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Unlike many of my 22 year old counterparts who are either in graduate school, traveling abroad, or now working a 30k/year or less job while trying to pay crushing student loan debt, I studied something useful (on my parents dime) and now make a lot. I save a lot as well.
Life now mostly consists of work, some volunteer activity, coupon shopping (it's really time consuming!!!), and sleep. Lots of sleep. I don't have time nor the will to party til last call.
In short, I feel like I'm wasting my 20s by acting like a 30 year old. Everyone in my generation is lost and confused. I feel like a lost little fish.
Despite the "lazy, live at home, no job millennial" stereotype, there are lots of hard working millennials with good jobs, goals and ambitions. As a millennial myself, I don't fall into the "lost and confused" category you put everyone in your generation in.
It's good you have a good paying job and you should be thankful you're in a good position starting out. Continue to save a lot. If you only have time for work and sleep it's possible to find a better work/life balance. You're not wasting your 20's by working and not partying, but you should find time for stuff outside of work that doesn't include just coupon snipping.
Continue to make the money, everything in life is expensive. I don't know how much you're making but maybe check out mrmoneymustache.com- a cool guy that was able to retire in his early 30's by working hard and earning a good salary throughout his 20's and living frugally.
Finding time to connect with friends more may help you to not feel like a lost fish.
I am a millennial, and have had my share of hardship and angst. I worked hard in college, and got dumped into the 2010 job market. It was terrible. I learned a lot about myself, and developed "grit," and now have a bunch of stories to tell. I went to grad school, studied hard, and paid my dues for two long years. I now have a great job and am saving money.
OP, maybe are you feeling like you missed out on a developmental opportunity by not having to scrape and suffer for a while? Nobody likes to suffer. 2010-2012 were very tough years for me. I feel like they were formative in who I ended up becoming , and gave me the skills to deal with challenging situations. If you are never challenged, you don't grow. I would suggest that you try something every year that is a challenge to you. Maybe it could be intense spiritual exploration, or maybe a physical challenge, like finishing a marathon. Keep trying, keep growing, keep challenging yourself. Then you won't feel left out.
Unlike many of my 22 year old counterparts who are either in graduate school, traveling abroad, or now working a 30k/year or less job while trying to pay crushing student loan debt, I studied something useful (on my parents dime) and now make a lot. I save a lot as well.
Life now mostly consists of work, some volunteer activity, coupon shopping (it's really time consuming!!!), and sleep. Lots of sleep. I don't have time nor the will to party til last call.
In short, I feel like I'm wasting my 20s by acting like a 30 year old. Everyone in my generation is lost and confused. I feel like a lost little fish.
suggestions?
I felt the same way at 23. I was very anti-social in high school and I spent college studying and working a part-time job and missed out on all the fun parts. By the time I was 23, I had a great job and was supporting myself well, but I really felt like I missed out on a big part of life and I was wasting my twenties acting like I was in my thirties. I decided I was going to live a little and ended up partying a little too hard. That led to a job loss followed by a very rough patch for my career. Today, my career has recovered for the most part but I am buried in debt with a lot of obstacles between myself and where I really want to be in life. It is what it is though. I can't really say I regret the entire thing being that I did gain a lot of life experience and maturity through those years that I wouldn't have otherwise had, but there are ways to have fun and still keep a work/life balance. After you get out of college, you need to find that balance and I think a lot of people in our generation have trouble with that.
Although I'm not of your generation, I lived like you did in my 20s (relatively speaking) and I firmly believe it's why my 30s and 40s have been the best decades of my life by far.
Although I'm not of your generation, I lived like you did in my 20s (relatively speaking) and I firmly believe it's why my 30s and 40s have been the best decades of my life by far.
Good point. I am now 30 and its clear that this decade of my life, at least the first half, will be about recovering from the mistakes of my twenties.
I encourage the OP to focus on finding a work/life balance but to not go crazy like what is commonly portrayed in the media as the way to live in your twenties.
The "nature" of the game simply goes back to the old farmers saying " Make hay while the sun shines" which means to not waste time and to take advantage of a brief opportunity while it is still there.
While you are in the spring time of your youth, take advantage of your sharp mind and energy to save your money so that you can create a "money tree" which means to create an endowment that will have enough capital in it so that you will be free to explore and pursue your most wanted dreams and desires. Because after reaching an older age, it seems that no one sees any value but only liabilities in you because of your age and your marketability will be zero.
It all depends on how willing you are in the initial stage to live the frugal lifestyle and sacrifice your hedonistic desires for the future benefits that it results in knowing that it is a temporary deferred act that you are living in the moment for.
It may take 20 or more years of living below your means but that is how the average middle class person these days have achieved the financial status of where they are at now.
I've often laughed at the difference in the double entendre meaning of "being well endowed" between people who are in their 20's and people who are in their 60's.
I see know that the difference is the length of time that you stay satisfied after the act is achieved.
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