Question

What one thing would you tell your 10 year old self about money?  

Answer 1

Save save save. If you can’t pay for it you need to wait till you can.  

Answer 2

Learn to SAVE!  

Answer 3

You don’t always need to eat out or buy all those clothes!  

Answer 4

It doesn't grow on trees  

Answer 5

Want vs. Need Savings Budget Allowance

Answer 6

Don’t ask for things not on sale! And 10 is a little young but I would have told myself not to go to an expensive private college  

Answer 7

No consumer credit debt!  

Answer 8

SAVE SAVE SAVE!  

Comments

@pestiferous agreed! That $0. 01 candy won’t matter in your future!  

Answer 9

My 14 and 15 year old day took Financial Peace University with us. I believe they have a kids version of it too. I was 38 when going through FPU and although my parents told me to save I never really got it until I did FPU.  

Answer 10

Just because you have it doesn’t mean you have to spend it

Answer 11

You don’t need that McDonald’s happy meal every time you go somewhere. Eating at home saves a ton of money.  

Answer 12

SAVE YOUR MONEY!  

Answer 13

Don’t get credit cards

Answer 14

Don't let your cousin to teach to to inhale cigarettes. They really aren't cool. and are a waste of $. Fi ND a book on budgeting you need to learn how to manage your $. You will start working at age 12. You are smart but lazy. Apply yourself more and ask for help with your dyslexia.  

Answer 15

Nothing. I wouldn't listen anyway.  

Answer 16

Don’t get a credit card

Answer 17

Have a plan for every dollar

Answer 18

Save and have a budget. Have sinking funds. Buy a house sooner to invest. Don’t worry about the d bags you wasted your time and allowed them to drain you if your hard working money and ruin your credit. Which I bounced back. Focused on school  or went straight to work from high school and wait to attend school later to save for college and not take out a single a Penny for student loans ever. Have sinking fund for college and go when you are  certain committed and focus to study for a specific degree. Not this let’s switch 3 programs crap.  

Answer 19

Don’t buy what you can’t afford to pay off in a month

Answer 20

You can never have enough of it. Save save save

Answer 21

Don't take out a 2nd on your mortgage.  

Answer 22

Pay cash for all your needs and wants. Even if you need to save or say no to something.  

Answer 23

Start saving $5 a day and don't touch it for anything! Invest it!  

Answer 24

Do. Not. Spend. Your. Money. On. Your. Friends. Problems! They aren't going to stick around, appreciate it, or reciprocate it!  

Answer 25

One day you will have some.  

Answer 26

Spend in cash only. We are teaching our 8 and 12-year-olds that already.  

Answer 27

Don’t chase the joneses, they live off debt.  

Answer 28

Save half while you can lol

Answer 29

In 29 years life will be CRAZY, you'll be a single mama and the more you save now the better <3

Answer 30

Start saving young

Answer 31

Save for retirement EARLY! Save.  

Answer 32

Don't spend all you make. It's really is never to early to start saving.  

Answer 33

Mom and Dad are right - trust their advice. :) :)

Answer 34

I wish my parents had taught me all about budgeting. Their mind set tho was "well we're poor so no matter what we do we can't get ahead". And I unfortunately carried that into adulthood. Had they sat down and actually went over things with me and done better themselves I'd like to think I would have been more prepared for the future.  

Comments

@braunstein0 me too.  

Answer 35

To pay my bills responsibly when I grow up because credit is important. And to have a savings.  

Answer 36

Keep doing what you’re doing. you are smarter now than you’ll be in your early 20s. ignore that version of yourself  

Answer 37

Don’t spend more than you have and don’t chase the excitement of something new you want in leu of saving to be sure you really want it

Answer 38

The borrower is servant to the lender.  

Answer 39

Don't go to college for social work.  

Comments

@doyen I am super intrigued. Why? I only ask cause I was considering going back to college for social work lol

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Same, wish I went to college for something else.  

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@guss8520 jobs don't pay a lot. It's stressful. And at least for me, a mountain of student loan debt.  

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@doyen that’s a bummer! What is your current job title if you don’t mind me asking?  

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@guss8520 My sister would agree with @doyen probably. She just graduated with a BSW and is having an issue with finding a job she in the field that will pay enough to get her through grad school for the master's degree she needs to actually get paid a wage that will. pay for the degrees. Vicious cycle. Holy run on sentence but you get the idea. LOL

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@guss8520 mental health case manager and I hate it

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I was going to get my MSW but the time and money wasn't worth it to me. The program here requires two internships and it basically full time even if u try to do part time. (They told me MSW student don't work) Pay all that money to not really get anymore money. I think BSW and MSW deserve way more then what they get. I also feel like BSW fighting for what should be BSW position with MSW.  

Answer 40

Don’t apply for a Victoria’s Secret credit card when you turn 18. They’ll issue a card to literally anyone and you’ll regret it later on lol

Answer 41

Save. Don’t let your husband spend anything that comes in. Do not go into debt. All that stuff will end up at the thrift store anyway.  

Answer 42

Listen to (the then nonexistent) podcasts about finance so maybe by the time you're 18, you understand that a private education for a low-paying industry won't be a great ROI. OH and listen to your dad, go to the community college, or a public university for heaven's sake! and maybe be a civil engineer. since that's the work you basically do now but don't get paid for since you don't have that degree. that turned into a vent sesh. lol.  

Answer 43

Stretching a penny isn't important if you spend more pennies than you have. Growing up with someone who was known for being good with money but really they were always robbing Peter to pay Paul.  

Answer 44

Take you time. Have patience and your garden will grow.  

Answer 45

Start saving. NOW.  

Answer 46

Save, save save

Answer 47

Stop spending all of your money every time your mom takes you to Wal Mart  

Answer 48

You will not always be poor. You will not always be hungry. You will not always need to look for a safe place to sleep. And one day you will find someone who has no worries about being poor and hungry with you, as long as you are together.  

Comments

Oh man that really hits home for me!  

Answer 49

Compound interest is your friend.  

Answer 50

Do not go into credit card debt and SAVE

Answer 51

Ask your father to open a savings account for you that will help you save money.  

Answer 52

Buy less candy and junk and save your money!  

Answer 53

Start saving money when you are young. Don't buy knick knacs, buy travel experiences and save.  

Answer 54

Save save save!  

Answer 55

Don’t waste so much money on food as a teenager with friends lol

Comments

@herophilus I tell my daughter this all the time NOW  

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@herophilus isn't that half the point of being a teenager?  

Answer 56

Save 10% of everything you make. I worked a part time job from the time I was 15 years old and saved absolutely none of it.  

Comments

@medora53339 early life sets up habits for life. I wish I did too.  

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@medora53339 I would say the exact same thing. Trying to get my daughter to understand this now that she wants a job.  

Answer 57

Work hard and save as much as you can.  

Answer 58

Your peers aren't going to care if you have name brand stuff don't waste your money and save it.  

Comments

@vipul1 good one!  

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@miracidium that was one thing it took me a while to break out of, but man am I glad I did!  

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@vipul1  nice job!  

Answer 59

Save save save. Start early.  

Answer 60

Listen to your dad. He’s always right. (Not just about money—this is the life advice my teenage self needed. )

Answer 61

Take your undergrad pre reqs at a community college to save money. Live at home rent free and take summer semester classes to graduate early.  

Answer 62

Save it, invest it, and buy that property because it'll be more more very soon.  

Answer 63

Just because you have it, doesn’t mean you have to spend it

Answer 64

Don't blow it all on crap to impress other people

Answer 65

Save more now and the future you will be thanking you for stable financial security, especially for study loan!  

Answer 66

I wish i wouldn’t have fought with my parents about their rule of savings 50% of everything you get

Answer 67

Starting doing the dave ramsey steps now so you can own a house faster

Answer 68

I'm trying to teach my kids the same about money sooner then I learnt and I learnt the hard way once I got into debt.  

Answer 69

The money your cousin is going to give you at the end of 7th grade for buying her snacks all year long. Take it and save it.  

Answer 70

Live below your means!  

Answer 71

Budget and think long term! Save as much as you can and invest!  

Answer 72

Save it ALL.  

Answer 73

Save more

Answer 74

Just because you can make the payment doesn’t mean you can afford it.  

Answer 75

Make it. Save it.  

Answer 76

Do not let your parents control all your money. Buy your own car. Don’t fall into the trap of spending your entire paycheck trying to keep up with the Jones.  

Answer 77

Exactly what I thought about money was true - aim for financial freedom and keep your eye on the target.  

Answer 78

Save and save and never charge a credit card!  

Answer 79

Start budgeting now, invest 50% of your income, keep a 5-figure+ emergency fund, and buy only if you have the money in the bank AND have budgeted for it.  

Answer 80

Pay attention to what you are spending it on - did you really need/want that thing a couple months ago and now it’s collecting dust?  

Answer 81

Don’t spend it on stupid stuff! It will all end up in a garage sale anyways!  

Answer 82

Start looking for a job to get out of that toxic home environment and save. save. save because you will be better in later on but having that cushion will let you be free.  

Answer 83

Save up for year 2020!  

Answer 84

Save money

Answer 85

Credit cards are the devil, always save for an emergency, DON'T GIVE INTO PEER PRESSURE AND BUY DESIGNER CRAP

Answer 86

Get a job as soon as you can, save & pick a career that is worth the student loans.  

Answer 87

Stop wasting it on stupid shit!  

Answer 88

Get into your 401k earlier.  

Answer 89

Start your 401k earlier, dont go out every single weekend, dont move in with broke boyfriends. save , save, save!  

Answer 90

Start your budget earlier and learn all you can about how to make money work for you.  

Answer 91

More spending = less time to enjoy life. Money comes and goes over and over, but once time passes it never comes back. Whenever you have the choice, always choose time.  

Answer 92

Save now to enjoy life later. Pay check to pay check isn’t fun!  

Answer 93

Put more money aside for retirement

Answer 94

I would say. "Really?! - Self, do you honesty need that? Save up, Goober! " And - "in exactly 44 YEARS- You will find TBM and it will get sooo much better! "

Answer 95

It’s a lot easier when you don’t have bills.  

Answer 96

Start saving for retirement.  

Answer 97

Don’t under any circumstances listen to your parents. Regarding money that is.  

Answer 98

$100 is not a lot of money lol. Just really understanding saving . Also mom and dad college fund please hahaha !  

Answer 99

Do not get into credit card debt. Save as much as you can and budget the little bills you have !