What would you tell your younger self about finance?

#1

Whether your younger self is a few decades ago, or a month ago, what do you wish you could tell yourself from the future?

Student accounts and where Monzo stands or plans to do with it
Community Roundup - 16/3/2018
What are your best Debt Hacks?
How to change my way of thinking about money
#2

Save a percentage of all income and invest a percentage of that for the long term.

#3

Any suggested % ranges?

#4

Greater than 0% :+1:

(Leonard) #5

I currently save about 30% of my salary each month - trying to get it to the stage where I can save 50% and only need to live off 50%.

(If there's the wrong end of a stick, you'll find me holding it.) #6

If I got to that stage of go part time😉

(Only available in amateur ) #7

An overdraft doesn’t mean it’s free money, your money or they won’t want it back one day…
It’s taken me 20 years to figure that one out :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes:

#8
  • Save your interest free student overdraft in an interest bearing account - and any of your student loan you can sacrifice.
  • OVerdrafts are not free money - live in positivity.
  • Save from an early age in a stock market tracking account.
  • When you finally get a well-ish paid job, don’t fritter it away.
  • Do a job you love to do, as it is the best way to make money.
(Mega Charizard) #9

Don’t buy anything I didn’t need and put that money in an ISA.

And to save at least 20 percent of all wages and pop them in savings.

So basically buy less and save more.

Oh and never use an overdraft!!!

(Jamie 🏳️‍🌈) #10

You don’t borrow money from :monzo: Monzo, or Barclaycard, or Wonga or whoever; you borrow money from your future self. If you borrow money today, you’ll have less of it to spend in the future.

So I’m not against borrowing (I’ve done plenty of it myself, still am) but weigh up if it’s worth borrowing, or saving, for it.

Student accounts and where Monzo stands or plans to do with it
#11

Basically, half the age you start at divided by 2 as a minimum.

(Eve) #12

I’ll probably warn my future self that I need to live more within my means when I start being financially independent. Hopefully that will be a couple of years away, but I think it’s something I need to start planning for now. And to learn how to properly use a credit card and build up a good credit.

#13

Wouldn’t change a thing about me. Nothing at all! :grin:

#14

Wouldn’t have much to change. I am not in debt; never been, no huge overdraft or loan to pay off which seems to be what’s backfiring for a lot of young people. My longest credit line in my life has been what, 2 months before I paid it off in full? :joy:

The only advice I could think of is to invest in cryptocurrencies. :money_with_wings:

#15

Have an emergency fund of £1,000. Since I was a student I kept having emergency car repairs/replacements that I never had the money for. Over the 4 years of being a student that added up, then in the gap afterwards where I wasn’t working, the debt increased. If I had the emergency fun I would have borrowed against a 0% (initially) credit card and built up the debt I have.

I also ‘wasted’ a lot of money drinking as a student with frequent nights out costing me over £100. I managed to afford it but if I could go back I wouldn’t have spent quite as much. I enjoyed it though so I wouldn’t change that too much.

Recently I haven’t used any credit for Christmas or any family birthdays leading up to it because I planned ahead, which has helped me to reduce my credit usage quite well over recent months. I tend to start saving for that from August now which helps a lot!

(Sacha) #16
  • Don’t use credit unless you have to for an emergency.
  • Keep a buffer (e.g. a Rainy Day pot) and various other savings in different places so that if you ever have a glut of expenses (which we all do from time-to-time) you can cover them yourself.
  • Track how you spend your money. Part of me wishes Monzo had started up around 20 years ago before I went to uni as it is only once you realise how much you spend in certain areas that you can take measure to reduce it down.
#17

Oh this, I cashed out almost £1,000 when it was under £30 per BTC. If only I stuck at it…

When it was new I was just passing round hundreds of coins like it was nothing. Lost some when mtgox died, lost some when other exchanges went too.

I’m not too bothered though because I still got £1,000 for nothing.

#18

I also ‘wasted’ a lot of money drinking as a student with frequent nights out costing me over £100.

Personally I feel that money is made to be spent and so really don’t feel bad on putting 200£+ into a night out; you have to be responsible with it but assuming your finances allow it (you’re not going into debt, all the bills are paid), I’d say go for it and enjoy! :+1:t2:

(Leon) #19

Don’t max out that credit card and overdraft when you are 18. I know it’s your first grown up bank account but it’s gonna be a really hard slog to pay it all off, with a lot of blood sweat and tears.

Banks tend to want their money back after a while and they don’t care how you get it just that you do, funny that don’t you think?

The most important thing my future stuff needs to tell you is that you 100 per cent will do what I have warned you against, so do your thing and remember to live your life and have fun. Love ya!

(Ben Green) #20
  • Don’t take that loan for that idea that you’re only gonna start to do, or if you do finish it because it was a brilliant idea. (as a college project I thought of exactly the same type of handheld shopping assistant devices that are used all over the country in supermarkets nowadays. I took a loan to apply for a patent but spent on other stuff instead)
  • Don’t bother with credit cards or loans for stuff you don’t need
  • Start an ISA and a separate emergency savings account
  • Save for a deposit on a house before they get too expensive