I have just turned 22 and looking to see what some of the older members wish they knew when they were 22.
I know a lot of you will say you wish you had an ozbargain around when you were 22!
What You Wish You Knew at 22
spacebanana on 22/09/2015 - 12:20
Comments
@RustyStainless: I didn't mean to jump down your throat with my opinion. I guess I just have a special distaste for that saying and I wanted to present the other side of the coin.
You're welcome to disagree with any of my comments.
"Avoid a backhand, love your husband".
Still doesn't rhyme bro.
Goddamn rhyming patriarchy oppressing all men! Rhymiarchy!
@DeafMutePretender: Well it kinda does.. Avoid a back-HAND, love your hus-BAND.
Rhymtriarchy strikes again. Those f****rs.
hus-BAND
If your wife has a hus-BAND then she must really… go around
you know what I mean
wink wink
nudge nudge
you know what I mean?
I guess people just interpret things based on their own experiences. I always took it as 'her happiness makes me happy, so we're both happy' type thing. Maybe thats too much of a positive spin on it haha!
I think rustystainless made a good point that it is a man-to-man saying.
@Roll Eyes: That's a nice way of seeing it. I could live with that.
I guess in the context of providing this 22yo fella with some usable advice I thought I should provide an alternative viewpoint. I might have gotten a bit carried away with my language though. Neither person should be a doormat was what I was trying to say.
Ok here's something of value that proves I'm not a total A-hole:
Find the right one, then BE the right one.
If you get two people that can do that then you're on to a winner.
Oh come on guys, this can NOT be over now! I put TOO MUCH GOD DAMN TIME into reading this far! You can't just all of a sudden shake hands and agree to disagree!
@Shayne3: Well I'm glad you're finding it entertaining :)
Perhaps you can purchase my book about life lessons learned the hard way and RustyStainless could do an analytical review? :)
:D
I would, but I'd probably get kicked off ozbargain for paying for something. For the record though, I agree more with what you said than the other side.
But it doesn't rhyme?
I did say I was gonna struggle with that one…
Spend you money once :
Decent chef knife (or knife block)
1000TC Sheets
Dress shoes / Watch etcBuy each thing as if you want to leave it to someone in your will.
It will be a/. more expensive, so you will wait until you can afford something
and b/. much more satisfying each time you use itQuality is not always linked to price. Eg. Sharp knives can be found at Asian supermarkets. Don't be such a consumer, question the marketing would be my advice. Be different from the sheeple.
Confuscious say:
Spend you money once, decent chef knife can be found at Asian supermarkets
Be an OzBargainer
Who leaves Bed Sheets on their will ?
This doesnt work when you get drunk, eat chinese and wake up with soy sauce stains on the front of ur shirt.
Ruined many shirts this way, now i just stick with target shirts.
As they say, this is why i cant have nice things.
That in 2015 the average price of a house in Victoria would be about 700k…
i wish i knew what it will be in 5 years time from now.
post more deals than TA
Big Tip on relationships: Be worthy of your partners love. Expect respect and give respect. Value trustworthiness, loyalty and commitment. Carry your own weight and know your role within the relationship. Communicate.
Works for me.!
This reminds me of the song 22 by Taylor Swift
If you know the lyrics to multiple Taylor Swift tracks, it should also remind you that you need to listen to better music
Haters are gonna hate, hate, hate.
yeh like trance
Lemme guess, all music these days is shit and the 80's was the best?
Firstly, I'd like to commend you on asking for the advice of others who've been there and done it before. I think that shows that you already have a great deal of wisdom for your age. I think I can make a few contributions:
Debt is your enemy. Try not to use debt to fund your fun or buy flashy things (like fast cars) you can get by without. Figure out how to have fun without spending a fortune. Preferably only use debt to make money. Money should be your slave (not the other way around.)
Learn about investing and compound interest. Time is the most important factor in investing. You have that, but it's paramount that you put a plan into action right now.
Be careful who you partner up with. This includes friends, girlfriends (I'm assuming you're male) and employers. All of these can lead you astray and take from you in terms of time, finances and happiness. Who would you choose to go on a dangerous expedition with you? Somebody reliable and trustworthy maybe??
When people tell you things (both good and bad) you should figure out what's motivating them. I'll give you a hint… More often than not people's opinions are tied to their own egos and self interest. Always form your own opinion instead of blindly accepting what others say (even if it's flattering to your own ego).
It's rare to find people who genuinely want to help you and see you do well in life. For me, that is the definition of a true friend. Most people will be lucky to have a few of these.
If you're a goal oriented person figure out what your goals are and make them well defined. Find people who have done what you are trying to do and learn from them. You're not Captain Cook. Don't try to discover it all for yourself. Use other people's experience and you'll be light years in front. People are probably more open to sharing their experience than you might think.
Don't make the mistake of thinking that you've got your whole life ahead of you. I guarantee you the years will flash by (especially in your 20s). You don't have enough time to sit around and make all the classic mistakes. Don't get to your 30s, 40s, 50s and look back on wasted opportunities. Make the most of opportunities that come your way and try to do things as well as you can. Then further opportunities will come.
Be a life long learner. Find the right books written by the right people and expand your horizons. Whether that be finances, health, psychology etc.
Be a contrarian. Only do what everybody else is doing if you want the same results as them.
Don't take no for an answer. Don't give up until you have what you want.
Don't make the mistake of thinking that you're somehow special and that it's all going to come to you. It won't. An attitude like this is a sure way to stop you from having any real success in life.
All the best!
The parts about true friends and motivation behind people's advice is so true.
My dad would hire his 'enemies' to work for him, because according to him they felt obliged to prove they're trustworthy and would go the extra mile. Whilst with friends you either get a good worker or one who gets jealous.
"Be a contrarian. Only do what everybody else is doing if you want the same results as them."
This is a great line for young people to listen to. It is very true. It doesn't mean dismiss everyone's advice though.
I agree. Their are so many people who seem to have no capacity to evaluate situations and frame their own thoughts. They simply mimic the behaviour and belief of people around them, like global warming alarmists.
I agree with what your saying but I disagree with mentioning that people who are global warming alarmists, I mean sure there are a lot of people who would be concerned with global warming that don't understand it but are concerned by what it means. However global warming to me seems very real, whether or not you believe the reason it's caused could be a point of contention, but the melting ice and rising sea levels are real things, attempting to live more "green" on the off chance it might help slow it down is worth the effort.
and please don't turn this into a massive factual debate, I agree with your point entirely about people struggling to form their own opinions I just think you used a poor example.
A much more relevant and applicable example to this 22 year old would be in relation to opinions about potential friends or countries to travel to or races to associate with. These are opinions of friends that can easily be embedded in you, where you really should try and get to know a person for yourself not based on another friends opinion of them, or travel to a country of interest yourself if you can and not be persuaded by a friends derogatory comments of said country due to their negative opinion of it and same goes for people, race plays no factor in who you should or shouldn't associate with, there are good and bad eggs everywhere.
I'm find it surprising that most Ozbargainers think of OP as a male.
Good point. I guess it just seems like a question that a young man would ask. Will be interesting if it's a she instead of a he. Would still give the same advice though.
You must be surprised a lot.
…
I am a male :)
Thanks so much for this reply!
I found it very interesting, I have even taken some notes to remind myself of some of the things you mentioned!My pleasure mate :) I feel like I could write a book!
Only just noticed your user name!
Do you own a GTR?
A r32 gtr will hopefully be my next car.
I have had 4 GTST's and time for something with a bit more grip.
very extraordinary comments.
Any books that you would like to recommend?
Perhaps irrelevant but it turns out after marriage and 3 kids later I gave 18 years of my life to the wrong person!
You still married?
If the missus knows their ozbargain username, then not after that comment!
Haha, i'm sure they don't
I am the Mrs.
- mister
Separated but should be divorced by the end of the year :(.
At least you will have your single life back?
Single life as an old person isn't all it is cracked up to be. However I hope this person finds happiness!
@strikerzebra: Not really. I am still struggling to move on. I turned 37 this year and feel too old for anything! I am concentrating on a degree and raising my children. There isn't much time for anything else.
But once you get that degree that will free up time, I don't think 37 is too old you can still do everything someone in their 20's can do.
Buy as many CBA and CSL shares as you can.
why?
If I sold everything I owned at 22, which wasn't much, and I purchased these shares, I could have retired on a very comfortable lifestyle 15 years later.
And do you know the fair value of these shares? Did you know that the US was going to print money for the fun of it?
I think the advice you have given is bad, when US/Aus interest rates eventually rise we could see drop in lots of bank shares.
I will be surprised if our banks have the same growth in the next 15 years, you saw 15 years back.
@gamechanger:
Some advice for you gamechanger. If you speak about that which you don't understand, you leave yourself open to look like a fool.@Devils Advocate: Alright then, put your words into action. Liquidate all your hard assets and put it into the CBA and CSL shares.
@gamechanger:
I'm not suggesting that at all (and neither was the original commenter, go back and re-read his comment in the context of OP's question). Although I do own shares in both those companies.I was just pointing out that based on your comment you have very little understanding of how banks make their profits and what affects their share price. Also, you are wrong about the (short-term) direction of Aus interest rates (http://www.smh.com.au/business/banking-and-finance/anz-predi…)
Also, your comment about the US printing money for the fun of it makes you sound like a first year commerce student trying to sound like they know what they're talking about when they've really only just discovered what QE means.
@Devils Advocate: I know how banks make their profit, have a look at their books. Where did I predict the short term rates? Yep you assumed my comment was in regard to the short term.
Mate don't act high and mighty when you don't even know the impact QE is having on financial markets.
@gamechanger:
Was I right about first year commerce?Ha sorry if I was acting high and mighty, I was just trying to point out where you were wrong. I think that most economists now agree that QE was good for the US economy, and that it has now put them in the strong economic position to potentially increase interest rates in December (if not, early next year). Europe is also staging a recovery, most likely due to their more recent QE (which they undertook after observing the effect it had in the US). The greatest economic minds in the world are behind these decisions, but your analysis that the US was "printing money for the hell of it" must have just as much research behind it, right?
@Devils Advocate: They don't teach you QE first year commerce nor would a commerce degree give you in depth insight into QE.
Put 10 of the greatest economics minds in the same room, all will have differing opinions which is the best way to stimulate the economy. As to my remark "printing money for the hell of it" it was simplify it down for ozB and more importantly to show the inflationary impact it has had on assets around the world. You would be very naive to think that economist don't have agendas or are influenced by the people who sponsor them.
I think you have the look at wrote I wrote in context, it was based on my situation when I was 22.
Would I do it today? No? Did I wish I have done it when I was 22? Yes.
Like many others I could have said buy houses, but those shares have done much better than the average property since I was 22, some 14 years later.
Is the property market going to see the same growth as the past 14 years? very unlikely.
It's not a knew but more a "did".
I wish I helped a bit more my parents when I was still living at the family house when I was 22.Now that I am at the complete opposite side of the world and far away from them, when I get home for holidays once a year I do everything I can to give a hand to tide up the garden, do some house cleaning, dishes, etc etc.
So I feel better and happy to help them.I am not saying I should have stayed home and do not have a social life when I was 22, but sometimes instead of staying in front of my computer just browsing internet for no reason, I wish I helped them.
Interesting, I live at home so I will keep that in mind for sure!
If old, cantankerous Conka traveled back in time to young Conka, he would:
provide financial advice. How to save & how to spend.
- How to separate spending, and adjust habits based on preference:
- Living (i.e. the basics, food, rent, etc)
- "Life experiences" (travel, things that you'll never do again)
- excessive BS (alcohol, etc - that don't really contribute to quality of life)
- How to separate spending, and adjust habits based on preference:
Don't stop playing competitive sport.
* That's when I stopped. Trying to get back into it 15 years later, the old body just couldn't handle it.Don't lose contact with good friends
Well time travel is so messed up
I would seriously tell myself to not waste my time with education, just get a job and enjoy your life because you'll be in poverty until your early 30s while you progressively make yourself unemployable by being overqualified. Just get a job and travel and enjoy life.
I agree. If you're going to get a degree you need to finish at the top and have the right connections to get a good job. Degrees are just a commodity these days. Everyone's got one. It may make more sense to get a job first and/or start your own business. That way you won't loose 3-4 years worth of salary on top of a HECS debt. You'd also be learning real on-the-job skills that are valuable in industry.
Either way be sure about what you're doing.
Not true. Just make sure you get relevant work experience in the field you want to get into while you are doing your degree. No, the excuse that no one will give you a go at 18, 19, 20 because you have no qualifications is also a myth. Make it your sole focus to get work experience outside of your studies, be prepared to do free work, be prepared to think lateral about experience, even think internally of things you can do inside of your university. I got average marks at uni but by the end I worked hard at getting the experience needed while I was there that I was turning down grad positions, job offers at the end because I had worked hard to make getting a good job at the end of the university road my priority.
Most people who give this advice about degrees often (A) never got one, (B) Got one straight out of high school, never truly applied themselves 100% and then go to the end at 21 or 22 and thought it was a waste of time (and who can blame them? They were never told the reality of the situation until it is too late often) or (C) they started their own business/did a trade and are happy doing that, but this isn't for everyone. Nobody should dismiss degrees or doing things that expanding your education.
Yes I would agree that experience is important. It will get you over the line if you have average marks.
do what your love doing and lots of it, ie games, sports whatever. You run out of time later in life what with kids,girls etc
travel, travel, travel without a care in the world.
study while your brain is in study mode(uni etc). Hard to find time and motivation later on. Learn languages etc
just have fun and enjoy life before too responsibility comes
Some solid advice here, team! At 26 I love reading it but at 22, I wouldn't have cared. OP, kudos to you for having the maturity to ask from those who've been there!
26 here too, yeh that is the problem . . when we were younger even if given fantastic advice we probably would've just done our own thing but now we are older we wish we listened to some of the advice
Surely everyone comes into that realisation at some point in time, not just us! :)
I think the investing advice should be taken with caution. Always make you sure read up, before jumping into any investment.
Whilst you will hear amazing stories about gains in the stock market, I can bet you will have double amount of people who have lost so much. The last couple of years has been good for the stock market, thanks to the US quantitative easing, which has inflated most markets.
I'm 10 years older than 22 now - at around 27 I caught the travel bug an spent the last 5 years doing a fair bit of travelling with my wife. But I really wish I travelled in my early 20's with some friends or solo. Backpacking around europe, asia, south america, etc for 6 months isn't possible for me now because I wouldn't get this time off work and I have other commitments.. Also I think at a younger age and without a wife, comfort isn't as important in regards to accommodation so you can travel on the cheap and have awesome adventures backpacking for longer periods of time. I see some younger relatives doing this and I'm jealous. I also wish before I got locked down in the corporate world and married life, I had a working holiday somewhere like the UK or Canada where its pretty easy to get a working visa under 30.
How did you explain the 5 year gap to employers upon your return? Did they really care?
I don't know about you but I'd be inclined to accept "I caught the travel bug and spent the last 5 years doing a fair bit of travelling with my wife and now I'm fresh and ready to work.". As a potential employer I'd be thinking … "Sure. He has just had a break, seems serious about getting back into it. Probably fresher than the rest of the burnouts I have to choose from.".
what type of job field are you in?
I must have phrased my initial comment wrong. I meant over the last 5 years I been travelling overseas 1 to 2 times a year for at most 4 weeks at a time. Haha I wish for 5 years total!
But that's kinda my point, unless I take long service leave or a career break I can't travel for like 6 months
Similar to my story, oh I wish I travelled when I was single and do admit that I get jealous when I see single people doing crazy backpacking trips around the world without a corporate job holding them down
What's so bad about travelling with someone?
You can go to places and do/see things that even the most trusting or secure partner would raise eyebrows at. I've bumped into couples in hostels and they're often miserable because neither of them wants their partner to do X or Y, but neither wants to be a prude.
Get it out your system while you're young, and before you're old and attached enough to feel guilt.
@Strand0410: Cool. Well I'm newly and happily single. I had no problems with the thought of travelling on my own, but now I'm looking forward to it even more.
Pretty much the above, you can't stay in a hostel because the partner may not like it, you can't go to a bar by yourself or get a massage by yourself as that may raise suspicion etc
Nothing wrong with travelling with anyone, as long as you pick the RIGHT person - i'm not sure why there is a negative idea of travelling with a significant other. Sounds like others have had bad communication/mistrust. The whole idea of travelling is to be open minded and explore?!
Hell i went on a contiki tour when i was 18 and the couples on that tour had no problem in Amsterdam if we're talking prudes ;)
If I were 22 again (I'm 59) I'd have travelled overseas first (I toured uk/europe for 12 months at 32) made no attempt to get the girl of my dreams bs, and saved as much money as I could to buy some form of property just so you always have that base to come home too.
As a wise divorcee my advise is to not aim for 1 g/f - play the field make absolutley NO commitment to anyone, "Like why buy 1 first release movie, when you can join a video club and have a different one everynight".
Indeed!
I don't understand guys who get married in their early 20's, when in reality for men early 30's is considered fine.
When you are in love your perspective changes and you do crazy things like get married
Perhaps! But with the new generation I would take the word 'love' lightly.
I have a feeling many feel pressured and scared they won't find someone else. I think this specially holds true for guys who don't fit the perfect mold many women want.
I am married and yes definitely the word love is thrown around lightly and staying married these days seems like a minor miracle in itself, everything is too accessible, you have one argument and then are on tinder or ashleymadison having an affair.
@DeafMutePretender: Yeah didn't think about the rhyming part… Gonna struggle with that one. How about "Avoid a backhand, love your husband".
Kidding seriously!!