Advice Not Taken

Don't be afraid to move to New York City to go to to FIT. I wanted to be a fashion illustrator and a recruiter from FIT came to my arts high school when I was 16 in my senior year and told me my work was very good and that I should definitely try for it, but I was a young 16 and very insular in my cozy neighborhood and family so I was too scared. I can't say I *regret* it because I would have been out of work by know since fashion illustration is a lost art, but sometimes I wonder what sort of a person I'd be today if I'd packed up and gone to the Big City.
 


Start saving for retirement as early as you possibly can.

I didn't think I could "afford" to save for retirement plus didn't have anything available through my employer. Fast Forward to losing my job and starting over at a 30% pay cut. Yes it's been hard but I am making it work. Now I plan to take 50% of every raise I get and put it into the deferred comp plan we have. I'm only 20 years away from "retirement age" so it is also way more important.
 
To make a $1500 investment into bitcoin around 2011. Easily the one piece of advice is listened to.
 


"Get out there, live a little."

I was quiet goth in high school. Never once smoked, never drank (I had one drink on my 21st B-day.), no piercings, no tattoos, I've only ever dated four people total and the last one I married. The first time I went out and had a sit down meal by myself I was already in my last year of high school. My family was the kind to tell me not to do anything adventurous because 'what will others think of you!?' Should have listened to my friends.
 
When I first graduated from college, I was offered an entry-level (shift supervisor) job with a local chain (Wawa, for anyone in the NJ/PA area). It was the first job I was offered out of college, and I didn't want to start my career making sandwiches and running a cash register. The more people I talk to, the more I realized I made a mistake. I know of several people that started as shift supervisors and worked their way up the ladder quickly and are making 6 figure salaries.
 
Funny thing is my mom usually gave me very sound advice, like suggesting I stop dating a certain girl in high school, she was right, and she was right many times but she said don't have regrets once you make a choice and a path in life. My Dad on the other hand, I often chose to ignore his advice, career, family, moving, etc. and I'm happy I didn't listen.
 
"Get a state job".
If has taken that advice when I got out of College at age 22, I would have retired after 30 years, be bringing in a pension equal to what I am earning today, and have health insurance for life.
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Don't marry him. DD's father and I got married when she was three months old. We went to Vegas, spent a couple thousand dollars total for the trip/wedding. We struggled financially the entire time we were married, then the divorce cost more than the wedding. But I'm glad I left him when I did. Within a few months he got his first of 3 DUIs and has filed bankruptcy multiple times since then. Funny thing, he is terrified of someone stealing his identity (I've told him many times no one wants his identity). He refused to text me his SSN a while back because he was afraid someone would steal it. We were at a doctor appt for DD, so they needed it. I had him call the office to give them the number (he also wouldn't give it to me), they had him on speaker phone the entire time. I know it's bad, but I had to laugh a little.
 
"Get a state job".
If has taken that advice when I got out of College at age 22, I would have retired at age 30, be bringing in a pension equal to what I am earning today, and have health insurance for life.

30?! Don't you mean 50?
 

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