The 5 Worst Financial Habits Of My 20s, & How I Fixed Them

Through weekly video essays, "Making It Work" showcases how *real* people have upgraded their personal or financial lives in some meaningful way. Making your life work for you doesn't mean getting rich just for the sake of it. It means making the most of what you have to build a life you love, both in your present and in your future. And while managing money is a crucial life skill for everyone, there's no one "right way" to go about it — you have to figure out what works best for *you,* full stop.

Video by Grace Lee

Video narration by Kyra Cornett

The Financial Diet site:

[fira]

1. obsessively checking my bank accout 00:58
2. using my monthly budget as a catharsis instead of as a tool for informing my spendin 01:56
3. not setting up automatic deposits 02:38
4. not creating a travel-specific savings bucket 03:23
5. not setting aside small amount of savings 04:26

[KrystalToddCPA]

I feel like most people have the opposite problem of number one: they don't check the balance enough.. ESPECIALLY after a fun weekend lol. The most important one is to auto invest (not just save). Savings alone will destroy your wealth.

[heenakaur]

My biggest mistake is buying makeup that I never learned to use. I have over 1600 points at Sephora alone. I'm ashamed. I'm 28 The lesson here is Do Not get trapped by fast fashion, expensive makeup, over promising skincare routine, do your research before buying a car, Don't sleep around I didn't but I wish I hadn't kissed as many toads as I did in the name of experience! Please think carefully before you do something. Your skin is far less complex than you think. Give yourself a break sis.

[RobJenkinsDubTechno]

Personally, my biggest mistake in my 20s was not starting a pension. Compound interest is so effective over 40+ years, that if I had started in my early 20s the return on investment would be massive.

[KarolaTea]

Huh, 2 is interesting to me. I started logging my spendings two years ago, without setting myself any limits. Despite that I found that I immediately started spending way less, simply because I know I'll have to put in the effort to log it, and I guess also that'll be able to kick myself in the butt cause it'll be logged forever lol. When I stopped keeping the list for a few months my spendings went way up again.

[boboblaw]

i like videos like these, not because i learn anything new, but because it reaffirms that i have good money habits. its nice in these stressful times to know ive at least got one thing right!

[leelsbless]

I’m currently in my twenties and videos like this are so helpful!! So are comments on the videos :D

[MarioRafaelM]

Im amazed how everyone tracks so much their finance apps spending trackers bank accounts. Damn I just let's say earned $100 monthly I pay myself an allowance of $30 the $20 for living expenses sometimes I don't spend those $30 so the excess will go to a emergency fund if that emergency fund goes over a limit I have set that amount will go over to my savings account over there as well if that goes over a certain threshold it would go on to in savings bonds or investment vehicles. My grandparents taught me this money should be like the water in soil surface that's the water you need to survive, underground that's for the median term and subsoil water would be for the long term. I'm paraphrasing cause he was a Spaniard.

[mouseluva]

Particularly beautiful art and animation this week :) even when the info/message isn't especially relevant to me, I really love this series just because it's so damn pleasant to watch visually! Give your artist/animator a raise!

[Blueprnt]

I turned 29 yesterday. I needed this. 😂

[Yeaherkash]

This was so good i got the same awakening last year ill be 29 this year

[ayomidecole]

I think that rather than saving for FOMO, it’s better to erase FOMO. That way you spend less and travel on your own terms rather than because of the fear of missing out

[serrgggeo]

Why don't you share in the video about the platforms that you use so this could be actually helpful for us

[Phlimbob]

My bad habit is that I plan to buy things in a couple of months, say the kitchen table I'd been eyeing since October, but when it comes time to buying it, an emergency eats away at my savings, like my cats emergency dental work in December, and I still bought the table come January. I've found myself spending more than I'm earning for the last few months and I hate it.

[_aiborie]

To explain the Virgo Moon reference, the 12 zodiac signs you mostly see on columns or magazines are just your Sun Sign (Ex. Virgo Sun, Leo Sun) and that's just one aspect of you. In astrology we use the major planets in the solar system: Mercury, Venus, Mars and etc. together with the Sun and Moon (these are considered luminaries not planets) and these planetary placements make up your natal chart. The natal chart is based on the date and time of your birth, how the sky lined up during that specific period.

Virgo as a sign it's practical, analytical, and efficient while the Moon indicates the “inner you” or “emotional personality”. The moon sign shapes your emotions and your soul. It touches on your subconscious, your deepest needs, and what helps you feel emotionally secure.

So Virgo Moons are highly analytical and pragmatic types that tend to look at things through the lenses of an observant, detail-oriented perspective, letting nothing escape unscathed individual. Which explains some of her obsessive behavior towards her finances. They strive for perfection, to their own detriment at times. Also Virgo Moons have an innate willingness to help others in constructive and supportive ways.

So take her advice with a grain of salt or if ever it applies to you. Funnily enough, I'm a Virgo Moon too, not here to convince the skeptics. It's fine not believing in astrology, let's just respect each other's interests. Hope this was helpful!

[latristessdurera]

Holy Cow! 6 times a day! This wasn't my 20's, I never checked my balance one a month, never mind once a day lol. However awareness and intention are defiantly your best friend to your future self.

[Tesla-Cannon]

OOF. I'm 23 and I've got habit number one. I had to start taking screenshots of my bank app and download the investment widget just so I can see it when I get paranoid, but not have to go through the opening/logging in process. I'm down to only 3 three times a day now though.

[kateramckay]

The saving little account of money is very helpful! Now i feel a little more with my money now ☺️

[bbygrlpt]

I agree with most of this but Im not into travelin and bein near a lot of ppl (eg airplanes) Especially with viruses and so many crazy ppl everywhere. I rather just go places in my town and save as much as I can

[sionv]

#1 was me last year before I got help for OCD. Every time I had an intrusive thought that I was going to be homeless, I had to check my bank and investment app to see if my money was still there. I only check once a day now.