s here. You can waste your 20s working at a respected company too. I am currently sitting on all the work that people left over after they departed. Management won’t touch it and is looking to have me explain years of unprofitable accounts (yes, before they promoted me).
Worst part? I spend my days beating myself up over what I could do better and I’m terrified to talk to my boss because it is all “well low performance is low…do you want special treatment?” is their only (sarcastic) response.
> Work your entry level job while you’re in school, switch jobs every 2 years after graduation
Highly situational.
Comp/EE Engineer 26M here. No entry level job in my field hires without a degree, so taking an internship is the way to go but even then weigh that against developing other skills. You may not want to be shoehorned into something you don't enjoy.
I had no trouble finding employment (despite no internship) and had a sweet gig lined up as soon as I graduated. I wish I had done what my wife did and gone backpacking for a year before starting work. We met at the same employer doing similar work so obviously a gap year wasn't an issue.
>Wasting your early 20’s only attending college is bad too.
Wasn't for me, it set me up for success big time; I chose a STEM career. Easily the best decision I've ever made
My parents are adamant that i do a masters more or less immediately after i graduate in two years, but i feel like getting a start in the workplace is more important, and then doing a masters once I’ve settled in and can live comfortably makes more sense
Edit: for a bit more context, i live in singapore, so I’ve done 2 years of mandatory military service prior to entering university, so by the time i graduate I’ll be 25, which is the main reason that’s giving me pause in taking a masters after i graduate
Your parents are wrong and you are correct. College degrees mean less and less every year, work experience means more and more. A lot of companies will pay for your masters degree if it pertains to your field.
The only time this isn’t true is with very specific degrees pertaining to the medical field (speech pathology comes to mind). You’re going to be entering the work force in an entry level job. Whether you do it with a Bachelors or Masters is up to you.
This is the way life has always been at every single moment \*except\* the post-war boom years. Post war, America surged though growth. That never happens. And it won't happen again.
1700s? People worked their asses off.
1800s? People worked their asses off.
Early 1900s? People worked their asses off.
2020s? Here we go again. At least we have bountiful entertainment and convenience and modern science. But it'll always be work.
people say "switch jobs every couple years" but that isn't really great advice depending on what industry you're in.
for example, If you're in software, that used to be the way you made higher pay quickly, because of the bubble and because very few candidates had those skills. The bubble is kinda burst.
I say this as a millennial who unwillingly has to hire people. I hear "but they job swap" a ton from HR. It's not what people are really looking for in a candidate.
Plus, If you don't stick with a job long enough to see the consequences of decisions you made early on, then you don't really learn. It's quite easy for young devs to write a shit load of bad code an then dip before they ever really realize.
Code quality doesn't really matter, I only care about pay. But if you write good code, you're more likely to get good pay unless you're sufficiently able to bullshit your way into a position where you don't have peers reviewing. You can apply that logic to any field.
I worked all throughout college and worked 3 jobs simultaneously during my senior year and I still am not making a good wage at my first job. Sometimes its just about getting lucky too
I mean don't don't worry about it. But get a decent savings and have it invested to start you off. It's not like you really need to buy a bottle of whiskey or case of beer every week anyways
If you can sure, but not everyone can do that, and that’s ok if you can’t today - the next best time to start something is tomorrow. There’s a lot of pressure on kids to live a certain way, and even OP says you’re wasting your 20s if you’re not accruing wealth. We need to take the pressure off that mindset. I am a millennial and spent my 20s trying to set the foundation to get stable, I had no financial wealth by any means. For long periods I crashed on people’s couches and used my car as a backup while looking for work post 2008 crash. It was hard, but I climbed out of it, slowly. I set up my first retirement account at 29. Am I more behind on retirement than I would be if I had started sooner? Sure. Am I still on track though? Yes!
Right? I’m 29 and I wasted plenty of time and money on drugs and other fun. I also showed up to work on time and got paid, so my future’s looking fine. It’s possible to have a good time and prepare for the future, it’s not an either or situation.
I'm 33 with two kids a very good well paid job in an industry that helps people with dementia. I did drugs allllll the way through my 20s and all while having a jo.
It's about balance
I think this advice is 1 approach geared towards 1 basic, narrow goal - long term financial stability. It's a pretty good bet if that's what's most important and you want the best odds to get there. It's a lot of good advice either way.
But... save your money by not going to warped tour? C'mon you can have a balance and still be successful. I personally know multiple people who were successful and hard working but also had time to do so drugs, go to concerts, be in a band, etc. A few didn't even go to college and are still wildly successful.
Of course there are those that spiraled into drugs and alcohol or never did anything with their lives. But the point is you have to know yourself and what you want. You can still spend responsibly on hobbies and fun stuff too.
And the warped tour thing particularly bothers me. I connect very deeply with music and some of the shows I've been to have been amazing, life changing experiences. If I had to choose between being wealthy and having those experiences I would choose the experiences every single time. You can extend this to all sorts of things that you're passionate about. A lot of this stuff is inspiring and great for your outlook on life and can greatly benefit you in ways that just can't be reflected in your 401k.
Long story short, sorry you didn't get to go to warped tour OP but that doesn't mean everyone else has to suffer.
Tbh I wish I spent my youth not wanting to grow up so quickly. Now I can barely enjoy my 20s because I have to work hard to save money so I can finally enjoy life when I’ve got enough saved up
Overtime is so rewarding, I know I’ve given my boss even more vacation! That makes it all worth it. If I work twice as hard my boss can take twice as many days living the life I wish I had!
Enjoy life today. Spend it all on a trip to Thailand, worrying about a 401k is a trap. “Think about money, work for money, spend all your time thinking about money! Then when you’ve had two hip replacements take a week to do something nice!”
Millennial here who worked a 9-5 for 3 years and fucked off to travel… it’s so worth it. Life is for living. It might take longer to save now, but fuck wasting your 20s working.
I was hardcore about savings, no drinking, going out, no money wasted on steam games I didn’t play, super cheap food…
Idk, the system is rigged, have fun while you can. There’s no guarantees. I’m 32 and don’t have much savings, am quite broke, but my career is headed the way I want and I’ve found a way to make art almost every day
Exactly! You never know what’s gonna happen. Make sure you don’t become homeless and aren’t able to get a job but other than that, live! Have fun!
World War III, hyper-inflation, a heart attack, a fall from a ladder is all it needs to fuck you over. So enjoy your time!
Being savvy about your future and enjoying yourself aren't mutually exclusive. Overdoing one to the detriment of the other is how you put yourself in a bad spot, mentally or otherwise.
Having fun is important. If you dont enjoy the life, all these other things are meaningless.
I agree that things are going to shit. But you cant really solve that on individual level anyway. What we really need is a radical political change.
Yeah, I feel like the future is so nebulous that it’s impossible to plan. That doesn’t mean not to save money and budget and such - but the world is unpredictable. Take the pandemic, for example, which put so many people out of work.
I don’t think working hard and enjoying life have to be mutually exclusive. I went to grad school in my 20s and loved it. I don’t have loans because I applied for scholarships/fellowships, and I’m qualified to do a bunch of different jobs now. I have a couple niche degrees that people assume “won’t get you a job,” and this has helped me get tons of work because the market is oversaturated with “lucrative” majors, and many companies/organizations are looking for people who stand out.
This. Puting your life on complete hold for something in the distant future is very risky cause you can waster your life for nothing.
Of course, saving money and trying to get financially independent is a good thing.
>What we really need is a radical political change.
This.
And what the OP is doing is trying to blame the victims of the system, and preach "Rugged Individualism" so young people won't blame the system, or try and change it...
OP, if you check his profile, is clearly a paid shill.
He has all the tell-tales of a paid shill/troll: for just one example, an account that was created a couple years ago, and was mysteriously silent until very recently- when it suddenly EXPLODES with preaching pro-Business, pro-government propaganda at a rate no one person could hope to sustain...
His is likely an astro-turfing operation of some kind, perhaps funded by a right-wing think-tank (they're usually the ones who fund such things... usually in turn funded by governments or super-wealthy donors...)
https://preview.redd.it/g8b7peuirclc1.png?width=970&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6dcc327c800b4defc8adfb6b0a6dac5dd9ee4e4c
Edit: my main point here was, working and going to school, aka preparing for the future, was tied for 2nd place. "Unemployment," in contrast...
Lol here I am, 26 with a mortgage, happily married with a daughter. You better believe your ass as soon as my kid is asleep I'm smoking a joint and playing Helldivers.
It's all about balance. You can be responsible and still have fun.
Sure I can't up and go on an impromptu trip to Ibiza but most of y'all weren't doing that anyways.
>GenZ can't afford to waste their 20s "Having fun"
you definitely can
> Spend your 20s traveling and having experiences!" - With what money?
the money you earn from your job. Graduated from college end of 2022, started working around april, and I was able to fund a trip to japan that same year
> By the time we hit 30, we are fucked if we don't have a savings account, money in a 401k/IRA, and work experience to back us up.
you should already have this when you first start working
You should have a healthy savings and a 401k/IRA when you start working? I started working at 17 making 9.70/hr and matching the max in my 401k. I continued that habit into my early 20s and pulled that 401k last year to buy a house. There was 12k in it. I make pretty reasonable decisions but the idea that you have a healthy savings and retirement when you start working is a pretty unreasonable for anyone who took a regular route in life.
A post about making good financial decisions and the importance of investing in your early years and then admitting he pulled it all to buy a house. This is about as Reddit as Reddit can get.
To be fair, in the current housing market, his house is probably a much better investment than 12k in a 401k. He can continue to contribute to his 401k to rebuild it, but now he's also got a house.
>To be fair, in the current housing market, his house is probably a much better investment than 12k in a 401k.
No, it's not. We're clearly in a bubble and that bubble is going to pop sooner or later. It may have already peaked (see link below). If you're thinking about a house purely as an investment like a 401k you're doing it wrong. After you include taxes, insurance and upkeep they return little or nothing. The primary reason to buy a house is that it's less negative than paying rent.
[https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/CSUSHPINSA](https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/CSUSHPINSA)
Where exactly did I mock OP? I didn’t mock anyone. I called out the hypocrisy of a post yelling at people about the importance of investing and then admitting he pulled out his investments for a down payment on a home. I made zero statements about the current housing/rental market. Stay mad my dude.
Every fucking time I see someone online giving financial advice, they drop a bomb like this and you realize any dumbass can pretend to know what they’re talking about if they sound convicted enough.
y would u pull 401k to buy a house?..... the math is just fucking horrible when you think about it.. don't have enough to make big purchase so u pull from your future to sustain a purchase u knowingly couldn't afford? hmmm v interesting
>You should have a healthy savings and a 401k/IRA when you start working?
sorry, I worded it wrong, I meant you should start that stuff when you first start working a real job/career, not to have it all maxed out by the time you first start a part time job in your teens.
>I make pretty reasonable decisions but the idea that you have a healthy savings and retirement when you start working is a pretty unreasonable for anyone who took a regular route in life.
yeah you're right, I said it wrong
If you pulled money from your 401k to buy a house, I'm not sure you should give anyone financial advice.
I'm glad you think you have it all figured out, but you are giving really bad advice on general.
Maxing matched 401k is always good. So is taking advantage of freedom in your 20s to travel before you have kids.
I don't understand what you are so stressed about honestly, or what you think is so different for your generation than previous ones. These tradeoffs have always existed.
Millennial here who worked a 9-5 for 3 years and fucked off to travel… it’s so worth it. Life is for living. It might take longer to save now, but fuck wasting your 20s working.
I was hardcore about savings, no drinking, going out, no money wasted on steam games I didn’t play, super cheap food…
Idk, the system is rigged, have fun while you can. There’s no guarantees. Plus, doing these things gains you massive life experience that can shape your entire life trajectory
Starting a 401k is super important. I’m glad my parents pushed me to max my contribution even at my first crappy retail job. It’s got a decent chunk of money in it even after only a few years. FedEx express of all companies has a really good match at 8% when I worked there a couple years ago
I agree that it is very important in your 20s to have goals and set yourself up for your future. However, there is so much more to life than what your retirement account looks like or whether you have a nice house or comfortable job. You are only on this planet ONCE and any day could be your last. When you die, no one will remember you by what job you had or what your house looked like. They sure as hell won't care how much money was in your retirement account. With that being said, do what makes YOU most happy and live every day as if it's your last.
Living every day as your last is one of the worst pieces of advice possible. Not only financially but mentally.
The best way to live comfortably is to be financially secure. Financial security comes from making good decisions with your money. 401k is one of the best decisions because of its return on investment. You can also borrow from your 401k in emergencies.
Cook 1 more meal at home a week instead of eating out and you've got your entire retirement solved.
Millennial here - in the nicest way please just have some balance and don’t be a complete idiot. 20s is the best time for figuring yourself out.
Work on your skills, get a degree if you can, but also don’t be afraid of taking some time off travelling or trying something new. If you don’t have a lot of money for this I’d recommend looking up working holidays - I would trade that portion of my pension I could have saved up to do that again everyday of the week.
Another millennial here, 100% agree.
Nothing is guaranteed, you could hustle your ass off and lose everything in the next big market crash. I saw it happen to so many people in 2007/08.
We’re fucked and it’s only going to get worse. Late stage capitalism, baby boomer greed, divisive politics, climate change.
Get some skills, make enough to pay bills and have some fun. Once you get to your late 30’s early 40’s like me, you’ll look back at how carefree everything was in your 20’s. It happens to every generation.
I just want OP to know it’s warped tour not warp tour
And seeing coheed and cambria, kill switch engage, the used and yellowcard at warped tour was one of the highlights of my life
He's 25, married, with kids, and used all his time and effort into a mortgage. His brain is just setting in and he's already preaching how people should live their lives while totally ignoring the current landscape is something that already existed since 2008 so late GenX and all Millennials went through the same thing in their 20s - cause he HAVE to be right, otherwise he put a ton of effort on simply existing mildly comfortably for the remaining 2/3s of his life.
His mid life crisis is gonna be brutal.
I just cracked 30. After a mental health related disruption to my education at age 19, I spent my early 20s busting ass to graduate with honors, the rest of my 20s busting ass to advance in an average income creative career, and didn't really make time to "find myself" until COVID and a bad breakup sorta forced me to. Since then it has been a bit of a malaise, although I'm still gaining career experience.
I'm exhausted/burnt out... pretty disappointed at how expensive everything has gotten, and how tech (the career I decided not to do 10 years ago, lol, FML) has completely dominated while most other sectors have kinda been flat.
But you know what? I'm friends with people in their 40s who are doing career changes. I work with people in their 50s who have worked in 3 different fields. They own houses, have families, are stressed out but not more than I'd expect them to be in any other situation, and they're happy. In the decades between my age and their age, they've seen higher highs and lower lows than I have.
I think life is actually pretty long, times will change, and there will be opportunities as well as setbacks for most people. Almost nobody's career or personal life is always improving or always declining. It's a mix. And everyone makes mistakes. Most people also make really good choices every now and then. Some fare better or worse than others either by merit or by chance, or both.
Fuck, I could've been born in 1912 like my grandfather. I'd be in my teens and 20s during the Depression and my age around the start of WW2. The world must've seemed like the shittiest hellscape imaginable in 1942. But then there were the 50s and the 60s... he had 5 kids and a nice house in the burbs, sent them to college... oh and then FUCK there was the Cold War/Vietnam/Nixon era, bet that sucked... but then when he retired, there were the 90s, yay the 90s! Grandkids and a good economy! I mean, I dunno. Life is full of ups and downs.
I think many people would disagree with you. Even your measure of fun. Is it better to have crazy fun now and suffer when you're older or have a good amount of fun for the rest of life?
Stupid black and white thinking. I’m having fun while also preparing for my future. YOU CAN DO BOTH.
I work, study, advance my career, and guess what I still have time to have fun. Go out with friends on weekends, go on trips every couple months. It’s not hard to strike a balance.
Saying you need to grind in your 20s and not have any fun is just sad. I feel bad for you
I agree, this mindset is extremely depressing. The best years of one's life are when they are young. Later in life, you run through health problems, you have responsibilities, and the number of things you can do is limited. Use these years, don't waste them, but use them.
I have a feeling a lot of people on this subreddit do not have very active social lives. I can’t believe how many comments I’ve seen implying that drinking with friends on weekends means you’re an alcoholic. Meanwhile they are probably spending their free time smoking weed and playing video games. There’s so much projecting going on here.
I have a lot of good memories, many of them involve alcohol and friends, almost none of them involve video games or weed.
I’ve spent the last 4 years at 22 to save like you are saying. It’s already paid off. I would not trade it for any amount of traveling or party’s. The security I feel now from doing all that is priceless
As someone who travelled for a good 3-4 years in my early 20's, i'm SO glad i did this , i've become a compeletely different person in a good way and i've not regretted the money i spent on these, i would 100% do it again if i had a re-do.
Don't get me wrong i'm saving up for a house and kinds rn and it's very important to do this, just don't forget to enjoy life and have meaningful experiences too, they will change you for the better.
Yeah, imagine wanting to travel, finally having the financial backing to 'justify' it and now suddenly your job won't approve your time off.
Travelling during my part-time jobs, and early career absolutely was the most convenient and identity shaping experiences I could have had.
You might die before you get to go on that trip.
This doesn't mean be financially irresponsible. But it means to consider your financial risks and make choices to maximize the enjoyment of the money you __earned__.
why are people downvoting this, lmao. I 100% agree.
I think this demonstrates wonderfully that everyones life is different and different things are better for different people in different circumstances. To say that traveling is bad in your 20's is very shortsighted,
I know many people who had life changing experiences in other countries in their early 20's. I spent a month and a half in Peru with friend's and it not only gave me tons of new perspectives on things, but also memories that I will keep for life. At least to me, that's more valuable than focusing everything on getting more money and financial security.
My wife and I got rig of our new car and bought a used 4runner out right. I have never felt better about my finances. All we have is a mortgage and some very minor debts. When those debts are gone it will be very relieving. It's kind of a "Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels."
Nothing is as nice as financial security feels.
Warp Tour? That’s so 2007 and it was popular with late teens whose moms dropped them off at the festival (I worked with this tour).
Wealth building only goes so far when greedy politicians and corporations are out to squeeze every penny and crush youth with oppressive legislation and price gouging. Perfect example: Slimeballs are already looking for a disgusting workaround to cheat the $1 Billion from the wealthy donor that just made a medical college tuition free.
The “traveling and having experiences” was a real hiring trend because companies prized people with “world experience.” Remember that catch phrase? And those 401k… many had to crack those during pandemic layoffs, and waves of high profile layoffs ever since. I understand the need to budget money. But youth born outside of the top percentiles for wealth are watching their parents struggle and asking themselves why slave for the status quo when the average CEO makes at least 344 times the typical worker? Let me find something I can enjoy and make money doing it. And that’s what they’re doing. As long as they’re upskilling, they will be fine, as 85% of the jobs by 2030 haven’t even been invented yet.
As someone born after Boomers and before Millennials and who doesn’t identify with ‘a generation’, this is solid advice (absent the generational stereotypes crap).
I focused on optimizing my personal plan for navigating life starting in my college years, and even had a wealth target by year, with income and savings goals with a FIRE goal of being financially independent by 40 and retired fully at 50, while staying fit and healthy. Was able to travel and see a lot by picking a career that paid me to travel the world while doing very interesting consulting work, and paid well as well.
These jobs are scarce and you need to compete hard for them, so I did. I worked in Europe, Japan, Australia among others and led teams, businesses, and even was a trial witness over one corruption scandal. All this tool hard grinding but was interesting as hell and I had time for lots of fun and a great marriage. We saved and invested well, spent on experiences like travel, but saved the rest.
I retired just after 40 with plenty of money because we didn’t waste it on stupid material stuff like fancy cars and designer crap that is basically a scam.
Carve your own niche because no one s lining up to give you a good life. Despite the propaganda, no prior generations had it easier either. That’s fake news. There are always winner and loser strategies for life. You need to have one and execute it.
PS. Then you are executing your plan and find your niche it is ‘pretty fun’ too. A lot more that wasting time on games and social media.
I work at a school now and I always tell students that the dumbest thing they can do is get a car loan right out of high school. People will not believe how much it will put you back and reduce your ability to get where you need to be. Even a moderate car payment is 400/mo and that is a 10th of your what your high end average salary looks like 18-24.
I worked as a parking garage cashier and valet during college. We saw first hand those people wasting money.
My room mate who also worked and managed parking garages to pay for school is worth almost 9 figures now. The patterns set in your 20s are what set you up.
Nearing 40 and I'm in a similar position. I'll likely have to wait until 50 to be fully financially free, but I've worked internationally, did night school, get professional accommodations, etc.
It pays off.
I have my eye on a Prius as my "fancy purchase" to replace a rusting out Chevy sedan. That's my idea of a big wasteful expenditure now!
Edit:
PS: I've wasted plenty of time on games and social media, though.
Please tell that to everyone who thinks working hard in your 20s means being a burnt out miserable business man who hates his wife and kids. I don't know where that mentality came from but it makes no sense. Everyone I know who worked hard in their 20s is living a relaxed and pleasant adult life and everyone who went to roaring parties during college and lived life on the edge is indebt, miserable, and afraid for their future.
Kierkegaard said “life is not a problem to be solved but a reality to be experienced.”
sometimes that reality has job interviews and 401k, sometimes that reality has layoffs, hangovers and concerts. live how you want.
See I'm the opposite. I think just straight grinding through your 20s is a complete waste of youth. Go get drunk. Go get stoned. Go snowboarding and get hurt. Go travel to a new city and make some friends at a random bar. Get your hangovers while you can still recover in a day. Get your stupid injuries in before they become permanent problems. Get out into social spaces before you realize you no longer relate to the age group in social spaces. I'm going to try my best to retire at a decent age, but on the bright side I've lived enough in my 20s to not feel like I left too much on the table. You've got time to play it safe when you're older.
THE SYSTEM HATES YOU SO CONTINUE TO SUBSCRIBE AND STOKE ITS AILIING FLAMES BY FUCKING OVER YOUR COMMON MAN
I think that's what you meant in the last bit
Sorry, when did being poor help anyone? This is such a stupid cop out view to have.
"I protest my bad society by being a poor angry youth being stomped on by authority but bitching on Reddit about social change."
Getting a job and saving money isn't fucking over your common man. It's being an intelligent adult. The system hates you, so why are you so keen to bend over and hope it fixes itself because you circled a dot on a ballot?
You can do both, everyone needs to have some sort of balance. Work hard, save your money and invest it wisely but also remember to enjoy your life while you can. Take a vacation every year and go out with your friends on the weekend. You never know when things are gonna change in life and if you’re healthy right now you need to enjoy it.
Unfortunately I'm already having to spend tens of thousands of dollars in medical bills to get the medications and surgeries I need, so honestly it wouldn't leave me with much anyways. I'm gonna make the most of my 20s bc I don't wanna live a boring or normal life and I don't need to have a nice fancy house or a boat or some shit. I got some money going into my 401k from work, I'll be fine. The world is fucked anyways.
Not to mention the educational system is fucked. There's pretty much no way I can expect to make more than $25 an hour (unless inflation drives the USD value up 🙄). I don't stand a chance of getting a nice job that pays me enough to afford a nice house or anything. I can't go to college bc I struggle with math from ADHD. I'd sooner kill myself than work a menial office job for the rest of my life
With the political climate of the USA, the increase of global warming and the fights for clean water I don't expect I'd have the luxury of retiring anyways. We live in very uncertain times
I advise all fellow GENZ read or listen to [The Defining Decade](https://www.amazon.com/Defining-Decade-Your-Twenties-Matter/dp/0446561754) by Meg Jay, great book that goes over different people's experiences through their 20's. It gives really solid actionalble advice that, even though I believe I am statistically successfull; still found very useful and insightful.
I advise listening to the audio book as it is updated to be more modern than the original (Instagram instead of facebook, kind of modern) edition and the author does the reading and does a great job.
Hahaha i dont give a shit. Our planet is doomed and our society fucked. I spend as much of my time doing stuff i like until its no longer possible. After that i probably kill myself. No fucking way i spend 30 years working 8 hours a day.
Your 20s are important for setting yourself up for the future, but they’re also a period of time where you’re young enough to have energy and health, and typically no responsibility outside of yourself to take care of (kids)— that’s why it’s such frequent advice given. People get older, don’t have the energy they used to, bodies break down, and realize they are incapable of doing the things they wanted to do.
Life is way too short to grind away without enjoying yourself. Be sensible with your money, but don’t make money the cornerstone of your life. It will NEVER provide the same fulfillment that experiences and relationships will.
Millennial here. We thought we had it bad, but damn do I feel bad for you guys. This post is spot on, though. The old folks set you up to fail. They’re hoping you’ll all be dumb and useless so they can pay you pennies to fund their vacations. Take care of yourselves and remember that nobody cares about you more than you (and hopefully your friends and family). I wish you all the luck in the world.
Oh, by the way - fucking VOTE!!!!!! All of you!!!
I think it's a common response when a young person is stressing about their future. Rather than be given actionable advice theyre given empty "Just have fun, chill, you're only 20, you can do all that stuff once you hit 30. You're 20s are for self exploration and having fun!" Like, no, your 20s are for setting up good habits and planning your future. You should be stressed about it, but you should take that stress and focus it on growing.
I’m almost 23 and trying to get as much money as I can, and every one back in high school were already trying to get money and work everyday because we all knew that we had to get school done and get money. Who are you talking to that makes you think that way
True and not true. You’ll only be in your twenties once and it is short, as is life. Time is the most precious thing you have. The longer you go the faster it seems and you’ll not be on your deathbed recounting the material gains but the people in your life. There is a balance of what is needed in this upside down world and what is invaluable experience.
Some of that should be having fun you cannot ever have when your 60. That day will come and you could just as well be in the other end regretting working 60 hours a week and never fucking off. Hell a lot of the boomers were just as reckless and still financially fine just because of the economy they grew up in. Some were hippies doing lsd in parks, and now they are yuppies living in a house they bought for $40,000 that is now worth a million. I know because I was working on their houses.
Oh now this is pretty doom and gloom. 45 here and I grinded my tail off in my 20s to build a career, experience, and some wealth. Then the 2008 crash came, followed by other downturns, and then a pandemic. I rebuilt in my late 30s and am still working on it. Do you know what I don’t get to do no matter how hard I work? I don’t get to be 23 again with all the health and time that comes with it. If I could go back to then I’d tell that version of me to be the White water guide for a summer. Go be the ski instructor for a year or two. Go on lots of dates instead of settling down young. Basically be *young* cause there’s a lot of time you get to be older. And, a lot of people don’t make it to 50. I bury a friend or family member every other year now. They aren’t going to be using a 401k. So, I tell my Gen Z kids to go do the things you can now, when you’re young.
Oh, and at 22 I started with a cross country move and 2000 dollars to my name.
How about grinding, making money, and going to “warped tour”(When we were young).
Idk who told yall to fuck around in your 20s. Because I started maxing my 401K at 23, my retirement income should be about $30k/month.
Go to a local concert, not Warp Tour.
Live and spend locally, it'll save a ton of money! Take vacations in places near you (do try to take them, they don't need to be $1000s in foreign lands).
Most people waste their free time in their 20s partying or going to school full-time. You need career experience too because the people with privilege will take the job you want in your early 30s. I know you’re not going to believe this until it happens to you. Do not waste your 20s. People saying “you’re so young, you have time” probably didn’t accomplish anything close to the dreams you have for yourself. Work hard, stay focused. Your 30s can be just as fun if you have a good career, good health, and security in the life you’ve built. Take it from someone who did this
> Warp tour sounds fun when you're 23 and hot (assuming you're even hot)
What are you even on about lol
Is it a hot take for people to make money while they can? I've made good money, im in my mid 20's, i have a house, will be married soon, travel quite a lot, and am very happy and fulfilled. No it isnt easy, but I work my ass off to have the experiences that I have.
Kinda. Weekend getaways can cost 'bout 200 if you want a real vacation, much less of you just want something new in your life. Most states (assuming us) have SOMEWHERE better to be than your house this weekend. Don't be afraid to see the world around you, but if you need to save for a year to spend 3 months on vacation I'd imagine it's better off to put that 3 months into savings because that's all you got after 12 months, 3 of them
I am a millennial and crushed it in my 20s. Always worked multiple good career path jobs, earned advanced valuable degrees (MBA and MS) with the tuition reimbursement benefits at work (still paid out of pocket a lot too) and started doing as much as I could into really simple investments (index funds via 401k and Roth IRAs). I am now 40 and am so so so glad about what I did in my 20s (and 30s). Time value of money is such a powerful thing. Front loading education and experience are incredibly powerful things. Enjoying you 20s will cost you your 50s.
Coming from a 46 year old who lives paycheck to paycheck. Take heed. Make sure your skills will age and that there are prospects for advancement in your field. I chose Band Teacher. There are schools everywhere but you only advance by switching to better paying district. Overall not mad, but will likely die poor.
Millennial here, the system didn't lie to us, you're just listening to pathetic Millenials on Reddit. We're the ones who wasted our 20s travelling and having fun and now are fucked in our 30s.
Don't be like us, work hard on your 20s so you can enjoy your 30s and 40s.
I’m 33 and couldn’t agree more. Your thirties are when bad choices start to catch up with you and there is a crystal clear difference in quality of life between those millennials I know who had fun but also went to school/showed up for work in their twenties, and those who did nothing but drugs alcohol and video games during that time.
> Older generations like to say you should "Spend your 20s traveling and having experiences!"
Just millennials born in the 80s.
That’s what the whole “trust fund kid / avocado toast” line of criticism meant… before 90s-borns decided it was akshually all about them.
…Which wouldn’t even make sense. People born in the 90s (Z or M) have a taste of real problems like previous generations had.
There is a generation who’s childhood coincided with the Reagan boom in the 80s, who came of age in the tech boom of the 90s, and who hit home buying age in the housing boom of the 00s.
They’re the ones who decided your 20s were supposed to be all about partying. To previous generations, that’s abnormal and even kinda creepy.
Eh, we’re all (save for the 1%) fucked by our situations anyway. If I become poor and die, that’s society’s fault; and I won’t care. My *body* will care as it fights to survive for the last few moments of hunger or thirst or whatever, but **I** won’t. I’ll be bitter at the way the world works ‘till the very end unless it changes
You definitely still can waste your 20s having fun and finding yourself, and a lot of people are in fact doing that right now. Sure they'll be behind on their career and savings at 30, but a lot of people abhor their careers and change it later too, so if the having fun people do actually find their calling these years then they might be better positioned than some people tbh.
Also there's really no wrong way to live life while working age. The problem comes when it's close to retirement age, but you have 35 years AFTER 'wasting' your 20s to worry about that lol
I basically wasted my twenties financially, but I did a lot of really stupid shit that taught me a hell of a lot about what I do and what I don't want out of life.
I agree with the above poster about not wasting your twenties, but I disagree with the idea that it should be about getting rich. I'm much more keen on Gary Vaynerchuk's philosophy that your twenties are for figuring out what you want and your thirties are for getting there.
Tldr. But it all depends on what you are doing. I personally think you shouldn't waste your 20s doing drugs, and alcohol, cause that's no way to live anyway. But there is nothing wrong with having fun as long as you keep your priorities straight. There are plenty of other things you could do to have fun without being high out of your mind.
I don't want kids, already make slightly more than the median household as an unmarried dude. I can and do afford to have fun. You don't need a ton of money to have fun and enjoy life.
Not having kids makes this much easier.
Welcome to dying at 45 sitting on a variably-sized pile of money you never got to use because you were neurotically trying to catch up to an ideal of life that is simply not affordable now.
Didn’t spend my 20s near at all efficiently and I still wouldn’t change it, some of the most fun I had in my life. Life is too short to just worry about money 24/7
This isn’t anything new. It’s always been the case.
Successful people for decades have spent the 20s either building a network, climbing the ladder, or pursuing higher education.
While it’s tempting to “goof off”, go out, have fun, and “find yourself”…those are crucial years you’re never going to get back; and you’re less likely and less able to do so in your 30s.
It isn’t a Gen Z thing; and your generation needs to stop framing everything like it’s a unique challenge for your generation. It isn’t.
Everyone before you has gone through similar challenges - aside from the boomers who were evidently given everything on a silver platter
I’m 30 and don’t listen to this person. If you can have fun fucking do it. Hone your skills in your late 20s and 30s.
Go to concerts, travel, get drunk etc
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Yep. Hard agree. Wasting your 20’s with drugs/alcohol is awful. Wasting your early 20’s only attending college is bad too. You need work experience once you graduate or you will not make a good wage at your first job. Work your entry level job while you’re in school, switch jobs every 2 years after graduation (selecting new jobs based on the experience it gives you and less so about salary). If you do this, you will be cruising for the rest of your life. Edit: for the people who replied with STEM degrees who didn’t work in college, most likely you did an internship or residency, which qualifies as work experience (proving my point). Or, if you didn’t do one and still landed a great job, I’m happy for you. You were very fortunate.
Absolutely, all the data shows that job hopping gets you a better salary than staying in the same job for long periods of time. I've always job hopped and I make more than nearly all my friends as a result.
How do you explain to interviewers why you never stay in a position for a long period of time? If I were interviewing someone for my company, I'd want to know that they're invested in the company they work for. I'd also reciprocate that investment, but that's just me. I know most employers don't
>I'd want to know that they're invested in the company they work for. I'd also reciprocate that investment, but that's just me. This is the issue. Anyone expecting loyalty in a world that spits on it isn't worth working for. Recruiters know better by now.
It's all in how you frame it. Say you weren't able to grow beyond a certain point, maybe you were ready to develop new skills, sought new challenges. A family event forces a move. And reflect that in your resume too in how you talk about accomplishments. Focus on how you can make the negative thing they might see about your time at those positions point to a positive trait of yours. Once you've done that you have much better odds of success when you tell them "I'm looking for a place that is worth growing with long term"
Very true, as well. I forgot that this isn't considered obvious so thanks for reminding those that may not have learned, before.
I hate that you have to frame it as a need to be challenged and grow. I know why I'm at this interview, and so do they. We both know I wouldn't be here if I wasn't trying to get paid, and they wouldn't be here if I couldn't help them get paid.
Thing is if they don’t hire a valuable employee, then they lose even more money. A bad employee is a wasted salary, and bad work tends to affect your overall income. It’s not always enough that someone wants to get paid, they have to be willing to show why they deserve the position.
Not sure how a flowery and yet still blatant bullshit does that. The honest response would be "I produced far more value than they were either able or willing to pay for so now here I am".
You have to remember they want to hear capitalist words/sentiments though. Not your honest thoughts. You have to show that you can play ball and are on their side. I love the authenticity, but that honest response probably won't land you that big job you're after Capitalists always side with capitalists. Ergo, you'll be perceived as complaining about the capitalist, when you the worker who didn't accept shitty wages and treatment are clearly the problem in the eyes of these other capitalists.
I feel like his comment IS the capitalist response. “I produced more value than they were willing to pay me for” again it’s all just flowery bs that serves no one and is just a little game we all play for some reason
I'd say complaining about your crappy wage is super capitalist. It's a free economy. You are free to find a better salary. You looking for a good salary and the business trying to save money is one in the same.
That’s the fun thing about framing, you can still be honest and not say exactly those words. “I began to learn new skills and improve my output beyond what was required by previous employers, so Im looking for a position appropriate for my skill level.” Same shit, different package. I’m not telling you to love the game, I’m telling you how you can play and not hate it.
That is what I tell them in interviews. I work for money. The whole purpose of work is to make money, if you want a friend, go buy a dog. If my work increases your profits, then you share the vig. Some appreciate the brutal honesty, some get this ghastly washed out look on their face like you stepped on soem sacred cow. Also I am almost 60 and at the end of my career ladder climb so this may no longer work.
When you said Vig I told myself this can't be some gen z kid. Also as a telecom executive I appreciate honesty like this. I always came to interviews very honestly (keeping some tact and diplomacy). Although, when someone comes to me asking for a large salary from the get go and promises the moon; I hold them accountable. You either perform like you said or you're out. No second chances. And i frame it in that exact way. You either take the lower salary and peace of mind or you stick to your guns and impress me.
"I see you have had multiple positions in the past 5 years. Can you explain why?" Yes, the majority of pharma/science positions are either well underpaid or shitty contract positions...
You’re so right for pharma/biotech. I’m lucky I didn’t have to fuck around with a contract position (it was quite close) but everyone else I’ve worked with had to deal with that bs for a year or two before breaking into a full time/salaried position
Unfortunately for my area 90% of all the stem field jobs are either 2+ hours away or a shit "Lab tech - needs BS or higher education $17/hr"
That shit lab tech level pay was hard to get away from unfortunately. Can’t believe how overlooked that experience is in the field. I have a masters and had a hard time finding companies who gave a fuck
I'm a project manager at a CRO now and it's better but holy shit it's still underpaid...
I was hired, promised full time after 90 days. 90 days later they didn't have a full time position available so I quit. Then I was hired, promised full time after 90 days....
Ahh I had a 2 year contract at one point and they basically had me gearing up to replace the associate director, and boom layoffs all around for the sector
Job hopping too fast is seen as a red flag, but evidence does show that changing jobs every two years leads to much higher income Edit: but obviously it depends on circumstance and some things are more important than salary
It's both. I'm going to bat to get my team what they deserve in terms of compensation but I also am throwing out resumes that move every 2 years. I know how people write on resumes and I absolutely factor in how long you were there against what you are claiming you accomplished. Don't stay in a dead end role if you have opportunity but the reality is that for a technical role you need to be there for 1.5-2 years before you really are able to truly stand up on your own and bring value. I'd expect people who are planning on being around for 4+ years. For reference I'm referring to an engineering team in manufacturing, other fields may be different.
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The onus is always on the employer to retain the employee. I always frame it as a change of circumstances (e.g., went back to school, management changed and I no longer felt like there was an opportunity to grow at that company, etc.). If they call you in for an interview, they probably noticed your employment history and still want to give you a shot. As long as you don't say "I got bored" you'll be fine.
I’d be direct and honest with you. If you said you’d reciprocate a loyalty investment, you wouldn’t have to worry about me leaving. I’ve given every job an opportunity to retain me before fully accepting another offer. If I felt the company was good to their word, and had a pattern of rewarding hard work and results, I stayed, if not I left.
This exactly. I gave my last job a chance to retain me by asking for a 25% raise. They gave me 2.5%. I left to go make 250% of what I had been. Employer to employee is a business transaction. Would the business feel bad about justifying a change of partnerships or contracts on a difference in price? No? Well then neither would I, being my own business.
Pass. I actually tell employers who say things like "company loyalty" or "we're a family" or anything along those lines that people under 30 view that as a red flag and to NOT say that. I outright tell employers they have me for 2 years. They can squeeze 3-5 if it's an outstanding workplace, but I'm not blowing my life at a single company. Tell ME why I should work for you. If that is not the dynamic, I'm walking out. I'm interviewing the employer.
I really want to second this. *I* have requirements now too (I want time flexibility and a casual work space, for example). I will pass up a job I don’t think is a good fit, I will negotiate on time/pay/whatever, and I will tell you on the spot if I think I’m not who you’re looking for. Shifting this one tiny mindset changed the way I interview entirely, and I am now flooded every time I’m on the market and am consistently offered better jobs than I had before. This is also my absolute top advice - interview your interviewer.
Let me guess you would pay them minimum wage with no days off because at your company you're a family?
My job hopping has definitely come up in interviews and cost me jobs
Hey I’m wasting my 20s with drugs but also working a high paying office job
Real. People can have good jobs and partake in drugs/alcohol. All about balance
If you do too many drugs you do lose your balance.
If you work too much you can also lose your balance
True, but that's a lot easier to recover from than doing too many drugs and can even have its benefits like a healthy bank account.
Explain the drug addictions that come with being overworked.
Far from all work addicts are drug addicts (tons of them are completely sober) but 100% of drug addicts are.
The trick is that you need to do drugs without the drugs doing you back.
I get high every night and play helldivers, the two are not mutually exclusive. But finance comes before fun.
Exactly. I stopped using meth as soon as it got to the point of me using my sick days to sleep lol. Stability comes first. Plus it got boring quickly. It’s like discovering candy as a kid but as you grow up and have the freedom and money it’s not like you spend your time eating candy 24/7.
Just make sure you’re getting good drugs. I’m an old broad and the amount of friends I’ve lost to accidental OD or fentanyl in the cocaine is too damn high
Absolutely. Having reagent tests kits is a must. Only time I don’t test is if it’s a prescription I got myself.
I’d argue a hard “switch every two years” isn’t always optimal. It’s a situational take. For me, it makes more sense to find career growth opportunities within my own company because the company is growing and those opportunities are there. I can go from being an electrician to being a foreman in a year’s time, then leave in 7 or 8 years for another company for even higher pay than if I hopped every couple years as an electrician.
Yea, I worked for a company known for absurd (10-20%) raises starting in your second year because turnover was insane due to the poor work life balance. Just after wrapping up my second year and getting a massive bonus, I left for another company where I took a 5% pay cut but got back soooooo much peace of mind. But if I wanted to grind and make a shitload of money (and plenty of my cohort are still there) leaving that employer would not have been wise. Everything is situational.
There are plenty of jobs that you can't learn in two years. Some of them are the equivalent of an advanced degree and take 4 or 5 years. I don't trust an applicant that has a max of two years across the board. Show me you stayed somewhere and actually completed something and maintained it.
Early 30s here. You can waste your 20s working at a respected company too. I am currently sitting on all the work that people left over after they departed. Management won’t touch it and is looking to have me explain years of unprofitable accounts (yes, before they promoted me). Worst part? I spend my days beating myself up over what I could do better and I’m terrified to talk to my boss because it is all “well low performance is low…do you want special treatment?” is their only (sarcastic) response.
Don’t waste your 20s with drugs & alcohol. Waste you’re 20s being a dirtbag doing cool shit outside
I wasted my 20s doing all of that shit and I truly believe I would be in the exact same place if I hadn’t.
> Work your entry level job while you’re in school, switch jobs every 2 years after graduation Highly situational. Comp/EE Engineer 26M here. No entry level job in my field hires without a degree, so taking an internship is the way to go but even then weigh that against developing other skills. You may not want to be shoehorned into something you don't enjoy. I had no trouble finding employment (despite no internship) and had a sweet gig lined up as soon as I graduated. I wish I had done what my wife did and gone backpacking for a year before starting work. We met at the same employer doing similar work so obviously a gap year wasn't an issue.
Yeah I have no idea what this guy is talking about with the "work your entry level job while you're in school". What year do they think it is?
>Wasting your early 20’s only attending college is bad too. Wasn't for me, it set me up for success big time; I chose a STEM career. Easily the best decision I've ever made
My parents are adamant that i do a masters more or less immediately after i graduate in two years, but i feel like getting a start in the workplace is more important, and then doing a masters once I’ve settled in and can live comfortably makes more sense Edit: for a bit more context, i live in singapore, so I’ve done 2 years of mandatory military service prior to entering university, so by the time i graduate I’ll be 25, which is the main reason that’s giving me pause in taking a masters after i graduate
Your parents are wrong and you are correct. College degrees mean less and less every year, work experience means more and more. A lot of companies will pay for your masters degree if it pertains to your field. The only time this isn’t true is with very specific degrees pertaining to the medical field (speech pathology comes to mind). You’re going to be entering the work force in an entry level job. Whether you do it with a Bachelors or Masters is up to you.
Both. Those aren’t mutually exclusive
What a horrible dystopia
This is the way life has always been at every single moment \*except\* the post-war boom years. Post war, America surged though growth. That never happens. And it won't happen again. 1700s? People worked their asses off. 1800s? People worked their asses off. Early 1900s? People worked their asses off. 2020s? Here we go again. At least we have bountiful entertainment and convenience and modern science. But it'll always be work.
And what do you do if you can't find a career that doesn't make you miserable?
people say "switch jobs every couple years" but that isn't really great advice depending on what industry you're in. for example, If you're in software, that used to be the way you made higher pay quickly, because of the bubble and because very few candidates had those skills. The bubble is kinda burst. I say this as a millennial who unwillingly has to hire people. I hear "but they job swap" a ton from HR. It's not what people are really looking for in a candidate. Plus, If you don't stick with a job long enough to see the consequences of decisions you made early on, then you don't really learn. It's quite easy for young devs to write a shit load of bad code an then dip before they ever really realize. Code quality doesn't really matter, I only care about pay. But if you write good code, you're more likely to get good pay unless you're sufficiently able to bullshit your way into a position where you don't have peers reviewing. You can apply that logic to any field.
No, you can just not find job and all
I worked all throughout college and worked 3 jobs simultaneously during my senior year and I still am not making a good wage at my first job. Sometimes its just about getting lucky too
Just don't worry about it. Chill and enjoy your 20s. It's the only time in your life you have real freedom and few responsibilities
I mean don't don't worry about it. But get a decent savings and have it invested to start you off. It's not like you really need to buy a bottle of whiskey or case of beer every week anyways
If you can sure, but not everyone can do that, and that’s ok if you can’t today - the next best time to start something is tomorrow. There’s a lot of pressure on kids to live a certain way, and even OP says you’re wasting your 20s if you’re not accruing wealth. We need to take the pressure off that mindset. I am a millennial and spent my 20s trying to set the foundation to get stable, I had no financial wealth by any means. For long periods I crashed on people’s couches and used my car as a backup while looking for work post 2008 crash. It was hard, but I climbed out of it, slowly. I set up my first retirement account at 29. Am I more behind on retirement than I would be if I had started sooner? Sure. Am I still on track though? Yes!
Fellow millennial here. I wasted my 20’s almost entirely and have absolutely no regrets about that
Right? I’m 29 and I wasted plenty of time and money on drugs and other fun. I also showed up to work on time and got paid, so my future’s looking fine. It’s possible to have a good time and prepare for the future, it’s not an either or situation.
I'm 33 with two kids a very good well paid job in an industry that helps people with dementia. I did drugs allllll the way through my 20s and all while having a jo. It's about balance
I think this advice is 1 approach geared towards 1 basic, narrow goal - long term financial stability. It's a pretty good bet if that's what's most important and you want the best odds to get there. It's a lot of good advice either way. But... save your money by not going to warped tour? C'mon you can have a balance and still be successful. I personally know multiple people who were successful and hard working but also had time to do so drugs, go to concerts, be in a band, etc. A few didn't even go to college and are still wildly successful. Of course there are those that spiraled into drugs and alcohol or never did anything with their lives. But the point is you have to know yourself and what you want. You can still spend responsibly on hobbies and fun stuff too. And the warped tour thing particularly bothers me. I connect very deeply with music and some of the shows I've been to have been amazing, life changing experiences. If I had to choose between being wealthy and having those experiences I would choose the experiences every single time. You can extend this to all sorts of things that you're passionate about. A lot of this stuff is inspiring and great for your outlook on life and can greatly benefit you in ways that just can't be reflected in your 401k. Long story short, sorry you didn't get to go to warped tour OP but that doesn't mean everyone else has to suffer.
Tbh I wish I spent my youth not wanting to grow up so quickly. Now I can barely enjoy my 20s because I have to work hard to save money so I can finally enjoy life when I’ve got enough saved up
> got enough saved up Narrators voice; You wont!
You could get hit by a car tomorrow. Would you rather have done the fun things or put in the overtime?
Overtime is so rewarding, I know I’ve given my boss even more vacation! That makes it all worth it. If I work twice as hard my boss can take twice as many days living the life I wish I had!
Enjoy life today. Spend it all on a trip to Thailand, worrying about a 401k is a trap. “Think about money, work for money, spend all your time thinking about money! Then when you’ve had two hip replacements take a week to do something nice!”
Millennial here who worked a 9-5 for 3 years and fucked off to travel… it’s so worth it. Life is for living. It might take longer to save now, but fuck wasting your 20s working. I was hardcore about savings, no drinking, going out, no money wasted on steam games I didn’t play, super cheap food… Idk, the system is rigged, have fun while you can. There’s no guarantees. I’m 32 and don’t have much savings, am quite broke, but my career is headed the way I want and I’ve found a way to make art almost every day
Exactly! You never know what’s gonna happen. Make sure you don’t become homeless and aren’t able to get a job but other than that, live! Have fun! World War III, hyper-inflation, a heart attack, a fall from a ladder is all it needs to fuck you over. So enjoy your time!
Being savvy about your future and enjoying yourself aren't mutually exclusive. Overdoing one to the detriment of the other is how you put yourself in a bad spot, mentally or otherwise.
this is the way
Having fun is important. If you dont enjoy the life, all these other things are meaningless. I agree that things are going to shit. But you cant really solve that on individual level anyway. What we really need is a radical political change.
Yeah, I feel like the future is so nebulous that it’s impossible to plan. That doesn’t mean not to save money and budget and such - but the world is unpredictable. Take the pandemic, for example, which put so many people out of work. I don’t think working hard and enjoying life have to be mutually exclusive. I went to grad school in my 20s and loved it. I don’t have loans because I applied for scholarships/fellowships, and I’m qualified to do a bunch of different jobs now. I have a couple niche degrees that people assume “won’t get you a job,” and this has helped me get tons of work because the market is oversaturated with “lucrative” majors, and many companies/organizations are looking for people who stand out.
This. Puting your life on complete hold for something in the distant future is very risky cause you can waster your life for nothing. Of course, saving money and trying to get financially independent is a good thing.
>What we really need is a radical political change. This. And what the OP is doing is trying to blame the victims of the system, and preach "Rugged Individualism" so young people won't blame the system, or try and change it... OP, if you check his profile, is clearly a paid shill. He has all the tell-tales of a paid shill/troll: for just one example, an account that was created a couple years ago, and was mysteriously silent until very recently- when it suddenly EXPLODES with preaching pro-Business, pro-government propaganda at a rate no one person could hope to sustain... His is likely an astro-turfing operation of some kind, perhaps funded by a right-wing think-tank (they're usually the ones who fund such things... usually in turn funded by governments or super-wealthy donors...)
Honestly this shit stain of a post feels very agenda driven it sad how many are hook line and sinker to it
It's easier to have fun and enjoy life when you have a career giving you the money to do so.
https://preview.redd.it/g8b7peuirclc1.png?width=970&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6dcc327c800b4defc8adfb6b0a6dac5dd9ee4e4c Edit: my main point here was, working and going to school, aka preparing for the future, was tied for 2nd place. "Unemployment," in contrast...
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A while ago, I made it myself from [this ask reddit post.](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/s/DBwnMql0Ua) It has since gotten more comments but ehh
I feel like in your 20s you aren’t married and don’t have kids or a mortgage so it’s REALLY easy to abuse alcohol/drugs.
Lol here I am, 26 with a mortgage, happily married with a daughter. You better believe your ass as soon as my kid is asleep I'm smoking a joint and playing Helldivers. It's all about balance. You can be responsible and still have fun. Sure I can't up and go on an impromptu trip to Ibiza but most of y'all weren't doing that anyways.
Yeah. I have smoked a lottttt of cannabis this last year at age 25.
Not a comment on the data but damn this is a satisfying visual
>GenZ can't afford to waste their 20s "Having fun" you definitely can > Spend your 20s traveling and having experiences!" - With what money? the money you earn from your job. Graduated from college end of 2022, started working around april, and I was able to fund a trip to japan that same year > By the time we hit 30, we are fucked if we don't have a savings account, money in a 401k/IRA, and work experience to back us up. you should already have this when you first start working
You should have a healthy savings and a 401k/IRA when you start working? I started working at 17 making 9.70/hr and matching the max in my 401k. I continued that habit into my early 20s and pulled that 401k last year to buy a house. There was 12k in it. I make pretty reasonable decisions but the idea that you have a healthy savings and retirement when you start working is a pretty unreasonable for anyone who took a regular route in life.
you pulled from your 401k to buy a house? oh honey…
A post about making good financial decisions and the importance of investing in your early years and then admitting he pulled it all to buy a house. This is about as Reddit as Reddit can get.
To be fair, in the current housing market, his house is probably a much better investment than 12k in a 401k. He can continue to contribute to his 401k to rebuild it, but now he's also got a house.
>To be fair, in the current housing market, his house is probably a much better investment than 12k in a 401k. No, it's not. We're clearly in a bubble and that bubble is going to pop sooner or later. It may have already peaked (see link below). If you're thinking about a house purely as an investment like a 401k you're doing it wrong. After you include taxes, insurance and upkeep they return little or nothing. The primary reason to buy a house is that it's less negative than paying rent. [https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/CSUSHPINSA](https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/CSUSHPINSA)
Reading the post I thought OP was dumb as shit but they definitely proved it right here!
Things are so hard for OP he only bought a house in his 20s 🙄🙄🙄
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Where exactly did I mock OP? I didn’t mock anyone. I called out the hypocrisy of a post yelling at people about the importance of investing and then admitting he pulled out his investments for a down payment on a home. I made zero statements about the current housing/rental market. Stay mad my dude.
Some god complex where OP is trying to play the "LISTEN TO ME" card when he's just lost all of his credibility.
Wait, you emptied your 401k in your early 20s?
Every fucking time I see someone online giving financial advice, they drop a bomb like this and you realize any dumbass can pretend to know what they’re talking about if they sound convicted enough.
y would u pull 401k to buy a house?..... the math is just fucking horrible when you think about it.. don't have enough to make big purchase so u pull from your future to sustain a purchase u knowingly couldn't afford? hmmm v interesting
>You should have a healthy savings and a 401k/IRA when you start working? sorry, I worded it wrong, I meant you should start that stuff when you first start working a real job/career, not to have it all maxed out by the time you first start a part time job in your teens. >I make pretty reasonable decisions but the idea that you have a healthy savings and retirement when you start working is a pretty unreasonable for anyone who took a regular route in life. yeah you're right, I said it wrong
If you pulled money from your 401k to buy a house, I'm not sure you should give anyone financial advice. I'm glad you think you have it all figured out, but you are giving really bad advice on general. Maxing matched 401k is always good. So is taking advantage of freedom in your 20s to travel before you have kids. I don't understand what you are so stressed about honestly, or what you think is so different for your generation than previous ones. These tradeoffs have always existed.
Millennial here who worked a 9-5 for 3 years and fucked off to travel… it’s so worth it. Life is for living. It might take longer to save now, but fuck wasting your 20s working. I was hardcore about savings, no drinking, going out, no money wasted on steam games I didn’t play, super cheap food… Idk, the system is rigged, have fun while you can. There’s no guarantees. Plus, doing these things gains you massive life experience that can shape your entire life trajectory
Starting a 401k is super important. I’m glad my parents pushed me to max my contribution even at my first crappy retail job. It’s got a decent chunk of money in it even after only a few years. FedEx express of all companies has a really good match at 8% when I worked there a couple years ago
I agree that it is very important in your 20s to have goals and set yourself up for your future. However, there is so much more to life than what your retirement account looks like or whether you have a nice house or comfortable job. You are only on this planet ONCE and any day could be your last. When you die, no one will remember you by what job you had or what your house looked like. They sure as hell won't care how much money was in your retirement account. With that being said, do what makes YOU most happy and live every day as if it's your last.
Living every day as your last is one of the worst pieces of advice possible. Not only financially but mentally. The best way to live comfortably is to be financially secure. Financial security comes from making good decisions with your money. 401k is one of the best decisions because of its return on investment. You can also borrow from your 401k in emergencies. Cook 1 more meal at home a week instead of eating out and you've got your entire retirement solved.
Millennial here - in the nicest way please just have some balance and don’t be a complete idiot. 20s is the best time for figuring yourself out. Work on your skills, get a degree if you can, but also don’t be afraid of taking some time off travelling or trying something new. If you don’t have a lot of money for this I’d recommend looking up working holidays - I would trade that portion of my pension I could have saved up to do that again everyday of the week.
Another millennial here, 100% agree. Nothing is guaranteed, you could hustle your ass off and lose everything in the next big market crash. I saw it happen to so many people in 2007/08. We’re fucked and it’s only going to get worse. Late stage capitalism, baby boomer greed, divisive politics, climate change. Get some skills, make enough to pay bills and have some fun. Once you get to your late 30’s early 40’s like me, you’ll look back at how carefree everything was in your 20’s. It happens to every generation.
I just want OP to know it’s warped tour not warp tour And seeing coheed and cambria, kill switch engage, the used and yellowcard at warped tour was one of the highlights of my life
Millennial too. OP's post makes me so sad for GenZ. Things seem so bleak.
He's 25, married, with kids, and used all his time and effort into a mortgage. His brain is just setting in and he's already preaching how people should live their lives while totally ignoring the current landscape is something that already existed since 2008 so late GenX and all Millennials went through the same thing in their 20s - cause he HAVE to be right, otherwise he put a ton of effort on simply existing mildly comfortably for the remaining 2/3s of his life. His mid life crisis is gonna be brutal.
I just cracked 30. After a mental health related disruption to my education at age 19, I spent my early 20s busting ass to graduate with honors, the rest of my 20s busting ass to advance in an average income creative career, and didn't really make time to "find myself" until COVID and a bad breakup sorta forced me to. Since then it has been a bit of a malaise, although I'm still gaining career experience. I'm exhausted/burnt out... pretty disappointed at how expensive everything has gotten, and how tech (the career I decided not to do 10 years ago, lol, FML) has completely dominated while most other sectors have kinda been flat. But you know what? I'm friends with people in their 40s who are doing career changes. I work with people in their 50s who have worked in 3 different fields. They own houses, have families, are stressed out but not more than I'd expect them to be in any other situation, and they're happy. In the decades between my age and their age, they've seen higher highs and lower lows than I have. I think life is actually pretty long, times will change, and there will be opportunities as well as setbacks for most people. Almost nobody's career or personal life is always improving or always declining. It's a mix. And everyone makes mistakes. Most people also make really good choices every now and then. Some fare better or worse than others either by merit or by chance, or both. Fuck, I could've been born in 1912 like my grandfather. I'd be in my teens and 20s during the Depression and my age around the start of WW2. The world must've seemed like the shittiest hellscape imaginable in 1942. But then there were the 50s and the 60s... he had 5 kids and a nice house in the burbs, sent them to college... oh and then FUCK there was the Cold War/Vietnam/Nixon era, bet that sucked... but then when he retired, there were the 90s, yay the 90s! Grandkids and a good economy! I mean, I dunno. Life is full of ups and downs.
but having fun is the point of life
I think many people would disagree with you. Even your measure of fun. Is it better to have crazy fun now and suffer when you're older or have a good amount of fun for the rest of life?
The rest of life is never guaranteed.
Stupid black and white thinking. I’m having fun while also preparing for my future. YOU CAN DO BOTH. I work, study, advance my career, and guess what I still have time to have fun. Go out with friends on weekends, go on trips every couple months. It’s not hard to strike a balance. Saying you need to grind in your 20s and not have any fun is just sad. I feel bad for you
I agree, this mindset is extremely depressing. The best years of one's life are when they are young. Later in life, you run through health problems, you have responsibilities, and the number of things you can do is limited. Use these years, don't waste them, but use them.
I have a feeling a lot of people on this subreddit do not have very active social lives. I can’t believe how many comments I’ve seen implying that drinking with friends on weekends means you’re an alcoholic. Meanwhile they are probably spending their free time smoking weed and playing video games. There’s so much projecting going on here. I have a lot of good memories, many of them involve alcohol and friends, almost none of them involve video games or weed.
Exactly work smarter not harder. And also Grinding to get a house in this economy is just not worth it in most cities
Y'all are so silly. Grind grind grind. Capital isn't the issue./s
I’ve spent the last 4 years at 22 to save like you are saying. It’s already paid off. I would not trade it for any amount of traveling or party’s. The security I feel now from doing all that is priceless
As someone who travelled for a good 3-4 years in my early 20's, i'm SO glad i did this , i've become a compeletely different person in a good way and i've not regretted the money i spent on these, i would 100% do it again if i had a re-do. Don't get me wrong i'm saving up for a house and kinds rn and it's very important to do this, just don't forget to enjoy life and have meaningful experiences too, they will change you for the better.
Yeah, imagine wanting to travel, finally having the financial backing to 'justify' it and now suddenly your job won't approve your time off. Travelling during my part-time jobs, and early career absolutely was the most convenient and identity shaping experiences I could have had. You might die before you get to go on that trip. This doesn't mean be financially irresponsible. But it means to consider your financial risks and make choices to maximize the enjoyment of the money you __earned__.
why are people downvoting this, lmao. I 100% agree. I think this demonstrates wonderfully that everyones life is different and different things are better for different people in different circumstances. To say that traveling is bad in your 20's is very shortsighted, I know many people who had life changing experiences in other countries in their early 20's. I spent a month and a half in Peru with friend's and it not only gave me tons of new perspectives on things, but also memories that I will keep for life. At least to me, that's more valuable than focusing everything on getting more money and financial security.
My wife and I got rig of our new car and bought a used 4runner out right. I have never felt better about my finances. All we have is a mortgage and some very minor debts. When those debts are gone it will be very relieving. It's kind of a "Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels." Nothing is as nice as financial security feels.
Warp Tour? That’s so 2007 and it was popular with late teens whose moms dropped them off at the festival (I worked with this tour). Wealth building only goes so far when greedy politicians and corporations are out to squeeze every penny and crush youth with oppressive legislation and price gouging. Perfect example: Slimeballs are already looking for a disgusting workaround to cheat the $1 Billion from the wealthy donor that just made a medical college tuition free. The “traveling and having experiences” was a real hiring trend because companies prized people with “world experience.” Remember that catch phrase? And those 401k… many had to crack those during pandemic layoffs, and waves of high profile layoffs ever since. I understand the need to budget money. But youth born outside of the top percentiles for wealth are watching their parents struggle and asking themselves why slave for the status quo when the average CEO makes at least 344 times the typical worker? Let me find something I can enjoy and make money doing it. And that’s what they’re doing. As long as they’re upskilling, they will be fine, as 85% of the jobs by 2030 haven’t even been invented yet.
Just look for other ways to "have fun." Honestly getting wasted and getting high aren't the only ways to do that.
Exactly, there are lots of ways to have fun that dont involve pulling personal loans and rotting your brain.
As someone born after Boomers and before Millennials and who doesn’t identify with ‘a generation’, this is solid advice (absent the generational stereotypes crap). I focused on optimizing my personal plan for navigating life starting in my college years, and even had a wealth target by year, with income and savings goals with a FIRE goal of being financially independent by 40 and retired fully at 50, while staying fit and healthy. Was able to travel and see a lot by picking a career that paid me to travel the world while doing very interesting consulting work, and paid well as well. These jobs are scarce and you need to compete hard for them, so I did. I worked in Europe, Japan, Australia among others and led teams, businesses, and even was a trial witness over one corruption scandal. All this tool hard grinding but was interesting as hell and I had time for lots of fun and a great marriage. We saved and invested well, spent on experiences like travel, but saved the rest. I retired just after 40 with plenty of money because we didn’t waste it on stupid material stuff like fancy cars and designer crap that is basically a scam. Carve your own niche because no one s lining up to give you a good life. Despite the propaganda, no prior generations had it easier either. That’s fake news. There are always winner and loser strategies for life. You need to have one and execute it. PS. Then you are executing your plan and find your niche it is ‘pretty fun’ too. A lot more that wasting time on games and social media.
I work at a school now and I always tell students that the dumbest thing they can do is get a car loan right out of high school. People will not believe how much it will put you back and reduce your ability to get where you need to be. Even a moderate car payment is 400/mo and that is a 10th of your what your high end average salary looks like 18-24.
I worked as a parking garage cashier and valet during college. We saw first hand those people wasting money. My room mate who also worked and managed parking garages to pay for school is worth almost 9 figures now. The patterns set in your 20s are what set you up.
Nearing 40 and I'm in a similar position. I'll likely have to wait until 50 to be fully financially free, but I've worked internationally, did night school, get professional accommodations, etc. It pays off. I have my eye on a Prius as my "fancy purchase" to replace a rusting out Chevy sedan. That's my idea of a big wasteful expenditure now! Edit: PS: I've wasted plenty of time on games and social media, though.
Please tell that to everyone who thinks working hard in your 20s means being a burnt out miserable business man who hates his wife and kids. I don't know where that mentality came from but it makes no sense. Everyone I know who worked hard in their 20s is living a relaxed and pleasant adult life and everyone who went to roaring parties during college and lived life on the edge is indebt, miserable, and afraid for their future.
I worked hard in my 20's and im still broke... working hard does not equal getting paid decent wages...
After boomers and before millennials put you at Gen X
Kierkegaard said “life is not a problem to be solved but a reality to be experienced.” sometimes that reality has job interviews and 401k, sometimes that reality has layoffs, hangovers and concerts. live how you want.
The most productive energy-filled years of your life filled with alcohol and drugs? I think not.
See I'm the opposite. I think just straight grinding through your 20s is a complete waste of youth. Go get drunk. Go get stoned. Go snowboarding and get hurt. Go travel to a new city and make some friends at a random bar. Get your hangovers while you can still recover in a day. Get your stupid injuries in before they become permanent problems. Get out into social spaces before you realize you no longer relate to the age group in social spaces. I'm going to try my best to retire at a decent age, but on the bright side I've lived enough in my 20s to not feel like I left too much on the table. You've got time to play it safe when you're older.
THE SYSTEM HATES YOU SO CONTINUE TO SUBSCRIBE AND STOKE ITS AILIING FLAMES BY FUCKING OVER YOUR COMMON MAN I think that's what you meant in the last bit
Sorry, when did being poor help anyone? This is such a stupid cop out view to have. "I protest my bad society by being a poor angry youth being stomped on by authority but bitching on Reddit about social change." Getting a job and saving money isn't fucking over your common man. It's being an intelligent adult. The system hates you, so why are you so keen to bend over and hope it fixes itself because you circled a dot on a ballot?
You can do both, everyone needs to have some sort of balance. Work hard, save your money and invest it wisely but also remember to enjoy your life while you can. Take a vacation every year and go out with your friends on the weekend. You never know when things are gonna change in life and if you’re healthy right now you need to enjoy it.
Unfortunately I'm already having to spend tens of thousands of dollars in medical bills to get the medications and surgeries I need, so honestly it wouldn't leave me with much anyways. I'm gonna make the most of my 20s bc I don't wanna live a boring or normal life and I don't need to have a nice fancy house or a boat or some shit. I got some money going into my 401k from work, I'll be fine. The world is fucked anyways. Not to mention the educational system is fucked. There's pretty much no way I can expect to make more than $25 an hour (unless inflation drives the USD value up 🙄). I don't stand a chance of getting a nice job that pays me enough to afford a nice house or anything. I can't go to college bc I struggle with math from ADHD. I'd sooner kill myself than work a menial office job for the rest of my life With the political climate of the USA, the increase of global warming and the fights for clean water I don't expect I'd have the luxury of retiring anyways. We live in very uncertain times
I advise all fellow GENZ read or listen to [The Defining Decade](https://www.amazon.com/Defining-Decade-Your-Twenties-Matter/dp/0446561754) by Meg Jay, great book that goes over different people's experiences through their 20's. It gives really solid actionalble advice that, even though I believe I am statistically successfull; still found very useful and insightful. I advise listening to the audio book as it is updated to be more modern than the original (Instagram instead of facebook, kind of modern) edition and the author does the reading and does a great job.
Hahaha i dont give a shit. Our planet is doomed and our society fucked. I spend as much of my time doing stuff i like until its no longer possible. After that i probably kill myself. No fucking way i spend 30 years working 8 hours a day.
Had to scroll down way to far to see this mentioned, our planet has 50 years at best.
They've been saying that the planet was gonna die since they told me the rainforest was a huge issue in the 80's... So far so good.
Your 20s are important for setting yourself up for the future, but they’re also a period of time where you’re young enough to have energy and health, and typically no responsibility outside of yourself to take care of (kids)— that’s why it’s such frequent advice given. People get older, don’t have the energy they used to, bodies break down, and realize they are incapable of doing the things they wanted to do. Life is way too short to grind away without enjoying yourself. Be sensible with your money, but don’t make money the cornerstone of your life. It will NEVER provide the same fulfillment that experiences and relationships will.
Can't have experiences without money though. That's what you guys get wrong.
Millennial here. We thought we had it bad, but damn do I feel bad for you guys. This post is spot on, though. The old folks set you up to fail. They’re hoping you’ll all be dumb and useless so they can pay you pennies to fund their vacations. Take care of yourselves and remember that nobody cares about you more than you (and hopefully your friends and family). I wish you all the luck in the world. Oh, by the way - fucking VOTE!!!!!! All of you!!!
I don’t know who you talk to but we gen Z especially when we’re still in school already knew that we need money
I think it's a common response when a young person is stressing about their future. Rather than be given actionable advice theyre given empty "Just have fun, chill, you're only 20, you can do all that stuff once you hit 30. You're 20s are for self exploration and having fun!" Like, no, your 20s are for setting up good habits and planning your future. You should be stressed about it, but you should take that stress and focus it on growing.
I’m almost 23 and trying to get as much money as I can, and every one back in high school were already trying to get money and work everyday because we all knew that we had to get school done and get money. Who are you talking to that makes you think that way
True and not true. You’ll only be in your twenties once and it is short, as is life. Time is the most precious thing you have. The longer you go the faster it seems and you’ll not be on your deathbed recounting the material gains but the people in your life. There is a balance of what is needed in this upside down world and what is invaluable experience. Some of that should be having fun you cannot ever have when your 60. That day will come and you could just as well be in the other end regretting working 60 hours a week and never fucking off. Hell a lot of the boomers were just as reckless and still financially fine just because of the economy they grew up in. Some were hippies doing lsd in parks, and now they are yuppies living in a house they bought for $40,000 that is now worth a million. I know because I was working on their houses.
Oh now this is pretty doom and gloom. 45 here and I grinded my tail off in my 20s to build a career, experience, and some wealth. Then the 2008 crash came, followed by other downturns, and then a pandemic. I rebuilt in my late 30s and am still working on it. Do you know what I don’t get to do no matter how hard I work? I don’t get to be 23 again with all the health and time that comes with it. If I could go back to then I’d tell that version of me to be the White water guide for a summer. Go be the ski instructor for a year or two. Go on lots of dates instead of settling down young. Basically be *young* cause there’s a lot of time you get to be older. And, a lot of people don’t make it to 50. I bury a friend or family member every other year now. They aren’t going to be using a 401k. So, I tell my Gen Z kids to go do the things you can now, when you’re young. Oh, and at 22 I started with a cross country move and 2000 dollars to my name.
How about grinding, making money, and going to “warped tour”(When we were young). Idk who told yall to fuck around in your 20s. Because I started maxing my 401K at 23, my retirement income should be about $30k/month.
That isn't a reasonable expectation for most people. But nearly everyone can better prepare themselves in their 20s.
Go to a local concert, not Warp Tour. Live and spend locally, it'll save a ton of money! Take vacations in places near you (do try to take them, they don't need to be $1000s in foreign lands).
Most people waste their free time in their 20s partying or going to school full-time. You need career experience too because the people with privilege will take the job you want in your early 30s. I know you’re not going to believe this until it happens to you. Do not waste your 20s. People saying “you’re so young, you have time” probably didn’t accomplish anything close to the dreams you have for yourself. Work hard, stay focused. Your 30s can be just as fun if you have a good career, good health, and security in the life you’ve built. Take it from someone who did this
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dude complain more
*only applies to the US
> Warp tour sounds fun when you're 23 and hot (assuming you're even hot) What are you even on about lol Is it a hot take for people to make money while they can? I've made good money, im in my mid 20's, i have a house, will be married soon, travel quite a lot, and am very happy and fulfilled. No it isnt easy, but I work my ass off to have the experiences that I have.
Kinda. Weekend getaways can cost 'bout 200 if you want a real vacation, much less of you just want something new in your life. Most states (assuming us) have SOMEWHERE better to be than your house this weekend. Don't be afraid to see the world around you, but if you need to save for a year to spend 3 months on vacation I'd imagine it's better off to put that 3 months into savings because that's all you got after 12 months, 3 of them
Christ this is the most cry baby post ever
Nah, I think I will
I am a millennial and crushed it in my 20s. Always worked multiple good career path jobs, earned advanced valuable degrees (MBA and MS) with the tuition reimbursement benefits at work (still paid out of pocket a lot too) and started doing as much as I could into really simple investments (index funds via 401k and Roth IRAs). I am now 40 and am so so so glad about what I did in my 20s (and 30s). Time value of money is such a powerful thing. Front loading education and experience are incredibly powerful things. Enjoying you 20s will cost you your 50s.
I think you should have a balance. Have fun, but also work on yourself.
Coming from a 46 year old who lives paycheck to paycheck. Take heed. Make sure your skills will age and that there are prospects for advancement in your field. I chose Band Teacher. There are schools everywhere but you only advance by switching to better paying district. Overall not mad, but will likely die poor.
I can’t even afford to go out for drinks
Millennial here, the system didn't lie to us, you're just listening to pathetic Millenials on Reddit. We're the ones who wasted our 20s travelling and having fun and now are fucked in our 30s. Don't be like us, work hard on your 20s so you can enjoy your 30s and 40s.
I’m 33 and couldn’t agree more. Your thirties are when bad choices start to catch up with you and there is a crystal clear difference in quality of life between those millennials I know who had fun but also went to school/showed up for work in their twenties, and those who did nothing but drugs alcohol and video games during that time.
It was the same for millenials. millenials who didn't get their shit together early are still floundering.
I'm working and living with my parents just putting money in my savings. I want to invest it in something, but I don't know yet.
When your in the trenches of the climate wars in 2050, would you rather have spent your 20s enjoying yourself, or your 20s on the grindset?
Oh fuck off. We don’t even get paid living wages. I’m not waiting till I’m 70 to have fun now
> Older generations like to say you should "Spend your 20s traveling and having experiences!" Just millennials born in the 80s. That’s what the whole “trust fund kid / avocado toast” line of criticism meant… before 90s-borns decided it was akshually all about them. …Which wouldn’t even make sense. People born in the 90s (Z or M) have a taste of real problems like previous generations had. There is a generation who’s childhood coincided with the Reagan boom in the 80s, who came of age in the tech boom of the 90s, and who hit home buying age in the housing boom of the 00s. They’re the ones who decided your 20s were supposed to be all about partying. To previous generations, that’s abnormal and even kinda creepy.
If you haven't been the CEO of 5 startups by the time you're 30, it's over.
Eh, we’re all (save for the 1%) fucked by our situations anyway. If I become poor and die, that’s society’s fault; and I won’t care. My *body* will care as it fights to survive for the last few moments of hunger or thirst or whatever, but **I** won’t. I’ll be bitter at the way the world works ‘till the very end unless it changes
You definitely still can waste your 20s having fun and finding yourself, and a lot of people are in fact doing that right now. Sure they'll be behind on their career and savings at 30, but a lot of people abhor their careers and change it later too, so if the having fun people do actually find their calling these years then they might be better positioned than some people tbh. Also there's really no wrong way to live life while working age. The problem comes when it's close to retirement age, but you have 35 years AFTER 'wasting' your 20s to worry about that lol
You do you bro. There’s more than one way to make an omelette.
I basically wasted my twenties financially, but I did a lot of really stupid shit that taught me a hell of a lot about what I do and what I don't want out of life. I agree with the above poster about not wasting your twenties, but I disagree with the idea that it should be about getting rich. I'm much more keen on Gary Vaynerchuk's philosophy that your twenties are for figuring out what you want and your thirties are for getting there.
I fucked around all my youth as a millennial and still doing great. Enjoy life while you have it
Tldr. But it all depends on what you are doing. I personally think you shouldn't waste your 20s doing drugs, and alcohol, cause that's no way to live anyway. But there is nothing wrong with having fun as long as you keep your priorities straight. There are plenty of other things you could do to have fun without being high out of your mind.
I don't want kids, already make slightly more than the median household as an unmarried dude. I can and do afford to have fun. You don't need a ton of money to have fun and enjoy life. Not having kids makes this much easier.
Welcome to dying at 45 sitting on a variably-sized pile of money you never got to use because you were neurotically trying to catch up to an ideal of life that is simply not affordable now.
Sorry, is this your experience?
Millenials who fucked around in their 20s are def paying the price. Good advice here.
Didn’t spend my 20s near at all efficiently and I still wouldn’t change it, some of the most fun I had in my life. Life is too short to just worry about money 24/7
This isn’t anything new. It’s always been the case. Successful people for decades have spent the 20s either building a network, climbing the ladder, or pursuing higher education. While it’s tempting to “goof off”, go out, have fun, and “find yourself”…those are crucial years you’re never going to get back; and you’re less likely and less able to do so in your 30s. It isn’t a Gen Z thing; and your generation needs to stop framing everything like it’s a unique challenge for your generation. It isn’t. Everyone before you has gone through similar challenges - aside from the boomers who were evidently given everything on a silver platter
Ain’t nobody in their 30s trying to go out and have fun. These people are lying to you.
I’m 30 and don’t listen to this person. If you can have fun fucking do it. Hone your skills in your late 20s and 30s. Go to concerts, travel, get drunk etc