As the saying goes, wisdom comes with age. We all make foolish mistakes when we’re younger. Then, we look back when we’re older and wish we had known better.
In a recent online forum, people discussed pieces of advice they would give their 18-year-old selves. Here are 11 of their top pieces of wisdom.
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Value Your Time
You should always value your time. No one else will, and once it’s gone, you can’t get it back. One person said, “Value your time. Don’t let those who ain’t worth it, steal it from you.”
Someone else said, “But also don’t try and get the absolute most out of your time every time. Sometimes just relax and and just appreciate the calm.”
Buy a Plunger Before You Need One
While it might seem kind of funny, it is true. The time to buy a plunger is before you actually need a plunger. One person said, “Buy a plunger before you need a plunger.”
Another commenter followed up with, “Make sure you’re buying the correct plunger. There are two types. The flat cup style are for sinks and tub drains. The flanged style are for toilets.”
Know How to Turn Off the Water
Water can cause a massive amount of damage in a very short amount of time. Make sure you know how to shut off the water as you wait to hear back from a plumber.
One man said, “Make sure you know where to shut off the water. You want to do this with any place you move into. Find the water shut off. Water is incredibly destructive, and if anything ever happens to your plumbing, you want to know exactly where and how to shut it off as quickly as possible.”
Take Care Of Your Teeth
Particularly when you’re young, skipping the dentist might not seem like a big deal. However, it is, and it will be detrimental to your overall health over time.
One person said, “So very much take care of your teeth. Literally everything you eat and drink goes past your teeth. If you’ve allowed a tooth to decay or abscess, you’re swallowing those germs every time something’s in your mouth. Your entire body’s health depends on how clean your mouth is.”
Clean Up Your Social Media
Your friends might get a laugh out of inappropriate social media posts, but future potential employers will not.
One commenter said, “Employers stalk the social media profiles of applicants to see if you’re a good fit, or if there’s a chance you’ll publicly embarrass the company with an opinion. Get those memes out of the public eye and put up a respectable, professional look, showcasing pictures of you volunteering or doing extracurriculars, your achievements, etc..”
Take Care Of Your Body
You have a long life ahead of you, and you only get one body to live it in. Take care of it while you are young and always.
One commenter said, “Don’t treat your body like a rental. It’s your body till the end. Eat your greens. Don’t consume an excessive amount of junk food. Learn to live alone. Learn to cook a meal for yourself, not just the microwave or frozen pizzas.”
Don’t Expect Your Job to Make You Happy
Your job is what you do to keep a roof over your head and food on the table. Don’t expect it to make you feel happy and fulfilled, too.
One person said, “Don’t expect your work to be fulfilling. Have interests outside your job to have an enriched life. Life will be disappointing, figure out how to deal with that so it doesn’t make you bitter later.”
Never Trust Human Resources
Human resources is not there to help you. They are there for the bottom line. Never trust the human resources department to be looking out for your interests.
One woman said, “Never trust the HR department. Their job is to protect the company and management, not you.” Another person added, “No company cares about you. There is zero loyalty to any employee, anywhere on earth, and an HR department exists only to protect a company from lawsuits, that is literally their entire reason to exist.”
Drive Safely
Driving fast when you’re young seems like the thing to do, but it can get you or someone else needlessly hurt or killed.
One man said, “At your age, car accident is I believe the most likely way you can die. You’re more statistically likely to die in a car crash now than at any age. I drove like a jerk at 18 and got my license cut up. It took ten years to get it off my record so I could pay normal car insurance prices. Speeding seems so dumb to worry about, but it can cost you.”
Say Yes to Experiences
When you’re young, it can be easy to get caught up in having “things.” Focus on experiences you will remember for the rest of your life.
One person said, “Spend more of your money on experiences, not things. Those memories will be far more valuable as you get older.”
Another said, “Say yes to experiences. You’ll remember the crazy road trip you did at age 19 with your besties more than some widget you spent too much money on.”
Don’t Be Scared to Lose Friends
It’s sad to think about, but most of the friends in your life now will be gone when you are in your 30s. Don’t take it personally/ Everyone has to grow up and move on.
One man said, “Don’t be scared to lose friends. You’ll outgrow some and keep some. Most importantly, don’t take it personally.”
Another said, “Enjoy time with your friends, I found that as I got older I had fewer and fewer friends. Be it due to lack of time, family life, work, or they just took a different path in life, you just lose touch eventually.”
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This thread inspired this post.
I’m John Schmoll, a former stockbroker, MBA-grad, published finance writer, and founder of Frugal Rules.
As a veteran of the financial services industry, I’ve worked as a mutual fund administrator, banker, and stockbroker and was Series 7 and 63-licensed, but I left all that behind in 2012 to help people learn how to manage their money.
My goal is to help you gain the knowledge you need to become financially independent with personally-tested financial tools and money-saving solutions.
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