I have been spending 60% of my wage on nothing for 8 years

[one]

@ivoryebonykeys Where do you guys buy these shares from?

 

[ivoryebonykeys]

@one I have an account with Fidelity in the US.

 

[chadthehoser]

@jeplet What kind of 26 year old has 126 k to spend?

 

[lauraleec]

@jeplet I'm in my 50s and have just recently moved into hospitality, about 4 years ago. I figured I have a good 15 to 20 years to make something out of this. I've owned houses cars and all the fancy toys, even smoked till about 7 years ago. But the fun part is you get to restart anytime you want. Live life on your own terms. As long as you have food in your belly and somewhere to sleep and maybe someone to share it with. The rest is just filler. Occasionally when your settled you get to help others as well. Go enjoy life, because if you're not then you're doing it wrong..

 

[demetrius194]

@jeplet At 26 you haven’t lost anything.

Decisions are made in the moment. Appreciate the fact you have enough discipline to quit, I wouldn’t hold onto the past as you have many (many) years ahead of you to buy a house, travel etc. Thinking about the “what ifs” isn’t worth your time, you have dealt with the issue and already improved your situation - financially and mentally.

Good luck, I wouldn’t be so hard on yourself considering what you have achieved with breaking the habits of smoking etc.

 

[resjudicata]

@jeplet Hey man I’m 26 and having these exact thoughts and feelings. Had a goal to be a homeowner by 25 but welp we’ll try again at 35 also smoke weed so need to quit again, it doesn’t serve me. Good on you for having the awareness to change your habits and I hope you achieve the goals you’ve set out on your financial journey!

 

[resjudicata]

@jeplet I just have to say YOU ARE AMAZING and I know you will , with some help from here and around, will get what you want !

Just keep it up. Set some goals, then break them down into lil tiny bits that you can achieve each week, save x, do that, and your world will flourish!!!

You are young and have DECADES ahead of you.

For eg (from me) our family are off to Italy for 5 weeks. We planned this 6 years ago! And been saving for 5 years!

Time flies when you’re having fun, and the goals just suddenly turn up, leaving in less than a month!

Please be super proud of yourself , don’t look back, you have made the change and it’s all up from here.

 

[sweetielove]

@jeplet Look, those cigarettes made you feel better at the time. You paid for them, enjoyed them and moved on with life. It’s the same as takeaways or alcohol. Sure you could have spent that on other things. This is life.

Opportunity cost assessment should only ever be used to make future choices and not to assess past choices. I understand that this mindset may help you quit but it’s the same as going through stigmata in order to quit. Be kind to yourself. Acknowledge that you deserve better and move on.

 

[one]

@jeplet I quit weed when I started Uni. 7 years later I met a girl and she smoked and i started back up. Broke up with girl now trying to quit again fml.

So much harder when $100 a week for weed doesn’t even dent my income. Just trying to do it for my brain and productivity etc. Shit is definitely addictive. That myth was supposed to be physically addictive like opioids or alcohol.

 

[birdsliketrees]

@jeplet You're still young, congrats on getting your head on straighter with so much time to benefit!

 

[kalovisor90]

@jeplet You have to look forward on this one. I had a similar experience of wasting money in my 20's, but knuckled down later on and am now rather comfortable - I also used to work in hospo and would frequently spend my wage over the same bar I worked in... go figure on that one...

Whilst I still wonder what position I would have been in if I had been saving from the start, I tell myself that we are all on a different journey. In short, hindsight is can be a burden, and a good lesson.

It sounds as though you are making the right choices now, so keep it up.

 

[shirleyholmes]

@jeplet You need to relax and chill out.

 

[theprophet19887]

@jeplet [swim says] Start contributing 10% to kiwi saver, and do that for the rest of your life. Also contribute 10% of your income to an index fund. Adjust your lifestyle to suit. Need more money? Get a new job, don’t ask for a promotion.

 

[questor_]

@jeplet Don’t let the money you spent bother you matw, realistically speaking you would have spent it on something else or at least not saved it All, just be patient and keep doing what your doing brother it’ll come

 

[karendel]

@jeplet Sometime ago always wondered why my friends went on holidays , upgraded there cars etc. Wasn't till an accident that I cut most habits.
Now thirty plus years clean, sober still have a cigarette occasionally but wtf . Freehold home , two rentals, three cars, one boat, holiday's. Plus I went back to school completing small business management and NZ accounting, retired and reasonable good health which is actually the most Important of all...You can do it , it just took Time.

 

[dansonpete]

@jeplet In the exact same boat when I turned 27, quit Alcohol, cut down significantly on cannabis and started putting money away. I beat myself up for a long time and sometimes slip back into that way of thinking for a minute now and then, but two years later and with a house deposit on the near horizon and a few good trips away since 27 those moments are few and far between. It’s no race, we all have to keep sustaining one way or another sometimes and sometimes that means allowing some pleasures as we navigate the most confusing years of our lives. Pat yourself on the back for the progress you’re making, steps forward are steps forward regardless of speed.

 

[adamed14]

@jeplet Awesome work mate. While its good to reflect on the past and learn from your mistakes I wouldn't dwell all that much. So many people experience this regarding money and savings, including those who don't smoke cigarettes and/or weed.

25% of New Zealanders don't save a cent week to week.

25% of New Zealanders save 10% of their income. If that is based on a average salary, say $70,000 that is around $100/w.

I'm essentially trying to say that money habits aren't well taught.

You could always say "what if I did this" back when you were 18 but its not going to get you anywhere. The important thing is that you've had 8 years of experiencing week to week living and it sounds like you've got to a point in which you're not gonna go back there. So many people don't get to this point or fail to recognize this for their entire life.

I would give ya a pat on the back

 

[superjohn112]

@jeplet I didn't get my financial sh!t together till I was 40, so bravo for taking control at such a young age.

My only advice is to look forwards, not back. Your life is in font of you. You have plenty of time. At 26 you can achieve anything you want.

 

[livingskies1]

@jeplet it seems like your not in debt and you dont have a child, you're above average!

 

[mrseedsower]

@livingskies1

like your not

*you're

Learn the difference here.

[sup]Greetings, I am a language corrector bot. To make me ignore further mistakes from you in the future, reply

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