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12 Things I Learned By 42 That I Wish I Knew At 22

thewisdomjournal.com — By the time I was 22, I knew who I wanted to marry, was in the process of quitting college, going into debt, and thought that I would be a millionaire by the time I was 30 because I was so smart. If I could go back in time, here are a few items I would tell my 22 year old self.

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  • rupric, on 02/01/2008, -12/+42Good advice!
    • TiMMY8765, on 02/01/2008, -2/+13yeah. hopefully in a few years nobody will need to worry about number 6 though.
      • etandrib, on 02/01/2008, -11/+4Hopefully in a few years we won't live in a socialist economy.
    • JoeFoel, on 02/01/2008, -2/+16In Canada we do not and never had to ... worry about No 6 :-)
      • LLLSecretChimp, on 02/01/2008, -4/+3You can spend the year waiting for a CAT scan not worrying about it.
        • BrainInAJar, on 02/01/2008, -1/+4have you ever been in the canadian healthcare system?

          These stories of waiting years for treatment are utter bollocks. My mother needed a cat scan, 3 days later she was in the office getting one.
          • ludditte, on 02/01/2008, -0/+2just a few days before xmas, they saw something weird on my chest x-rays, between
            xmas and new year's the hospital called me up and the first week of january I had a
            CAT scan. If they think you are sick, you get excellent and quick service. I live in
            Quebec city.
      • bam359, on 02/01/2008, -0/+3Don't down play the difficulty's that this country went through to nationalize our Health Care system. The truth is that there was a time that we did not have a national health care system. The transition was a painful struggle - particularly in Saskatchewan where doctors went on strike and people DIED.
      • Commodore84, on 02/01/2008, -1/+1Yet he received better care for his wife, didn't have to wait in line or suffer under quotas, and still came out ahead financially even though he paid out of pocket because he doesn't have that 20% national sales tax and oppressive income tax.

        There's a reason many Canadians come to the US for their healthcare.
    • bitcloud, on 02/01/2008, -0/+4Best quote about amwayalikes ever:

      "You are not “CEO of your own distribution network”–you are a commission-based salesperson relying on the liquidation of your social capital"
    • bosssmiley, on 02/01/2008, -1/+3No, GREAT advice.
    • Nimsim, on 02/01/2008, -14/+2It's easy to look back and see all the faults you've done in the past. I am currently 22, and I have recently bought my own apartment while i plan on studying engineering from this summer.

      The point is, he's just reflecting back on his life, looking at all the stupid ***** he did. I bet, if he would have a second chance he would still do the same. When can you remember you had money at my age?

      You want advice from a 22 year old who will still manage to ***** up his life to some extent?
      Here: Whatever you want to do, buy or work as...google it. That's right! Just google it.

      "He who knows and knows he knows: he is wise - follow him.” In this case He is google.
    • kingo123, on 02/01/2008, -2/+12I'm 25, to have money to put in a mutual fund is crazy, I mean...what money do I have, im just making ends meet! Some things there are for those with money, those without (like myself), well...just have to survive.
      • kirwoodd, on 02/01/2008, -4/+11and there you have it, proving his point. When I was 25 I said the exact same thing, in retrospect, I could have NOT gotten that brand new 80186 tandy computer (the "1" is not a typo), or drank a bit less, or chased SLIGHTLY fewer (or cheaper) skirts, but here I am. Or hell, heaven forbid, WORKED more.
        • gfnw, on 02/01/2008, -12/+7That's all there is to making money. Working more. All the poor people in the world are just not working hard enough.
        • jj101, on 02/01/2008, -4/+9@gfnw - Your first sentence is spot on. The second though is the most ignorant, naive, un-empathetic and over simplistic ***** I have heard in a long time.
      • msfayzer, on 02/01/2008, -2/+4If you are dedicated to saving, it can be done. I am 21 and have been saving since high school and am so thrilled that I did because now I am going into the great big world with at least a little money in my pocket. Is it in a mutual fund? No, I wish it was but I was nervous about that stuff in high school. But It is in a savings account where I cannot get at it readily. If you are dedicated to saving, it will happen. Even if it is just a few bucks a week in a normal back account, it eventually will add up to an amount you can invest.
        • ronaldinho, on 02/01/2008, -1/+3I agree, it's never too early to start saving, and it's not mandatory that you need to put it in a mutual fund. Honestly, most of us may not have the money. But if you do, do a little 401K here (remember that most companies will contribute a bit to your own contributions too!), savings there, and little by little you have made yourself a decent savings stash that you can really use when you are in trouble
        • Commodore84, on 02/01/2008, -0/+1If you're not spending that money any time soon, you should REALLY put it in a mutual fund. Now's a good time to invest. I like Charles Schwab a lot. http://www.schwab.com Lots of no-load, no-fee mutual funds, great advice, helpful and kind people.

          And if you're not going to jump on the mutual fund, at least throw it in HSBC. http://www.hsbcdirect.com I'm about 99% sure that what you're making in your savings account is less than what they pay.
      • etandrib, on 02/01/2008, -2/+3You have it you just need to make it a priority. All the money books call it "pay yourself first". Just do that and you'll be years ahead of your peers.
    • roodammy44, on 02/01/2008, -20/+154Comment abuse, I know, but for the people who need a mirror:

      My, how time flies. Seems just like yesterday that I was a 12 year old kid, going for long bike rides in Sherwood Forrest, the subdivision just around the corner from where I lived. Playing with William, Edward, and my little brother, climbing in the tree house, looking forward to Brent coming over to visit. Those were all good times and my only dread was finding out that we were having liver for supper.

      By the time I was 22, I knew who I wanted to marry, was in the process of quitting college, going into debt, and thought that I would be a millionaire by the time I was 30 because I was so smart. Hey, it might take me until 35, but that was the top end. In reality, I was quite ignorant.

      If I could go back in time, here are a few items I would tell my 22 year old self.

      1. Stay in school. Don’t quit. Sure you’re bored now, but wait until you’re in a dead end job that you can’t stand but you’re afraid to lose. Getting finished with your degree will open up many more opportunities than you realize. I always wanted to go to law school, but without that sheepskin, I didn’t have a chance of even being considered. The lesson learned here is finish what you start by throwing yourself into it fully. Treat your college experience as if it were a job. Arrive on time, do your homework, study, and treat your learning process as if you were at a real job.

      2. Money doesn’t spoil, it keeps. Start investing early. How much stuff do you have to show for the money you made in high school and college? If I had invested half of what I made during those years in a plain old, broad based mutual fund, I would have well over $192,000 with no other investments made since then. I’m still kicking myself. Invest early.

      3. Don’t buy the first house you look at. Buy the cheapest house in the nicest neighborhood. No, I didn’t actually do this, but it was close. We were so excited to be approved for a loan, having just come out of Consumer Credit Counseling Services that we jumped at the first house we found that met our minimum requirements. I still love that house today, but I wish we had gotten a better inspection, had looked into building, or had found a way to buy a house that was closer to work and school. The lesson learned, don’t be desperate with a large purchase.

      4. Establish the habit of living within a budget. Could anything be more important to insure you are living below your means? I tried on several occasions but I was never as faithful to this ideal as I should have been. Today, I make a salary high enough that a budget is a “yeah, we really ought to do that” kind of thing. My goal is to get that done. If I could do it over I would get myself in this habit at the earliest possible age. The lesson learned: budgeting is a freeing process, not a limiting one. If I had lived on a budget, I could have circumvented many painful events.

      5. Learn how to negotiate a better deal on everything. Having read several books on negotiation just a little too late, I’ve recognized how I was duped by many people, mostly used car sales people. I wrote a review on Secrets of Power Negotiating that you can read here. Learning these skills would have saved me thousands. The lesson learned: prepare by educating yourself and always be willing to walk away.

      6. Keep your medical insurance in force at all times. Several years ago, I quit one job and took another that didn’t offer medical insurance until you had been there for 90 days. You guessed it, my wife had to have emergency surgery at 89 days. True story. 89 days. Do you think the insurance company cared? I’ll let you guess. Thankfully, we were at St. Vincent’s Hospital and they had mercy on us. The business manager told me (after looking over my financial situation) that someone paid our bill. I still get choked up thinking about it all these years later. It took us years to pay off the doctor and anesthesia bills, though. If I had just kept my coverage in effect for a little while longer. The obvious lesson: keep that insurance in effect. It is cheaper than the medical bills.

      7. It’s quality of time at work, but quantity of time at home that matters. Your boss really doesn’t care whether you have a family or not. Trust me. Unless you work for family members who DO understand that you need to pick the kids up early, or that you DO need to spend some time with your spouse, you are just a replaceable cog in the machine. When people are trying to grow a business, your need for personal time is secondary, so is the quality of your marital and family relationships. Just remember that when you’re old, sitting in a chair at the nursing home with a blanket on your lap and eating mush, you won’t regret that you didn’t get to spend more time at the office. The lesson learned: family will be there after the job is long gone. Value and treasure them.

      8. Don’t listen to those who think there is a shortcut to wealth. NEW FLASH: there is no shortcut. Might as well get that out of your 22 year old head right now. Wealth is created when you provide something interesting, unique and valuable to people who demand it. Until then, you will be trading hours for dollars and you’ll always think you’re underpaid. “Find a need and fill it” is the old mantra and it is still quoted because it’s true. In today’s world it should read “Create a need that only you can fill.” Then you’ll be on your way to wealth. The lesson learned: figure out where there are unmet needs and figure out a way to fill those needs.

      8a. Stay far, far away from any Multi Level Marketing “business” that requires you to sponsor new distributors. They are all scams. You are not “CEO of your own distribution network”–you are a commission-based salesperson relying on the liquidation of your social capital (i.e. alienating your friends and family) to make any money at all…and 99.5% of people in MLM’s lose money, as has been shown again and again in numerous studies. The only profit you can ever make is by turning what would be called “customers” into “distributors” and then taking the money from the 99.995% that lose money in the organization and giving it to the 0.005% at the top (the people who started the whole “business” in the first place). Stay away!

      9. Make sure your spouse’s values line up with your own. This one step can single handedly determine your level of happiness more than just about any other. Scary isn’t it? If everything seems so right, yet he or she thinks credit should be used at will (and you don’t) or thinks that home schooled kids are strange (and you want your children to be home schooled), you are setting yourself up for heartbreak. Work these things out before you say “I do.” They say love is grand . . . and divorce is 50 grand. The lesson learned: talk to your spouse or potential spouse about what is important to you and the values you think should be taught to your children, even if you don’t plan on having children.

      10. Learn how to network. Learn to stay in touch with old friends from high school and college. Learn the skill of asking for help without seeming to be asking for help. Watch how others network. Remember it’s not what you know, it’s not even who you know, it’s how you USE what you know and who you know. One step further, it’s not who you know, it’s who knows YOU. Get in the practice of networking without expecting anything in return. Make sure you don’t come across as a brown nosing leech who is always trying to get an angle, but stay in touch with people. You never know who you may be able to help. The lesson learned: stay in touch and make sure you come across as helpful rather than helpless.

      11. Never accept a job just because the pay is higher. Life is more than money. There’s a reason they’re offering you more. Yes it may be that you’re the most qualified. It may be that you have the most experience and the most education. It may be that no one can stand to work for that particular department head and a high salary is the only way to fill the position. Always ask where the person who last held the position is working now. Ask to speak with them, but always do it away from the office. People will give you more information outside of the office than inside. Inside the office, they’re committing treason, outside, hey - they’re just chatting with a friend. The lesson learned: Get the full scoop before jumping out of a frying pan into the fire.

      12. Trust, but verify. You can’t believe everything you hear, read, or were taught as a kid. You should always check references, ask probing questions, search out answers, and find ways to learn more about what you’re being told. This is a catch all but it is important. The world is full of schemers who are just waiting to take you for a ride. Don’t become cynical, but verify everything you can. The lesson learned: make sure you know who it is you’re dealing with and what their motives may be.

      Learn who you are and what motivates you. Learn what motivates your spouse and children. Learn what motivates your friends. Learn what motivates your co-workers, your boss, and your boss’s boss. Never stop learning, never stop growing. By the time you reach 42, kid, you’ll be a millionaire! ;)

      What would you tell yourself if you could go back twenty years?
      • known, on 02/01/2008, -24/+413. Employment is to survive in life. Entrepreneurship is to succeed in life.
        • DrMonkeyLove, on 02/01/2008, -0/+14Good advice from the Digg School of Business. I'm not an entrepreneur by any stretch, but I'm doing a lot more than just surviving. Guess we just measure success differently. But then again, if it's all about the money...
          • piradians, on 02/01/2008, -1/+11Heck, I'm an entrepreneur and I'm barely surviving!
        • LetsGoHawks, on 02/01/2008, -0/+21Not everybody wants the hassle and stress of running their own buisness. There's something to be said for putting in my 40 a week in exchange for a steady paycheck, a good benefits package, 4 weeks vacation, and not giving a crap what's happening at the office when I'm not there.
          • succubuskiller, on 02/01/2008, -0/+7I agree with you completely. Certain jobs allow you that when you are done with work it stays there and you can sort of shut it off, when you own your own business it kind of follows you. Sometimes I would love to just go and work and get a paycheck, but on the opposite note owning your own company has great rewards too(if it succeeds). A quote I tend to live by:

            "Work hard on your job and make a living. Work hard on yourself and make a fortune."-Jim Rohn
      • giid, on 02/01/2008, -10/+3I wanted to digg you down for saying "comment abuse", but the mirror was needed, thanks.
      • SpoBo, on 02/01/2008, -0/+10thx! Account Suspended :) I bet he'll come out with an updated version.

        "13. Don't skimp on server bandwidth. Once your product actually gets off the ground it's supposed to stay in the air." kind of thing :)
      • jj101, on 02/01/2008, -0/+1ty
      • po43292, on 02/01/2008, -1/+3I'd go back and buy Google stock at $80/share.
    • skippy562, on 02/01/2008, -4/+3he should do a 2008 version of wear sunscreen song...
      http://youtube.com/watch?v=xfq_A8nXMsQ
      watch it if you havnt already...its pretty old 97....very good advice.
    • k1down, on 02/01/2008, -22/+713. Get an xbox 360, NOT a wii...
      • ryansmith18, on 02/01/2008, -4/+8How the hell did you think this was even remotely related? ***** troll...
      • KennMac, on 02/01/2008, -0/+2Yeah, because playing that 360 is gonna make you a millionaire.
    • jonnyeuchre, on 02/01/2008, -6/+1If you're currenly a ***** idiot
    • SuperWinner, on 02/01/2008, -0/+2213. Spending 1000% more on trendy name brand items, like $200 sunglasses when you could get the exact same ones at Costco for $20 without the brand name, makes you a sucker.
      • Cerebral, on 02/01/2008, -2/+6So true. I'm the $20 guy by far. I will have to say that sometimes it is worth paying $100 for the sunglasses over the $20 because of the quality of the glasses. I've had the same $150 Oakley sunglasses for 4 and a half years.
      • mattyfatty182, on 02/01/2008, -3/+9I think that while this does hold true most of the time, I will spend more money on a brand name for several reasons:
        1. If the general consensus is that they are worth it - does it have a good review, etc.
        2. Will it last longer than the cheaper counterpart - in your example, I'd be more inclined to make sure I held on the those $200 sunglasses, and they would probably last me longer
        3. Will the more expensive product make me more productive or save me time - ie. - when I bought my Mac. Hell yes the 2600 dollar price tag is hard to swallow, but I feel like I have saved time by the computer just working; and I'm going to keep it longer than a run of the mill Dell.

        I doubt there are too many out there like me, though. I just ask myself if I really NEED it. And even then, sometimes it is nice to spoil yourself. What fun is life if you go through it in a WalMart shirt and Payless shoes?
        • Giblet2, on 02/01/2008, -0/+8Dell, Bose, and the like are scams.. Seriously..
          • djbon2112, on 02/01/2008, -2/+2My Dell laptop and Boss speakers are flawless, and were a bargain.
        • ludditte, on 02/01/2008, -0/+3spoke with an importer of sunglasses and reading glasses. It all comes from China, the markup is incredible, the glasses at $20 and the ones at $200, same manufacture, his cost: about $1.00
          per.
    • richardiscool, on 02/01/2008, -3/+2Yeah, really amazing advice. I'll remember to add "indeces" to my SQL tables.
    • richardiscool, on 02/01/2008, -4/+313. Wear sunscreen
  • morningmatters, on 02/01/2008, -22/+11I think I have may have dugg something similar before but honest articles like this should repeat on the front page.
  • smoothlou, on 02/01/2008, -4/+112Good read, but now I feel like I've wasted my life, and I'm only 26!

    ...no wait! I'm 27!!! I gotta go back to school.
    • bagelpirate, on 02/01/2008, -4/+97I bet you know where to get some good weed though.
      • endlessoul, on 02/01/2008, -0/+2God, that is heartbreakingly sad, but true.

        For me, at least.
    • davidrools, on 02/01/2008, -2/+54happy birthday just then?
    • jjremy, on 02/01/2008, -0/+19I'm glad I'm not the only one that forgets their own age.
    • djlosch, on 02/01/2008, -0/+11neh, after 22, you stop counting. we dont get anything until we're 65, and even then, it's only AARP, 10% off at TJMaxx and 35 cent crappy cups of coffee at mcdonalds. that's nowhere near as excited as turning 21 and actually being able to drink legally.
      • jefbob, on 02/01/2008, -0/+7Auto Insurance Discount at 25 (in Ohio at least).
      • tyzent, on 02/01/2008, -0/+3i can rent a car at 25... surely if i can get through the next 4 years i will be a happier person for it
    • Serapthi, on 02/01/2008, -0/+10Damn those birthdays, you never seem to know when they're gonna happen.
    • Epik, on 02/01/2008, -0/+3It's hard this day in age when you always seem to be comparing age, accomplishments, material possesions, and salaries but you have to remember, no one's keeping score. Don't obsess on the past or future but try to enjoy the present!
    • addiktion, on 02/02/2008, -0/+1Yeah I always feel the desire of having more money would get me ahead and help prove my accomplishments.. The funny thing is as I grow older and much wiser then my younger days I'm starting to realize that building relationships doesn't necessarily require money and the more you network and know the more well off your going to be in the long run.
  • camino262, on 02/01/2008, -3/+7813. Your parents may actually be right. Well, sometimes...
    • cdahlkvist, on 02/01/2008, -6/+4314. Get a better hosting service.
    • digitalarcanum, on 02/01/2008, -0/+7oh I know my parents are right, more times than I can count. Funniest thing? I get all my financial advice from my mom "invest in your 401(k) now, put this money into a CD. Save this money until you really need it. Do you really need an HDTV right now? You never know when you'll need that money. Budget things out now so you don't regret it later."
  • UltramegaOK, on 02/01/2008, -5/+50Money doesn’t spoil, it keeps. Start investing early. How much stuff do you have to show for the money you made in high school and college?

    Good advice. I'm working part-time in college and the money is sitting in a savings account. I guess now would be a good time to start that Roth IRA.

    Dugg for being a genuinely useful list for young men.
    • Underbyte, on 02/01/2008, -2/+11The funny thing is this guy may have just made some kid (maybe even me, knock on wood) a Millionaire.
      • freebirdpat, on 02/01/2008, -4/+26by the time that happens we a million dollars might get you a happy meal at mcdonald's YAY INFLATION....
    • jguy584, on 02/01/2008, -2/+8I'm in the same position; low 20's, lots of money in savings, nothing invested yet.
      I'm going to wait until the 2008 elections are over before I decide what to invest in. I think some candidates are going to take our already suffering economy out to the curb for a stomping.
      • wastedlife, on 02/01/2008, -2/+7Invest now while the markets crap and hope whoever's president fixes the economy and the prices will go up and you'll be in megabucks.
      • spuddly, on 02/02/2008, -0/+0here's a hint for you: don't bother keeping your money in the US - growth will be very low for the next several years. spread your money across managed funds investing in china, latin america, russia, and international mining companies. you'll do good, particularly since you are young and can leave your cash in there for 10+ years and can handle some volatility
    • brufleth, on 02/01/2008, -0/+10I DID invest quite heavily. Unfortunately it was in the 90s and everything devalued by about 40-50% around the turn of the century. It took about five years to get back to where I was in the mid 90s. I would have been BETTER OFF putting it in a savings account after spending half of it on stupid stuff.

      That said I was just unlucky with my timing. Sure the market was high at the time I was investing but nobody was warning of a dramatic collapse at the time. Live and learn, remember to diversify and keep stick with it for the long run.
      • YojimboJango, on 02/01/2008, -0/+1I took this guys advice and managed to throw 6 grand into a mutual fund by getting a paper route and working at mc Donalds during highschool. That was in '97. 5 years later i've got $3,500 in my account. This was good advice for people that are graduating highschool now or back in the early 80's. Anyone that graduated highschool between '95 and '05 that tried this probably got screwed.
  • Falldog, on 02/01/2008, -1/+6Some good tips actually. Investing in the future is definitly a big thing to get in on when you're young. As soon as I get a bit more money (on a tight budget right now) I'm going to put the full % matched by my company into my 401k.
    • brufleth, on 02/01/2008, -0/+7This is the #1 thing anyone with a 401k should be doing. The money your company matches you is extra income. If your company matches 50% up to 7% then you'll be making another 3.5% which might seem small but it is still extra money you would otherwise not be getting.
      • Cerebral, on 02/01/2008, -0/+1Yes just know your company's policy though. For instance if I were to leave my company right now I would only end up with about 10% of what they have put in so far. It isn't until after about 20 years that I get the full % they match. Not saying it's wrong or right just saying that you should know.
        • whorunbartertwn, on 02/01/2008, -0/+2I believe what your company is doing is illegal, and you should contact your benefits administrator. The rules for minimum vesting on a 401k are:

          a. For "top-heavy plans" (those in which the value of the accounts of the "key employees" are greater than 60% of the value of the accounts of all employees), a vesting schedule that is at least as liberal as one that provides 100% vesting after 3 years of service or a 6-year graded vesting schedule (increasing 20% a year and beginning in the second year) must, by law, be chosen.

          b. For non top-heavy plans, the vesting requirements for employer matching contributions are the same as those for top-heavy plans. However, for profit sharing contributions (which may or may not be part of a 401(k) plan), a vesting schedule at least as liberal as one that provides 100% vesting after 5 years of service ("cliff vesting") or a 7-year graded vesting schedule (increasing 20% a year and beginning in the third year) must, by law, be chosen.



      • po43292, on 02/01/2008, -0/+1Roth IRA. Market trends up over time, so when you're 59 and you can take it out it's $$$.
    • 80hd, on 02/01/2008, -1/+1But he still doesn't know how to find decent hosting
  • ThinkBox, on 02/01/2008, -4/+31I JUST turned 23... is it too late for me? :-p
    • troye, on 02/01/2008, -3/+6no it's not.
    • packetguy, on 02/01/2008, -1/+23If you are smart enough to act now, No. Otherwise tomorrow you will be 42 wondering where time went since you wrote that comment on Digg.
    • LetsGoHawks, on 02/01/2008, -0/+3Yeah, pretty much.

      One glaring omission form this list is that you don't regret the things you do as much as you regret the opprotunities you let pass..... The time I could have gone to Carnival in Rio is my big one.

      Be smart with your money, but don't end up like my grandma. She's the richest woman in the nursing home who kept talking about wanting to go on a cruise, or visit the old country again, or kept complaining about her lousy TV. Live a little.
    • Epik, on 02/01/2008, -0/+1It's never too late!
  • ClockworksNine, on 02/01/2008, -6/+1190Server was getting hammered for me, in case that is the same for everyone else, here is the article:

    My, how time flies. Seems just like yesterday that I was a 12 year old kid, going for long bike rides in Sherwood Forrest, the subdivision just around the corner from where I lived. Playing with William, Edward, and my little brother, climbing in the tree house, looking forward to Brent coming over to visit. Those were all good times and my only dread was finding out that we were having liver for supper.

    By the time I was 22, I knew who I wanted to marry, was in the process of quitting college, going into debt, and thought that I would be a millionaire by the time I was 30 because I was so smart. Hey, it might take me until 35, but that was the top end. In reality, I was quite ignorant.

    If I could go back in time, here are a few items I would tell my 22 year old self.

    1. Stay in school. Don’t quit. Sure you’re bored now, but wait until you’re in a dead end job that you can’t stand but you’re afraid to lose. Getting finished with your degree will open up many more opportunities than you realize. I always wanted to go to law school, but without that sheepskin, I didn’t have a chance of even being considered. The lesson learned here is finish what you start by throwing yourself into it fully. Treat your college experience as if it were a job. Arrive on time, do your homework, study, and treat your learning process as if you were at a real job.

    2. Money doesn’t spoil, it keeps. Start investing early. How much stuff do you have to show for the money you made in high school and college? If I had invested half of what I made during those years in a plain old, broad based mutual fund, I would have well over $192,000 with no other investments made since then. I’m still kicking myself. Invest early.

    3. Don’t buy the first house you look at. Buy the cheapest house in the nicest neighborhood. No, I didn’t actually do this, but it was close. We were so excited to be approved for a loan, having just come out of Consumer Credit Counseling Services that we jumped at the first house we found that met our minimum requirements. I still love that house today, but I wish we had gotten a better inspection, had looked into building, or had found a way to buy a house that was closer to work and school. The lesson learned, don’t be desperate with a large purchase.

    4. Establish the habit of living within a budget. Could anything be more important to insure you are living below your means? I tried on several occasions but I was never as faithful to this ideal as I should have been. Today, I make a salary high enough that a budget is a “yeah, we really ought to do that” kind of thing. My goal is to get that done. If I could do it over I would get myself in this habit at the earliest possible age. The lesson learned: budgeting is a freeing process, not a limiting one. If I had lived on a budget, I could have circumvented many painful events.

    5. Learn how to negotiate a better deal on everything. Having read several books on negotiation just a little too late, I’ve recognized how I was duped by many people, mostly used car sales people. I wrote a review on Secrets of Power Negotiating that you can read here. Learning these skills would have saved me thousands. The lesson learned: prepare by educating yourself and always be willing to walk away.

    6. Keep your medical insurance in force at all times. Several years ago, I quit one job and took another that didn’t offer medical insurance until you had been there for 90 days. You guessed it, my wife had to have emergency surgery at 89 days. True story. 89 days. Do you think the insurance company cared? I’ll let you guess. Thankfully, we were at St. Vincent’s Hospital and they had mercy on us. The business manager told me (after looking over my financial situation) that someone paid our bill. I still get choked up thinking about it all these years later. It took us years to pay off the doctor and anesthesia bills, though. If I had just kept my coverage in effect for a little while longer. The obvious lesson: keep that insurance in effect. It is cheaper than the medical bills.

    7. It’s quality of time at work, but quantity of time at home that matters. Your boss really doesn’t care whether you have a family or not. Trust me. Unless you work for family members who DO understand that you need to pick the kids up early, or that you DO need to spend some time with your spouse, you are just a replaceable cog in the machine. When people are trying to grow a business, your need for personal time is secondary, so is the quality of your marital and family relationships. Just remember that when you’re old, sitting in a chair at the nursing home with a blanket on your lap and eating mush, you won’t regret that you didn’t get to spend more time at the office. The lesson learned: family will be there after the job is long gone. Value and treasure them.

    8. Don’t listen to those who think there is a shortcut to wealth. NEW FLASH: there is no shortcut. Might as well get that out of your 22 year old head right now. Wealth is created when you provide something interesting, unique and valuable to people who demand it. Until then, you will be trading hours for dollars and you’ll always think you’re underpaid. “Find a need and fill it” is the old mantra and it is still quoted because it’s true. In today’s world it should read “Create a need that only you can fill.” Then you’ll be on your way to wealth. The lesson learned: figure out where there are unmet needs and figure out a way to fill those needs.

    8a. Stay far, far away from any Multi Level Marketing “business” that requires you to sponsor new distributors. They are all scams. You are not “CEO of your own distribution network”–you are a commission-based salesperson relying on the liquidation of your social capital (i.e. alienating your friends and family) to make any money at all…and 99.5% of people in MLM’s lose money, as has been shown again and again in numerous studies. The only profit you can ever make is by turning what would be called “customers” into “distributors” and then taking the money from the 99.995% that lose money in the organization and giving it to the 0.005% at the top (the people who started the whole “business” in the first place). Stay away!

    9. Make sure your spouse’s values line up with your own. This one step can single handedly determine your level of happiness more than just about any other. Scary isn’t it? If everything seems so right, yet he or she thinks credit should be used at will (and you don’t) or thinks that home schooled kids are strange (and you want your children to be home schooled), you are setting yourself up for heartbreak. Work these things out before you say “I do.” They say love is grand . . . and divorce is 50 grand. The lesson learned: talk to your spouse or potential spouse about what is important to you and the values you think should be taught to your children, even if you don’t plan on having children.

    10. Learn how to network. Learn to stay in touch with old friends from high school and college. Learn the skill of asking for help without seeming to be asking for help. Watch how others network. Remember it’s not what you know, it’s not even who you know, it’s how you USE what you know and who you know. One step further, it’s not who you know, it’s who knows YOU. Get in the practice of networking without expecting anything in return. Make sure you don’t come across as a brown nosing leech who is always trying to get an angle, but stay in touch with people. You never know who you may be able to help. The lesson learned: stay in touch and make sure you come across as helpful rather than helpless.

    11. Never accept a job just because the pay is higher. Life is more than money. There’s a reason they’re offering you more. Yes it may be that you’re the most qualified. It may be that you have the most experience and the most education. It may be that no one can stand to work for that particular department head and a high salary is the only way to fill the position. Always ask where the person who last held the position is working now. Ask to speak with them, but always do it away from the office. People will give you more information outside of the office than inside. Inside the office, they’re committing treason, outside, hey - they’re just chatting with a friend. The lesson learned: Get the full scoop before jumping out of a frying pan into the fire.

    12. Trust, but verify. You can’t believe everything you hear, read, or were taught as a kid. You should always check references, ask probing questions, search out answers, and find ways to learn more about what you’re being told. This is a catch all but it is important. The world is full of schemers who are just waiting to take you for a ride. Don’t become cynical, but verify everything you can. The lesson learned: make sure you know who it is you’re dealing with and what their motives may be.

    Learn who you are and what motivates you. Learn what motivates your spouse and children. Learn what motivates your friends. Learn what motivates your co-workers, your boss, and your boss’s boss. Never stop learning, never stop growing. By the time you reach 42, kid, you’ll be a millionaire! ;)

    What would you tell yourself if you could go back twenty years?
    • crapmatic, on 02/01/2008, -9/+93Astroglide or KY works better than Vaseline.
      • Marijuana, on 02/01/2008, -3/+21Or good ol' generic "Anal Lube" should do the trick. Ask this couple, http://tinyurl.com/nlogb .
      • Klisk, on 02/01/2008, -2/+7If you're not using 'Wet' you're not doing it right.
      • Devotia, on 02/01/2008, -1/+10Also: Do not use the entire bottle in one go.
      • sotopheavy, on 02/01/2008, -4/+3Make sure not to use baby oil or any other oil based lubricant because it will make the condom more likely to break. Instead use a water based lube like astroglide, saliva, or even water if nothing else presents itself.
      • JaggedEdge, on 02/01/2008, -0/+3Doesn't break down the condom either! Hooray for KY.
    • midejitsu, on 02/01/2008, -3/+48To sum up: Don’t be 22 at 22. Be 42. AWE to the SUM!
      • anotherjeff, on 02/01/2008, -2/+8then when im 42... i'll be 62?
        • sonicularulus, on 02/01/2008, -1/+6or you can just stay at the good ripe age of 42...
          no need to think TOO old.

          what do you do if you're only 18?
        • robschraer, on 02/01/2008, -0/+5have fun thats what.
        • glinsvad, on 02/01/2008, -0/+6be 42 at 22 and 22 at 42... there, I fixed it for you
        • DrMonkeyLove, on 02/01/2008, -6/+1No, you'll probably just be dead. 42 is frickin' old.
      • cactus476, on 02/01/2008, -0/+1I'm not digging this comment just because of the fact that it currently has 42 diggs.
    • whoamarcos, on 02/01/2008, -6/+14Turning 22 in a couple months this is pretty good timing.
      • DocHoliday22, on 02/01/2008, -0/+10... and like most of us you will not listen...
        • ninja0, on 02/01/2008, -0/+3but only if we would... :(
          • artofwar420, on 02/01/2008, -0/+2I for one will ***** do at least one of those things, mutual funds. I will put my moneys there and watch it grow. It's time I stopped spending my money on cheetos. And save up for some really expensive hookers.
    • troye, on 02/01/2008, -2/+13Thanks dude, the server was down for bandwidth/cpu restrictions. I saved this on my hard drive as a word file, awesome find.
    • xptoast, on 02/01/2008, -23/+11Funny thing is I am 22 and I know that stuff and a bit more. I feel old:( I learned a lot from my grandfather and my parents and keep asking everyone everything and of every age. I will always remember what it is to be a kid and how to have fun as well but in a less reckless way. There is more but heed this persons words as they are true.
      • ricksite, on 02/01/2008, -2/+17Rule 13: Don't be a know it all.
      • RunawayElf, on 02/01/2008, -1/+15When I was 22, I thought the same exact thing. Big mistake.
      • arkmtech, on 02/01/2008, -0/+6When I was 15, I was pretty sure I knew everything... and every year since then (I'm 25 now) I've come to realize just how arrogant & ignorant I really was.

        Just when you think you've figured everything out, something will change or go wrong - paradoxically, the only thing one can ever be sure of in this world is that nothing is ever totally for-sure.
      • digitalarcanum, on 02/01/2008, -0/+7humility: because there's always someone out there that can easily hand you your ass.
      • Yorn, on 02/01/2008, -2/+2I don't know why you're getting flak for what you said. When I was 22, I was not all that much different than I am at 28 now. The only difference is my financial knowledge and such. In fact, I would even say I was somewhat of a better hacker at 22 than I am now at 28. You shouldn't be down voted for what you said. Also, a bit of arrogance can be a good thing. It's better you be over-confident and right than self-depreciating and right. At times, make sure you're cautiously-right. Just make damn sure you're right. Never be wrong.
    • Kerrigore, on 02/01/2008, -4/+11"What would you tell yourself if you could go back twenty years?"

      I'm not sure anything I could tell myself when I was 1 would be of much assistance back then.
      • rgough, on 02/01/2008, -1/+8Dude!! Don't crap your pants!!
      • Speed, on 02/01/2008, -0/+1Hmm... What would I tell myself when I was -2...
    • queenstarsha, on 02/01/2008, -0/+105i managed to avoid this mistake, but looking at friends and loved ones, i have to say:
      13. Don't have kids before age 25.
      • betterth, on 02/01/2008, -0/+3413.5: Don't have kids before you've accomplished what you want to do in life, because invariably, kids are going to change everything. Also, don't have kids before you and your spouse are financially stable (and financially responsible) and are able to provide the kind of home that your future child deserves. Children are expensive...
        • Cerebral, on 02/01/2008, -0/+3My wife and I feel the same way(the financial stuff) but everyone always tells us NOT do do so because they all say that "you can never afford kids" and "you'll be waiting forever then" etc. What is everyone's opinion on here?
        • InfiniteNothing, on 02/01/2008, -2/+5Misery loves company. I'm being dead honest.
          • Bacis, on 02/01/2008, -0/+6Amen to that. Many of my friends are recent homebuyers and are having kids and half the time they complain about how their home value has taken a crap, and the other half they're complaining about how they never sleep anymore because of their newborn. Yet they never fail to hound on me and my wife about buying a house and having a kid. No thanks, we're happy learning from your mistakes.
        • addiktion, on 02/02/2008, -0/+1Yeah my goal is to jump on the kid boat in 2/3 years. I'm 23 now but yeah I'm pretty firm on when I want to have kids. I dont want to miss the opportunity and I should be close to finishing out my Bachelors degree in Computer Science by then also so it'll work out hopefully ;]
      • nayajhen, on 02/01/2008, -1/+2It's not a mistake to have kids. You have to see where you are in life. You are not going to get everything you want accomplished by the time you want to have kids. If you want kids whenever that maybe they should be part of vision of yourself. Think about when in your life you are in a stable position and when you think you can handle kids. Yes, work is important but as the advice says family will stay with you long after your job. So, pay attention to your family as well. At some point in your life when it is not too late or too early make a decision to have kids. If this means forgoing the going out for lunch for a couple of times a week or maybe cutting off some of your nightlife then so be it. You make the choice. Kids maybe a chore but they also bring a lot of value in the future if they are raised properly. You are creating your own family, your own support network for the future think about it that way.
        • queenstarsha, on 02/01/2008, -0/+1oh, i want kids. but i'd have been a disaster as a parent at 22. most people still have a lot of growing up to do in their twenties.
      • ninja0, on 02/01/2008, -0/+5or no kids at all. kids = $$$$$$$
    • delude101, on 02/01/2008, -27/+41. You are a collection of atoms.
      2. You are the result of a random event.
      3. You are genetically related to every human, biologically related to this world and atomically related to the universe around you, of which you are a insignificant spec off.
      4. If you have knowledge none of the ***** on your list matters.
      • PathDaemon, on 02/01/2008, -1/+14We all live an everyday life. Despite thinking that you're better than everyone else because you realize that life might just be all for naught (and you're NOT the only one here to realize that), you are sitting at a computer, reading Digg, and writing comments.

        To the best of my knowledge, life and humanity as a whole will end up being meaningless. So? I'll still do my best to have a decent life and do my part in the world.

        In summary, STFU.
        • glinsvad, on 02/01/2008, -0/+4Who the ***** says life is meaningless because you realize the stuff on delude101's list?

          My take, as an atheist, is that these facts make my life so much more meaningful - you only have one life, so make it count...
        • NinjaJoey, on 02/01/2008, -0/+2Make it count, and make it easy by being rich. That's my goal.
      • Cloudime, on 02/01/2008, -1/+3Okay, wow, I figured even Atheists wanted to be able to have a healthy, wealthy, happy life. Last time I checked, just because "life has no meaning" doesn't mean you should sit around all day with no friends, no career, and no education.
        I think you should edit your algorithm for when to launch your Atheism routine, you're giving it a bad name.
    • below413, on 02/01/2008, -4/+54Playing with "William," "Edward," and "Brent" in their tree house and sometimes traveling to Sherwood forest? Where the hell is this guy from? Narnia?
    • mweflen, on 02/01/2008, -15/+4This guy was a moron before he turned 42.
    • Gravedigger2000, on 02/01/2008, -5/+43I would say
      "Don't hold your breath for the Transformers Movie"
    • spintzdee, on 02/01/2008, -0/+6Thanks man for posting this, I also tried to go to the site and couldn't. I am really glad I read it.
    • bignerd, on 02/01/2008, -0/+37"What would you tell yourself if you could go back twenty years?"

      The pull-out method does NOT work!
      • brundlefly76, on 02/01/2008, -0/+6Wow, definitely a top one on my list.
        However, I would state:

        1. The pull-out method is unreliable even when executed properly.
        2. The pull-out method is never executed properly.
      • ninja0, on 02/01/2008, -1/+3you seriously thought that? ouch
    • BigBallistix, on 02/01/2008, -11/+4It's all common-sense really, I'm amazed everyone finds this so helpful. It's like how some people are completely oblivious to anti-social habits, either their trains of thought had their service cancelled and they never reach those likely conclusions, or simply nobody tells them. Those who found this enlightening are probably in for a rough ride, but then again; I was brought up poor and cynical so I know how to avoid disaster.

      Lots have people have posted similar comments, so please stop thinking we're being condescending, we just want you to know you're less prepared for the world than others. Take care.
      • grungefan, on 02/01/2008, -4/+1Yeah, you're not being condescending, you're just trying to tell everyone that found this useful that you're better than they are.
      • betterth, on 02/01/2008, -1/+6"Stop thinking we're condescending. We're just saying that we're much more prepared than you are"

        If you're not being condescending, than you're just being an ass. =/
      • k1down, on 02/01/2008, -0/+5He is being condescending but rightfully so. If this really dropped some knowledge on you or changed your life outlook, you are in for some stormy weather.
    • avatarpalin, on 02/01/2008, -5/+4Tell us more Papa Smurf...


    • perogi21, on 02/01/2008, -1/+12"What would you tell yourself if you could go back twenty years?"
      Always wear a condom and stop playing <Enter MMORPG name here>.
    • scottybowl, on 02/01/2008, -4/+6One very important thing missed off:
      Set yourself goals, plan steps to achieve them and then follow your plans through.

      At the age of 24 I am now Technical Director at a leading web design agency in London just by following those simple rules
      • arkmtech, on 02/01/2008, -0/+10I hope you're smarter than I, and those goals include 'savings,' 'investments,' and 'budget'...

        I graduated college at age 21 and hired on with a newspaper in my city. A little over a year later I was promoted to Exec. Information Officer for all 5 of the company's newspapers within Montana - the youngest executive within our company nation-wide. (A news/media company of nearly 60 daily newspapers throughout the United States)

        Over the next two years my performance reviews & contributions from online dept. to overall net profit were above-par - and outside, I was living it up, spending lavishly, throwing fancy parties, driving a nice car and making payments on a big house. And then it all came crashing down...

        October of 2006 I received a typical memo informing of a "fantastic" opportunity to be part of a high-paid group of online professionals at our company's HQ in Davenport, IA. It then went on to say that EIO positions were being "dissolved" in all states in order to consolidate online leadership to that group.

        In reality, even though I was interviewed for this "consolidated" group, the company had already filled it's positions and had no intention of actually hiring anyone else in. The end of October arrived, my position was dissolved, and I thought "No worries, my severance package will cover me until I find a new job." Only... the company had found a way around that as well.

        I was invited into the HR office and offered my original position of "web developer/designer" at $11/hour; 1/5 of my executive salary! They knew I wouldn't take it, as I was living far above those means. Biting my tongue, I informed them I'd be seekingly employment elsewhere - and with that, my severance package was revoked for quitting voluntarily.

        Needless to say, my nice car returned to the dealership, my big house went back on the market, I relocated to another city where I took two crummy minimum-wage jobs just to make ends meet and appease creditors... even my love life began to get drug over the coals at one point.

        Sorry to seem so jaded, but I very sincerely hope that you never become a victim of corporate ethics. Simply said, though, if your goals do not currently include 'savings,' 'investment' and 'budget,' it's never too late to integrate them into your life.

        Either way, I congratulate you on your skills and accomplishments, and wish you all the best luck through the coming years.
        • elint6, on 02/01/2008, -0/+5Dugg for genuine honesty.
        • crawf061, on 02/01/2008, -0/+3I feel like I just watched an alternate ending to A River Runs Through It
      • scottybowl, on 02/01/2008, -0/+1Thanks for your story and advice - very interesting and useful!

        Living in London has meant that house prices are so high that unless you're earning over £100k ($200K) a year it's virtually impossible to buy anything decent so that has been put on hold! At the moment I've been spending a lot of money on holidays but this year I plan to start investing (well, at the moment I'm waiting to see what happens with the stock market).

        Very good advice from you which I intend to listen to - I'm sorry that you had to go through that, it couldn't have been easy
    • tehxen3, on 02/01/2008, -7/+4That's a manual for a mediocre life. I guess if you ***** up your life really bad by the time you're 22 it could be useful.
      • afireinside13t, on 02/01/2008, -3/+2My thoughts exactly. It was all about making money and have a cozy family life. Where's the part about accomplishing things and doing meaningful work?
      • oxala75, on 02/01/2008, -1/+6i'm 32, am accomplishing things and doing meaningful work, and have to say that i've more or less managed to do so *because* of living my life in line with the author's suggestions. you have to take care of this stuff *before* you try to be a superstar -- otherwise, you will be taken.

        ask the guy who would tell his 20-years-ago self that the pullout method doesn't work if he thinks throwing caution to the wind was a good idea.
    • johnnick, on 02/01/2008, -2/+12If I could communicate with myself 20 years ago I'd say:

      1) Invest in Microsoft
      2) Register the following domain names: ....
      3) Don't marry the British babe. The article's estimate of 50 grand is much too low.
      • ronaldinho, on 02/01/2008, -0/+4he could have meant 50 grand in pounds
        • johnnick, on 02/01/2008, -0/+1Even at current exchange rates, it's still low.
    • tao52nyc, on 02/01/2008, -1/+6I'm now almost 54, but was amazed at the number of parallels in that list with my own life. I forwarded this to my college freshman daughter immediately.
    • DeadFox1, on 02/01/2008, -0/+11do NOT invest in ENRON.
    • vandalin7, on 02/01/2008, -0/+13"What would you tell yourself if you could go back twenty years?"
      I'd go back 7 years and punch my self in the face repeatedly the day I started smoking.
      • ninja0, on 02/01/2008, -0/+3or you could go back and remake the decision to start...
    • itdood, on 02/01/2008, -2/+5I just turned 40, I lived out these points even when I was 18. Stayed in school until I had my MBA. Didn't marry until I was 31, and our relationship is grounded in values. I'm borderline cynical. I've always known MLMs were garbage and I stayed away from people that were in them (I've lost friends, but hey, they were stupid enough to think MLMs were a good idea). Another one, friendship is fleeting, especially for men, it's a matter of convenience. I also stay away from very religious people especially those that consider themselves "saved", as they have mental issues. I'm a millionaire on paper, but would trade it all for my Kids' happiness.
    • briansearles, on 02/01/2008, -0/+1Damn! I was the +999th digg. One away :(
    • kxhoopshooter, on 02/01/2008, -0/+2im only 17. goooood times =D
  • Carteelith, on 02/01/2008, -13/+416As everyone should know by know, 42 is the answer to everything.
    • rey1867, on 02/01/2008, -43/+4Lol, nice reference to the Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy
      • Devaney, on 02/01/2008, -5/+1i never understood why google says '42' on the calculator when you query 'answer to life, the universe and everything' (but i still thought it was funny.) well thanks, now i know
      • jenel, on 02/01/2008, -0/+3http://i31.tinypic.com/2vt64nt.jpg
      • GunDownCCL, on 02/01/2008, -0/+4You sir, have an astute command of the crashingly obvious.
        • rey1867, on 02/01/2008, -0/+1Well, I hope you're not under the assumption that everyone has read the book.
    • Marijuana, on 02/01/2008, -10/+3Not to be a party pooper, but The Secret is the answer to everything.
      • Marijuana, on 02/01/2008, -6/+2How rude of me, no link: http://www.thesecret.tv/
      • AntzNZ, on 02/01/2008, -0/+6That ***** is crap imo, the whole think what you want and it will happen. Yeah right.
        • Marijuana, on 02/01/2008, -4/+2Well I figured since I don't believe in anything else this might as well be it. It basically gives you a more positive outlook on life. Buttt on the other hand people in the future might be laughing at us for even considering this might be real. Your choice :]
          • johnkelsen, on 02/01/2008, -0/+8Forget people of the future, I'm laughing at you now.
      • ftblstr2319, on 02/01/2008, -1/+1I read that book. It was a piece of *****. Simply an ad for buying the movie. No real substance, just fluff.
    • AQUANETA, on 02/01/2008, -1/+742 diggs....
    • wharlie, on 02/01/2008, -0/+10But what is the question?
    • NonLeftistDiggr, on 02/01/2008, -0/+21The difference between 22 and 42 is a gaping canyon of knowledge for most people. I'm only 28 and I already wish I could go kick my 22 yo self in the nuts.
      • betterth, on 02/01/2008, -1/+12I'm 21 and I wish I could go kick my 21 year old self in the nuts.

        :cry:
      • OhSn4p, on 02/01/2008, -0/+5At 25 (almost 26), I feel the same way.
      • Mike89, on 02/01/2008, -0/+4What would you guys change?
        • Tearlock, on 02/01/2008, -0/+4I personally would have not gotten married until several years later. I would have spent 6 or so years in college instead of rushing through it in 3. I would have taken time to experience new things, travel to other countries, work internships at interesting places, etc. I tried to grow up too fast and now I just feel stuck in a life lacking any adventure whatsoever, with lot's of responsibilities at home to tie me down.
          • Mike89, on 02/03/2008, -0/+1Doing more study, or spanning the course out over more years?
    • xkingADROCKx, on 02/01/2008, -0/+3don't you mean life, the universe & everything?
    • diablo2007, on 02/01/2008, -0/+1Not everything, merely the ultimate question...
  • maja742, on 02/01/2008, -22/+14maybe by know you have learned about bandwidth
  • lendrick, on 02/01/2008, -15/+52413. Get a better webhost.
  • bigbill780, on 02/01/2008, -28/+461. How to make a server not crash.
  • FiveIron, on 02/01/2008, -19/+12anyone got a mirror? no duggmirror, no coral cache working
    • Cloudime, on 02/01/2008, -2/+3Why is this guy being buried?
      • rabs, on 02/01/2008, -0/+4Probably because someone posted the whole article 5 comments above his
    • biff198, on 02/01/2008, -0/+2Every time I check out an article and find that it's crashed, I check duggmirror. I don't think I've gotten an article from there for a month, though. Are we crashing the servers too fast, or is duggmirror just doing a terrible job lately?
    • GuyHitByTruck, on 02/01/2008, -0/+1Somebody copied it in the comments. Learn to read the comments before posting one of your own.
  • megaton, on 02/01/2008, -23/+181Ironically, any 22 year-old knows you should make sure your web host doesn't have a bandwidth cap.
    • ceris, on 02/01/2008, -4/+81And any 32 year old knows it's better to have your server go down then to pay for a ton of extra bandwidth
      • Klisk, on 02/01/2008, -1/+4Anyone in general knows that you can find a host that has unlimited upload at a price cheaper than it's competitors.
      • megaton, on 02/01/2008, -0/+11I'd agree if bandwidth wasn't so cheap these days. Unless this guy was running a media site, the HTML/CSS isn't really going to cost much during a diggstorm.

        That said, in truth, he was probably over a CPU limit because he's running Wordpress and likely wasn't caching pages. But then I could throw out the argument that any 22 year-old knows you should cache your blog pages, etc., etc... (And in his defense, his blog appears to be very young, so I don't imagine he had fears of traffic spikes.)
      • armbar, on 02/01/2008, -3/+3Dreamhost costs less that a dollar for each year you've been alive for the first year and you get around 8 bajillion TB of bandwidth per month. Any 22 year old knows that :)
        • Mike89, on 02/01/2008, -0/+2Yeah but when you actually try to use it they ***** you.
    • packetguy, on 02/01/2008, -1/+23Any self-respecting 22 year old would know the difference between a Bandwidth cap and CPU usage Cap, which is what is relevant here.
  • cphelps, on 02/01/2008, -12/+81If I could go back to 22, I'd be 2 years younger.....
    • zmjone2992, on 02/01/2008, -10/+1trippy *****.... :P
    • andregriffin, on 02/01/2008, -0/+6If I could go back to 22, I'd be -1 year younger. So uh, you just got served... maybe? No? Ok.
      • catastrophatic, on 02/01/2008, -2/+0If I could go back to 22, I'd be ... wait a minute. I'm 19!
        • Epik, on 02/01/2008, -0/+1lol no one likes anyone younger than they are. If I were to go back to 22 I'd end up 4 months into the future.
    • benjholla, on 02/01/2008, -1/+3So your 20 and your mom's pretty hot?
    • atomofconsumpti, on 02/01/2008, -0/+1me too
  • luet, on 02/01/2008, -36/+15Okay, I'm sorry, but this list is completely useless to me! Stay in school? Invest your money? Don't believe everything you hear? No *****! I guess there are people who are immature at age 22, but I don't know... sorry if I came off as a dick.
    • airiox, on 02/01/2008, -2/+6you did and you are.

      I'm 22 and despite me knowing several of those things (generally learning the hard way as this guy did), it would have been nice 5 years ago if I knew them.
    • ISurfTooMuch, on 02/01/2008, -0/+7You may know these things, but, believe me, many folks don't. But the people reading this article aren't the ones in real trouble. The ones in real trouble are the kids who drop out of high school because they think they know it all when they don't know *****. I've worked for a social service nonprofit, and I've seen the result, and it ain't pretty. These folks often end up working for fast food places, motels, gas stations, and other similar jobs. Many never get on full time, and even the ones who do quickly find out that it's nearly impossible to support oneself on minimum wage. And, at that point, that's all they have to look forward to.

      These are the folks who need to read an article like this, yet they're the least likely to do so or heed its advice.
    • agimat, on 02/01/2008, -3/+5[ sorry if I came off as a dick. ]

      You are what you eat.
  • fartbuttes, on 02/01/2008, -57/+7"and thought that I would be a millionaire by the time I was 30 because I was so smart"

    well obviously he wasn't so smart if he thought that. this is a bunch of really obvious ***** that anyone with half a brain should know. btw if I could go back 20 years and tell myself something, I would say "haha look you're not even born yet what a noob" and all of this stuff he said is painfully obvious. b-u-r-i-e-d
    • whoamarcos, on 02/01/2008, -1/+8if i could go back 20 years and tell you something it would probably be something along the lines of "get ready for friday nights with handgela"
    • kieransam, on 02/01/2008, -0/+10Wow, you're a cool guy.
    • The_Dude, on 02/01/2008, -0/+1yeah but 20 years ago we didn't have this shinny play land called the internet with all this free information on how to do everything.
  • mooseontheloose, on 02/01/2008, -71/+267I knew all this ***** at 18, where's my cookie? Here's two more you should learn:

    1) People are stupid
    2) No... seriously. People are ***** stupid.
    • donttaseme, on 02/01/2008, -8/+47Stop calling yourself stupid, stupid.
    • xMotu, on 02/01/2008, -3/+10Exhibit A: Please refer to the example above.
    • Marijuana, on 02/01/2008, -3/+11Bitter are we :[ ?
    • nnagflar, on 02/01/2008, -4/+38Perhaps you'll learn that that attitude will only hurt you in the end.
      • zspeed78, on 02/01/2008, -2/+4Agreed.
      • Sinai, on 02/01/2008, -1/+18I find that attitude to be highly useful in management actually. Minimal competence is a pleasant surprise, not an expectation.
        • zaxang, on 02/01/2008, -4/+3Management is one thing; life is another.
      • DrMonkeyLove, on 02/01/2008, -2/+15No, actually accepting that the vast majority of people are dumber than a box full of gerbils is very helpful. When you expect stupidity, you're much less likely to get burned by it. I find it best to assume someone is a complete moron until they prove otherwise. That way, if they do something completely asinine, you're ready for it, and if they do something completely genius, it's just icing on the cake. Even though you can't put icing on the cake...because it's a lie. But I digress.
        • sstidman, on 02/01/2008, -0/+2"I find it best to assume someone is a complete moron until they prove otherwise"

          You must be a joy to be around.
      • talonstriker, on 02/01/2008, -0/+0I'm 19 and I concur. A little humility changes your outlook on a lot of things by my meager experience.
    • queenstarsha, on 02/01/2008, -0/+6i didn't get that one 'til early november 2004, when i was nearly thirty.
    • uziko, on 02/01/2008, -1/+6I love how 5 people came to prove your point so far, any more takers?
    • dolazy, on 02/01/2008, -2/+5Many are. But you need people, so try to appreciate them, even the stupid ones.
    • BigBallistix, on 02/01/2008, -9/+1I'm a reclusive, introverted hermit. I don't need people and I'm happy without them. I'm also highly intelligent, and when I meet people they often remark upon my exponential knowledge. People are overrated.
      • betterth, on 02/01/2008, -2/+4People are necessary at some level.

        Without them, you have nothing.

        People, even stupid ones, are definitely not overrated.
      • rshuck, on 02/01/2008, -0/+8Yes, your incorrect use of the word "exponential" shows how intelligent you are.
      • ajwinder, on 02/01/2008, -1/+1Im pretty sure he was being facetious but I dugg him down anyway on the off-chance that someone that pathetic decided to post.
    • jimmick, on 02/01/2008, -1/+3baaaaaa
    • com5, on 02/01/2008, -5/+418?? you're still just a kid. do some growing up first before you take that advice
      • theratboy, on 02/01/2008, -6/+2stfu
        age aint relatively proporcional to maturity
        • diggstown, on 02/01/2008, -1/+6Perhaps it's PROPORTIONAL to spelling though?
        • CSharpSauce, on 02/01/2008, -1/+2your comment seems failry mature to me.. oh wait
        • wedgemartin, on 02/01/2008, -0/+3that comment did more to negate itself than you'll be able to understand for 20 more years.
      • NoValidTitle, on 02/01/2008, -1/+2He didn't say he was 18, read again.
    • donkz, on 02/01/2008, -4/+6You'll learn how not to think people are stupid, trust, my little rebellious teen buddy.
      • ilapko, on 02/01/2008, -1/+4"I knew all this ***** at 18" - Notice the past tense. He is no longer a teen. And there are many stupid people in this world, that cannot be denied.
    • stormado, on 02/01/2008, -1/+1I think what he should had said is "Learn to profile people. You will find lots of people who may not be too bright. But underestimate others and you will get owned."
    • nj10ii, on 02/01/2008, -1/+5Its the stupid people that you can make the most money off of....
    • evodude, on 02/01/2008, -0/+33. Think about how stupid the average person. Now realize that 50% of the population is actually DUMBER than this.
    • sticko13, on 02/01/2008, -1/+2remember....half of the world's population is dumber than the average person.
      • Bubba3236, on 02/01/2008, -0/+1i would agree, but how do you know the average person is in the middle of the entire WORLD'S population?
        (yes, i'm kidding)
      • pucelle, on 02/02/2008, -0/+0looooool smart ass
  • christof53, on 02/01/2008, -17/+222I don't think number 6 applies to me, because I am Canadian.
    • mooseontheloose, on 02/01/2008, -44/+2Apparently critical thinking is non-existent up there in Canuckistan, because there's no reason it still wouldn't apply to you.
      • garrettnb, on 02/01/2008, -8/+30your an idiot. our health care is subsidized by the government. We don't get scammed by health insurance companies
        • motionblur, on 02/01/2008, -1/+7Hell no, we get scammed in other ways by the gov't so they can subsidize our health care. ;)

          Harper, Dion and Layton are the 3 great men of our time.

          / sarcasm
        • levitron, on 02/01/2008, -2/+3*sigh...* it's "you're", not "your"
        • ajwinder, on 02/01/2008, -2/+1yeah apparently they got the funds from your english programs to finance that one...
        • sanotaan, on 02/01/2008, -0/+2but you also get the short end of the stick when it comes to major surgery and other procedures. you get scammed by the government!
      • eridius, on 02/01/2008, -1/+15mooseontheloose, you are aware that Canadians have socialized health care, right?
      • birkoph, on 02/01/2008, -10/+14It's ok, he's just one for those retarded ***** Americans. Their education system is failing too you know.
        • BigBallistix, on 02/01/2008, -5/+6Ooooh, BURNED. That's a nasty BURN you have there, Moose. Would like us to call the waaahmbulance for that BURN? So they can take you to the BURN ward? Oh wait! You don't have subsidized healthcare coz you vote for *****!
        • ajwinder, on 02/01/2008, -2/+3at the same time, "retarded ***** Americans" is so redundant and ridiculous it makes me wonder how you espouse a grander education system.

          Americans dont have a bad education system, we have a bad social crisis right now. The parents aren't in the homes nearly as much as they should be, and we've got an enormous number of single parent households. There may be problems with the schools, but its not worth fixing until we fix the social ills that are going to hinder performance in the first place.
        • MrDizzy, on 02/01/2008, -2/+1another american who probably thinks all Canadians live in igloos
    • hwilliam50, on 02/01/2008, -6/+25Well aren't you special.
    • Tikisam, on 02/01/2008, -5/+15I'm so sorry
    • JustinTense, on 02/01/2008, -2/+15Ditto for Aussies
    • m0rg0th, on 02/01/2008, -2/+28amen brother. up here in canukistan, being healthy is a right, not a luxury... much like education by the way... in any case, we do pay alot more taxes....
      • betterth, on 02/01/2008, -0/+11I shudder to think how much socialized medicine will cost in America. The cost of giving every god damn fatty a quad-bypass will some how be mitigated over the backs of those of us who spend three days a week in the gym and will never need that kind of surgery.

        Wonder-*****-ful.
        • Couchy, on 02/01/2008, -2/+4Not that much if its cost is spread over 300million people. You could also tax companies that profit from selling medicine.
          • betterth, on 02/01/2008, -0/+1Not that much?

            Have you seen the statistics? Obesity in many states exceeds thirty and forty percent of the population. Obesity directly correlates to higher occurrence of just about every bad thing humans get. (Blood clotting that leads to stroke, heart attack and other ailments, diabetes, certain cancers, high blood pressure, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea, asthma, among other diseases).

            At our current rate, half our population will hit "obese" (not just overweight) in the next few years.

            Which means that obese people halve their medical costs, and those of us who make healthy decisions are forced to pay for half of their mistakes.

            No ***** thanks. Have some personal responsibility, and don't expect me to clean up your mess.

            Having socialized medicine to help the lower classes and help those who are in a bad place and just down on their luck? Fine. But I do not want to pay for people who consciously make the bad decision to lead an unhealthy life. To me, it's theft.
        • thallium205, on 02/01/2008, -1/+3Hey Couchy2, your a *****. When companies get taxed, the middle and lower class gets hit HARD. If you don't see that, or don't understand how that works, then your an idiot.
        • archiesteel, on 02/01/2008, -2/+1hey thallium, don't belive all that Reganomics *****, and don't insult people you disagree with thinking that it somehow gives you more credibility. It doesn't, especially when you obviously learned economics from the back of a cereal box.
          • betterth, on 02/01/2008, -0/+1Wow, and you never learned economics apparently.

            Companies exist to drive profit. Profit good, loss bad. Higher taxes mean less profit. What do they do? Charge consumers more, or lower the quality of products to drive up profits. (Passes the cost onto consumers anyway). Who gets hit by higher prices? Lower and middle classes.

            What's so hard to understand about that? You think companies will just happily eat up higher taxes, lowering their profits, lowering returns to investors and lowering bonuses to executives?

            Maybe they'll just take all the executive bonuses and split it evenly amongst the company, and give all those underpaid workers a raise as well. And then, they'll make a magic device that cures global warming with the side effect of making puppies for children worldwide.

            Right??
      • seso, on 02/01/2008, -0/+9Not dumping $400,000,000,000/year into Iraq would pay for an awful lot of healthcare...
        • betterth, on 02/01/2008, -0/+1Nah, it really wouldn't.

          Social security and medicare are already looking to cost us $60,000,000,000,000 , so that $400,000,000,000 is basically a dime in the bucket of the horrendously, massively, obscenely huge cost of providing healthcare to over 300,000,000 people.

          But I certainly think we shouldn't be pissing away all the money ruining countries and killing people, don't get me wrong....
      • Voxxov, on 02/01/2008, -1/+3taxes suck
        • RCinBigD, on 02/01/2008, -0/+1taxes don't suck, they're a fact of life.... the idiots in washington who spend our taxes like it is free money are what sucks.
      • CrazedLeper, on 02/01/2008, -0/+1we pay plenty in taxes in the US but get little for it. Mostly Iraqi corpses and lies.
    • tehshingen, on 02/01/2008, -1/+21Five words that will let you see what the Canadian equal to #6 is: Dental plan! Lisa needs braces.
      • olliewebbuk, on 02/01/2008, -0/+3Unless you're like me and live in the UK and then that's covered too. :)
        • SomeHobo, on 02/01/2008, -0/+5Really! What's with all the bad teeth then?
        • archiesteel, on 02/01/2008, -0/+3Ah, stereotypes. Aren't they wonderful?
      • YojimboJango, on 02/01/2008, -1/+3So hows that UK dental working out for ya?
        My view of socialist health care just took a big hit.
    • wmelnick, on 02/01/2008, -8/+6If you are canadian, #6 should read: Keep a good chunk of your investments in a form that you can quickly turn into cash, because if you have a major medical problem, you are going to need to go down to the US to have it taken care of if you do not want to wait around for 5 years.
      • theutopian, on 02/01/2008, -1/+5You don't have to wait for care in an emergency. Stop spreading myths about Canada's healthcare system.
      • sanotaan, on 02/01/2008, -4/+2why do you receive so few net diggs when you write the truth, instead of regurgitating moore's propagandist claims?
      • archiesteel, on 02/01/2008, -0/+6Except, you won't. Long waiting times for major medical interventions in Canada are a myth invented by the private health industry in the states. Sure, it may happen, but not on the scale suggested by them. As far as medical horror stories go, the US is *way* ahead of Canada (see numbers on preventable deaths in the US vs. Canada and other developed nations - it's a ***** disgrace).

        Another thing to consider: not having to worry about health insurance here makes us less stressed, and therefore healthier.
      • CrazedLeper, on 02/01/2008, -0/+1Sounds like the kind of lie American health "care" providers would pay a lobbyist to spread. I did see Sicko and I think Michael Moore was right about everything--except the parts that referenced "terrorists". He's utterly deceived on that topic, just like the vast majority of Americans.
    • dhughes, on 02/01/2008, -0/+4 Not exactly true. What if you travel? I'm sure that hospital in Mexico, Germany or the US doesn't care if you're Canadian they want the bill paid.

      Blue Cross is still necessary here in Canada for help paying medical prescriptions, dental and eye exams, all of which can be very expensive especially if you have a family.

      Socialized medicine doesn't mean everything is free 100% of the time or at all, it assists you and helps you out it doesn't do everything.

      Avoiding the dentist, eye exams or any health related service and thinking you are saving money is not wise either. Gum disease can lead to heart disease, an eye exam can catch a disorder such as degenerative diseases such as Retinitis Pigmentosa and maybe even other things like cancers or diabetes.
  • pinklimoncello, on 02/01/2008, -7/+50I'm 24. I could have told you that.
    Then again, I have parents who recited those points to me almost every day for the last 15 years or so of my life
    • Nissmo66, on 02/01/2008, -1/+6That makes 2 of us, I'm 24 too.

      Too bad the ***** economy is tanking my 401k
      • maci01, on 02/01/2008, -0/+4What all two grand?
        • HPMNick, on 02/01/2008, -2/+0Heh, some of us are doing a little better than that. I'm not much older but I have about 250k in net worth right now (thats after subtracting my debts).. all started from scratch too, with only 1 grand at the start of the tech bubble...

          Not everyone fits the stereotype of the poor college student.
      • ronaldinho, on 02/01/2008, -0/+3Don't worry dude, remember, we are just in the valley of the economic cycle and you are still young, so it is bound to bounce back and you should still be able to reap a decent amount on that. And man, if your parents have been telling you these things for years and years, then they are doing their job. Most others aren't that lucky.
    • codeyellow, on 02/01/2008, -0/+1But for some.. easier said than done
    • zaxang, on 02/01/2008, -1/+2HA AH HA i am 20 and I know all this THAT MEANS I AM BEST RIGHT ??? ? ??
      • diggerine, on 02/01/2008, -1/+1You might 'know' it, but are you actually using the knowledge to your best advantage and benefit?

        And you know what, even Tiger Woods doesn't shout out "I AM BEST!" to the world. You might try to learn humility too. It would be good for you.
      • ajwinder, on 02/01/2008, -0/+1Jesus are you serious? Its pretty clear that hes being sarcastic...
    • BigBallistix, on 02/01/2008, -5/+1I'm 18 BIATCH, I knew all that long ago and I am sooooo so so so so so so so infinity more mature than yous. Seriously though, I think there's just a lot of sheltered people these days. I grew up poor and consequently learnt how not to be. The availability of credit cards sure is making the poor but debtless people a minority.
      • qxcvr, on 02/01/2008, -0/+1it is very intersting to see someone who is 18 and understands this... I stood ALONE in my condemnation of high interest credit from 18-to 29 years, and it has really served me well. keep that attitude
    • DrMonkeyLove, on 02/01/2008, -0/+1Yeah, the best advice my dad ever gave me was "max out your 401(k). And start as soon as possible" Even after only working for 4 years, I can tell that advice is going to pay off big time. That is one thing I will definitely drill into my kids.
    • ajwinder, on 02/01/2008, -0/+1I dont know why the hell, but apparently every once in a while a digg story galvanizes the digger moron crowd, and they come out of the woodwork with the some ridiculously stupid comments. This is one of those stories.
  • 1randomguy08, on 02/01/2008, -24/+5Lame list
    • allers31485, on 02/01/2008, -0/+7Not nearly as lame as your comment.

      *I think the list is good. Most people posting here saying "Oh I know this"...yeah, okay...most of us know what we SHOULD do, but very few people actually follow through. Knowing these things and actually living this way are two completely different things.
      • BigBallistix, on 02/01/2008, -0/+1So you really would have to remind yourself not to buy the first house that meets your needs? Better pickings me for me I suppose. Maybe I should become an agent with so many gullible folk...
    • BingoPower, on 02/01/2008, -0/+3Can I get some fries with that?
  • SkinnyPuppy, on 02/01/2008, -2/+7414. Enroll in your 401k plan at work. You won't miss that 1%-6% of your salary, plus your company will probably match anywhere from 25 to 50 cents on the dollar.

    15. Compound interest is the greatest freaking invention in the history of mankind. Take advantage of it at every opportunity.
    • Rxman101, on 02/01/2008, -9/+4With the coming recession and the stock market dropping consistently (overall not daily) for the past decade, 401ks are a dangerous game. This economic stimulus package is merely dressing a cut artery with a band aid. The hospital I work for recently told it's workforce that their 401ks are gone. This is not an isolated incident it's happening country-wide. It's a terrible loss to see $250,000 of your money vanish because of poor management, fraud and recession. Enron is the big name that comes to mind, but it happens more often than you think. I'm not saying go crazy and start stashing money under your mattress, but investment is not the safety net it was 20 years ago.
      • burntsac, on 02/01/2008, -0/+10On the contrary, I would argue that investment for retirement is a much greater safety net nowadays. 401ks are not dangerous at all if used correctly. The employees at Enron had their 401ks completely in company stock which is 99.99% of the time a bad idea. I'm not defending the executives in prison now, mind you, I'm just saying that if their 401ks had less than 10% Enron stock, they'd be better off. For a 22 year old with a long investment horizon that can weather a recession or two, a 401k is probably one of the best things they can do. And if your employer doesn't have a 401k you can do an IRA/Roth IRA. Or find a new employer that does.
      • NonLeftistDiggr, on 02/01/2008, -0/+2What? Do you run a tabloid company? Yeah Enron happened, and the hospital you are talking about. There are thousands and thousands of companies. Investment is the same, people lost their asses since the beginning of investment.
      • ian9outof10, on 02/01/2008, -0/+4RX is right to some extent. The key to investment is to diversify. So never stop saving and make sure you don't keep all your eggs in one basket. Oh, and don't count your chickens before they've hatched.

        Good chicken related metaphors there, I'm sure you'll agree.
      • DrMonkeyLove, on 02/01/2008, -0/+4"...401ks are a dangerous game"

        YOU...ARE...DUMB! Stop spreading this kind of FUD. I hope nobody takes your advice.
      • widgetmaker, on 02/01/2008, -0/+1The stock market has been dropping for 10years, I clearly missed a memo somewhere.
      • stisev, on 02/03/2008, -0/+1I, for one, agree with Rxman101's stance.

        I'm by no means a "self-proclaimed expert", but I have studied ng Keynesian and Austrian economics for 4 straight years (every single day, every free hour). I can tell you some certainty that any 401Ks denominated in USD currency are a very, very dangerous game to play.

        The US measures inflation through M3, which is no longer being reported by the privately owned Federal Reserve. Through MZM, (old measure) however, we can see that inflation is alive and well @ 10% and growing at a retardedly fast rate.

        Bottom line - diversify and 401Ks should NOT be part of that plan.
    • Amunz, on 02/01/2008, -0/+2Agreed. 401(k)s and ROTH IRA's are the best way to go. Plus your compounding interest mention is also true-ESPECIALLY TRUE. Alot of companies even match your contribution up to a certain amount.

      However, the best bet is to distribute your 401(k) and your ROTH IRA into separate accounts, thus eleviating any Enron or Worldcom losing situations.
      • boredsam, on 02/01/2008, -0/+2Get one of each. My Roth is rockin but my 401k is in the *****.
    • BigLLamasHouse, on 02/01/2008, -0/+2You sound like my finance professor used to. If you put one dollar in at compunded 6 percent interest when Jesus was born, then you would have this much now: suffice it to say there wasn't enough room on my calculator for all the zeroes. That stayed with me.
    • verusdies, on 02/01/2008, -0/+2“The most powerful force in the universe is compound interest”- Albert Einstein
    • wewa, on 02/01/2008, -0/+1I dont agree. 401k's are way too conservative for someone under 40.
      There are much smarter investments that yield tax free, rather than tax deferred benefits.
      a 401k is assuming that you will be in a low tax bracket at retirement, and who the hell wants to be living like that?
  • wordglue, on 02/01/2008, -0/+20talking the talk has never been the problem, it's easy enough to know what you need to do...doing it is a different thing altogether
    • lycanter, on 02/01/2008, -0/+4I knew somebody would say it, thank you.
  • Flavor, on 02/01/2008, -2/+17213. Even if you're 22 and you "know all that stuff already", thinking you do know everything only proves you don't.

    Lighten-up over-achievers, it's good advice for the many.