I want to share my insights of things you can do in your 20’s to make sure you not only have a fantastic lifestyle, but you are ahead when you reach 30. It would have been great to read a post like this when I was in my 20’s.
People think I’ve done a lot for my age. I definitely felt that way when I was in my 20’s, but now in my 30’s, it’s the standard. If you want to get ahead make sure you do things in your 20’s to set yourself up.
You only live once and the worst mistake you can make is hearing yourself say things like, “I wish I did….” or “If only I had…..” I lived out my 20’s to the fullest, doing everything I wanted. I didn’t forget the importance of putting things in place that gave me the opportunity to build something for myself.
Below you will find my tips from personal experience of things you can do in your 20’s to start building up something for yourself:
1) Try to involve yourself in some sort of further education. Whether it’s a degree, a diploma, a traineeship WHATEVER. If you’re not sure what to study, either choose something you will love or choose something you know will make you money.
My point is, if you don’t do any sort of further education or training, you may feel left out. This is the perfect time to experience what it’s like to study alongside other people the same age.
There has never been a time that I regretted studying. What I do regret is sticking around until I completed my degree which took 5 years! I would’ve been better off doing a shorter degree leaving me with more time in my 20’s to focus on other things. But that’s me and that’s is how things worked out for me.
My life was awesome while studying. I had few responsibilities (compared to now) and looking back, I’m glad I stuck to it.
2) Think twice about getting a car loan. I still can’t see a positive why you would use your first real job/income as a reason to get a high interest car loan? Instead, why not use this money you’ve worked hard for and put it towards a smart debt such as an investment?
Can you imagine if you put this money towards something else instead of a car loan such as property, shares or even a business start up? Who knows what kind of amazing return you would see by the time you reach your 30’s.
I was fortunate enough to have a mother who taught me basic financial principles at an early age. I wished the educational system back in my day here in Australia would have touched on this, but that is left to another blog post! The financial advice from my mother gave me the confidence and knowledge needed to buy my first investment at 25. This now seems old as I’m hearing young people buying property and investing in other things a lot earlier (good on those people).
3) Stay in shape. Make sure you maintain a good level of fitness and health, especially for females. I’ve seen a lot of changes not only to my body but also with my friends. I can also see those friends who were fit continue to be fit and those who never cared about fitness now struggling to loose weight.
If you have a fit and healthy body, I believe you will recover a lot faster after giving birth.
4) See a dentist. If you keep your teeth looking great in your 20’s you’ll notice the difference from people who didn’t. I always look at people’s teeth and skin and can tell who smoked and drank a lot in their 20’s. When I was in my 20’s I also wore sunscreen almost everyday and had regular dentist check ups and can tell the difference that those check ups made.
So there you have it. Four tips to have an incredible decade in your 20’s that will (hopefully) set you up for a more enjoyable lifestyle when you hit 30. If you have any other suggestions that you think should be added to this list feel free to email them through 🙂
