6 things we, 20-somethings do that we don't realize they were mistakes
Oh, how sweet that moment when you receive your first few paychecks--- drag along your friends to the nearest bar and buy happy hour drinks, come home to your family and booking your weekend to satisfy your cravings with a 32" pizza, your treat; shopping on 50-70% Aldo accessories in Greenbelt 5, getting your first iPhone 5S plan, etc. That feeling of being independent---emotionally, mentally and financially, where you can do, buy, decide on whatever you want.
It's not wrong to enjoy your fruits of labor but until it will become a habit just because you are just too frolic to enjoy. Eventually it will suck up your life if you continue to habitually do these things. It's only a matter of time when you realize, this is not how life in the real world works. Here are some common habits we basically enjoy in our early 20s which apparently aren't going to be practical in the long run.
1. Happy hour-ing too often
Bad day at work? He cheated? That condescending boss of yours? And people run into what they think solves negative things or at least makes them forget it. It's true what they say, alcohol doesn't solve any problems, but then again, neither does milk.
This is as simple as taking care of your body while you're young and not trying everything because we're still young. It doesn't work that way. I have talked to people beyond their golden years still alive and kicking! A few of them I know are even running, one is still working and can still drive alone and another can still walk from their house to the mall, though it's really near but geez, 90 y/o?. Great stories though.
Exercise or at least get your body moving, eat healthy (diet doesn't count), destress in forms of sports, recreational activities, do your favorite hobby and step away from those things/activity that will harm your body in the future.
2. More spending, less savings---and more debts.
Just because everyone is spending or has credit cards, means you also have to. Why does it have to be competing with others anyway? As what my favorite local personal finance figure says,
In personal finance, don't give in to the pressure of living like everyone else does so that in the future, you don't have to live like every one else does. -RANDELL TIONGSON
Also another favorite, Suze Orman says about paying off debts if you have, first than buying stuffs. Being prudent is the key and I have lived with that for half a year now. Yes, I'm currently a boho, a vagabond, frugal whatever you wanna call it and I'd be a part of Rent cast except that I don't have HIV.
It's about time you start to rethink where your money is going so that you won't live it up as you age and as you need to spend more on things you really need. Suze Orman also said that,
“If you don’t have money saved, spend your money just on needs. All the things you buy are really worthless.”
Thanks for the help, my friends, Suze and Randell
Now you're already saving, good start! Then you need money for an emergency after six months of saving, after that you're left with nothing again and start saving. You start to think that it's actually okay to barge in your piggy bank and take money whenever you need it again. This is the problem after trying to save.
There are lots of investment vehicles where you can put your money in it for long-term. It doesn't just keeps your money, it multiplies your money as well which is the best way to start working on your financial goals and a lot of us don't know it yet. Examples of these are bonds, stock investments, mutual funds, variable life products and tradings which I will elaborate further in another blog post some other time.
The thing is these long-term investments are not very liquid unlike banks where you can just withdraw your money anytime you needed some like your piggy banks at home. These are invested for long-term maturity of your money and the more you forget you have put some money invested in, the more you'll have money in the future when you needed it to. Most likely it'll turn out that you wanted it to grow more once you knew your money's potential!
Advanced tip for those who have already invested their money: Don't put your eggs in one basket, says my mom. Diversify your funds
For those who are still having problems with saving, please read number 2 again.
4. Too much time with other people or with you already know
I understand you already know how important having a me-time is. Instead of inviting a friend to a spa and have your nails done, just invite yourself alone. If you can't stand going out without talking to someone you know, talk with someone you don't know, perhaps the lady who will do your nails or a stranger sitting beside your table at a coffee shop. Trust me! I have made friends with the baristas at a few Starbucks stores and to some patrons! So probably for me, being out for coffee alone is never a problem or waiting for client or a friend like I am doing right now. :)
Being alone is perpetually different from being lonely, my friend. And the former is pretty much where you can penetrate your thoughts, cloud it up, think things through and wander through your cognition and see where your current situation is going. It also gives me a sense of independence that I don't have to necessarily run to someone to fix issues with myself. You are your own best friend, spend time with him/her more often.
"I fear the day that technology will surpass our human interaction. The world will have a generation of idiots." Albert Einstein
That Einstein quote alone will suffice to tell us how bad exactly it's going to be being on your smart phones or any other gadgets too often.
I make it to a point that when meeting my friends or anyone, my mobile phone is on my pocket or in my bag with my data connection off so that only emergency messages or text gets in and any social media interactions will be dealt upon reaching home or the next day. Even spending time with my family, all gadgets are away from our sights. It is in these moments of personal, social interactions we get to appreciate the presence of our loved ones we never get through social media.
Are you always going to tweet every single move you make and with your friends? Most likely you are going to creep out when everyone who follows you know your whereabouts and what have you done, who were you with. And you won't have the right to tell them they are invading your privacy because you already gave away your privacy.
Are you always going to upload that of that lovely meal you had with your family on Instagram? Hey, your Instagram is not a menu. And most likely, you are going to be an unpaid advertiser of the restaurant, you won't get any likes as much as the restaurant makes more money. For any purpose of Instagram, it's not also a travel spoiler. Places must still have that kind of mystery where people are thrilled to go to and the online space is sometimes killing that thrill, that people have seen it online. Doesn't make any sense going there anymore. Kawawa ang turismo.
And are you also going to post a status about what you think with Deniece Cornejo? Most likely, the world won't give a damn. You may have voiced out your opinion but most of your opinions on anything might have to stay in your head so as to not get into any argument online, especially when it's not yours to argue.
6. Comparing yourself with how overly achieved other people of your age are
I've thought about this while watching Modern Family S05E14 where Alex Dunphy had a meltdown on her 16th birthday because she was already 16 and a person her age is already studying a cancer research. See, going through the pressure of seeing or knowing what others do is not healthy for your growth as a person. What is it that you pity yourself because almost half of your college classmates were merrymaking at Sinulog Festival last weekend and you were just spending that weekend at home with your laptop and your tv.
These people you are dying to be or compete with may just put on a good show. You don't personally know what's going through with their lives. The thing is that you might have been going through the same or at least they have been there in your position and you, my dear, have to stop lurking around and just act on something what you can do or have right now. Ang buhay ay parang gulong, minsan nasa itaas, minsan nasa ibaba. Just be yourself! That's the main ingredient of living your 20s.
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