Advice for you 17 year old self.

[rafa]

Just a random, question. More or less an oppurtunity, for me to learn more from grown ups. ( I've already learnt quite a few from my folks )

Just want to hear what you have to say /?

[rabidpotatochip]

Advice for my 17 year old self or your 17 year old self?

If it's for my 17 year old self I'd say store brand ketchup tastes best and curry is a cheap and delicious way to use vegetables before they go bad. Our fridge stank all the time in college... I can't count how many bags of liquefied mystery veg we had to throw out.

If it's for your 17 year old self it's that nothing beats a home-cooked meal. It can be very tempting to buy convenience foods because they seem cheap (I used to buy half a basket of Sidekicks when they were 2 for 1) but the best value (nutritionally and $$$-wise) is in the meal you make yourself. Pick up a slow cooker at a garage sale or grocery store and make soups, stews, whatever you can. At the end of a long day you won't feel like cooking and having a good meal waiting for you will go a long way when you're under stress.

[KevinW]

I'm mostly pleased with the decisions I made around 17, but there are two I regret:

1) I had a scheme to start a small lawn maintenance business, but instead of doing that I took my parents' advice and got a predictable office job for the summer. In hindsight I think I would have benefited more from starting the business.

2) Stick with the cheap, social hobbies (board games, music, and martial arts) and resist the siren song of the expensive, possession-based hobbies (sports cars, computer gaming, collecting stuff).

I was a hardworking, nerdy, financially conservative teenager. Those traits have paid off in the long run, so if I hadn't been that way, I think that's what I would regret.

[amyschiff]

I would have tried to make a little more time for socializing when I was 17. Between school, dance and piano lessons (which I don't regret one bit), and a part-time job, it didn't leave a lot of time to just do normal teenager things. I did very well in school but I think I still could have while making a little time for socializing.

[USCGamecocks]

Pay yourself first
Ask yourself do you want it now or later. The answer is always you'll want it later.
Save money and money will save you.
Don't rack up credit card debt. It's financial suicide. If you don't have cash for it you don't need it.
Especially don't charge food or perishables.
Have some "f&*^" you money or some people call an emergency fund. I call it my "f*(&* you money because one day you'll be in a job and you'll need to say that to you boss. Work hard, play hard.

[khorrell]

USC's advice is pretty dead on. If I had saved even 10% of the money I made when I was 17 and still living at home, I'd have a pretty large sum now.

I would add:

Live at home as long as you can tolerate it, or your parents can tolerate you. And work to make sure that they like having you around: a little bit of helpfulness, a decent conversation once in a while, and being respectful will go a long way to maintaining a good relationship with your parents.

If you go to college, go to class & apply yourself. There is no sense spending all that money to be half-hearted about it.

Fancy new cars are only fancy and new for a short time. Then you've got an old car with a new car payment.

good luck to you!

[72Tiger]

Live below your means, and save the difference. Find out how big the difference needs to be to meet your goals, and do it.

[Ms. Ferret]

Credit cards != "free money".
Learn to cook. Buy a fire extinguisher if you have to.
Vodka and water, though they may appear similar, are not the same thing.

[the weakonomist]

If you're headed off to college, go to an in state public school. Get a part-time job, despite what anyone says, you have time for it.

Get a credit card and use it responsibly. Now is the time to start building credit.

[financialnut]

Create a budget and start saving some money RIGHT NOW! Also, spend time really focusing on school and scholarships. Get a good SAT and ACT score.