mid 30s guy also learning from most of these comments
Have fun, chase your dreams, make sure you always have “fuck you” money for when shit hits the fan, and be kind.
Oh and the sunscreen thing!
Invest in yourself.
Increase your skills, weather it’s university, an apprenticeship or on the job training. Your skills compound over time.
And as another poster said, take care of your teeth.
Don’t rawdog a rando
Wearing a rubber every time unless you’re in a committed relationship greatly reduces your chances of an STD or an unwanted pregnancy.
STDs are sooo much more common than people think because often they don’t even know they have them.
Listen to Baz Lurhman’s “everyone’s free to wear sunscreen”. And I mean listen to it. Every single line is true.
Do meth
Start saving some of your money. Whatever you can but have damned restraint and dont spend it
Countering on a 20’s side:
On the other hand, would you be at the same point in life if you would save every penny?
Having savings could greatly help you now, but what if you’d never experience whatever you spent your extra on? Maybe it was something new, or simply something that helped you deal with a compounding stress, or maybe you can simply remember your carefree times with warmth in your heart.
It might not be visible at the first glance, but it is important and it might have changed a lot more that you think in retrospect.
If I hadn’t saved, I probably would be dead right now. The US doesn’t really do healthcare or mental care, and I no longer can sustain myself. Long COVID is a bitch and doctors usually ignore it.
But if you’re banking on never having an emergency, go for it. There’s a balance to hit, at least in less developed countries like the US.
The thing is, saving is, in large parts, a habit thing. you stop thinking/planning about/with that money you put away. especially if you put it in something you don’t have immediately access to. And the earlier you start the smaller the amount you “have” to put aside.
Not in percentage terms. Yes, you have to put smaller amounts, but they also make a bigger dent in your overall finances because you earn much less, too.
Yeah, I earn so much more now in my 40s then in did my 20s. What I’d saved then in a year I can save now in a month. But I still cannot have the fun now that I had back then.
Restraint is good. Having some reserves for troubled times is extremely important. But living is also important.
Everything you said i have lived. I say this because of what to have said. 100 a year if that’s all you can plan for, 10 dollars when. But keep adding too it. I’ve had to show out my entire savings before. Which granted weren’t much worth mentioning to be honest, but i do regret not having had something put aside
What iearned for myself is to put together a rainy day fund, and when you fill that up then put the rest into an untouchable(but not really. Invest or just save, however you want to do it, but there are times you will wish you had started thinking long term a lot earlier
You are in 20’s and haven’t got into a habit of saving already? Maybe sue your parents, teachers, etc for failing to give a sound education.
Get somekind of workout and stretching routine going on. It’s much harder to build the habit later when you’ve got maybe a family going on and probably more work responsibilities.
Look after your back and neck. Floss. Drink more water. Find out if you have family inheritable disease risk and adjust accordingly.
But also, take advantage of some of your best years, and the freedom which comes with not being tied down.
Moisturize, use sunscreen. Protect your skin and you’ll look young even in old age.
Sunscreen sounds unmanly, but think about how you’ll feel with half your nose excised. Put it on your face especially!
Drink more water, listen to your body, don’t give more to someone then they give to you, respect yourself, and your time.
don’t give more to someone then they give to you
I tend to disagree on that one. Random acts of kindness/selflessness to people, even complete strangers, can bring bonus satisfaction to your life (and sometimes will be paid back). Make it a habit to give to people, when you have the chance, especially if it is low effort.
If you have people around you that just constantly leech off of you, then I agree: don’t let yourself be sucked dry.
I was more referring to your final statement. Those who take and take and never give back to use you with little regard for your own happiness or safety.
Take care of your back and your teeth, they start hurting like hell the older you get.
This couldn’t be more true. Don’t fucking lift that two man lift at work that you can totally do it by yourself because you’re young and strong and maybe you’ve done it a dozen times before. Just don’t fucking do it. One time was all it took for me to have a lifetime of problems since my 30’s. I know the exact moment I ruined my back. 30 years later I can remember how that pop felt. It didn’t even hurt bad enough at the time to need time off work. I thought I was still just fine. Ten years later, nope.
Start a yoga practice and keep it up. In 20 years, you’ll thank yourself.
Or GMB or any other mobility-oriented practice!
I don’t know if this goes for all guys. Your balls will kinda drop again at some stage. If you have a desk job you could end up sitting on them for a while before realising what’s happened. Adjust the way you sit, what you wear down there.
I notice immediately when I sit on mine. And everyone else in the room notices too due to the sound I make.
Exercise more. Does not apply to all of the 20s, but to quite some.
