I’ve shared my thoughts on Generation Y before. I’ve, also, shared my past along with mistakes that I’ve made when it comes to money in that past. My relationship with money is not uncommon. Yet, for someone who considers herself to be an intelligent, contributing member of society, I sucked when it came to my bank accounts.
I can sit here and dissect all the reasons behind my decisions, but the truth of the matter is that I was a child with a fairly large salary. And as a child, I didn’t feel like I was responsible for my actions. It happens, I dealt with the consequences.
My point here isn’t to hash out old mistakes, but rather learn to see them in a different light. Mistakes, if looked at closely, have a way of teaching us things, and allowing us to be wiser the next time around. Or at least I like to think so.
Besides the not investing thing, or the buying $1200 jeans thing have thought me some funny life lessons.
I’ve learned that my careless driving has a huge impact on my insurance rates. This has be chronicled extensively on this site. Yes, I suck at driving. Yes, my insurance rates are high. I’m trying, ok?!
I’ve learned that eating out, as “easy” as it may be, makes me fatter, and poorer. Funny story. I gained 15 pounds after becoming a vegetarian. Go figure! I really wish I had thought of all the carbs I was putting in my body.
I’ve learned that renting out a space requires more research that one might think. There is a reason why companies like CIA Landlords Insurance exist. There was a time where I decided that I can make easy side money handling my dad’s rental properties while he was away in Europe. BIG MISTAKE. Let’s just say that I learned that renters sometimes suck, and people have a tendency of breaking into place. It took 3 panicked phone calls, and a very long 3 days to finally learn that my dad had landlords insurance, and that everything, including the rent, the renter, and the building, and EVERYTHING in it was insured. The last part was key since my dad rents some of his places fully furnished. I really wished I had found out before I purchased a new couch for condo.
I may be the only person out there who like looking at mistake, but I find that them comforting. My 5 year goal includes buying a new car, running 3 half marathons, and purchasing 3 condos to rent out, and had I not learned the lessons that I have, I would not be in the position that I am to achieve those goals.
Looking at and analyzing your mistakes is the absolute best way to learn! It sounds like you’re doing an awesome job and taking away valuable lessons from your past mistakes and actively trying to not make those same errors again. You can’t do any better than that 🙂
Oftentimes in my life, the best way I learn anything is from mistakes. I learned first-hand never to leave anything in my car after I got broken into! And while it didn’t happen to me directly, I never live in an apartment without renter’s insurance after my sister lost everything in a fire in her apartment without coverage.
I know part of our problems in life, at least when we’re younger, is our brains aren’t as matured as early as people originally thought. The frontal lobe is still developing to around 25 so at least a lot of idiotic mistakes we make can occasionally be attributed to that frontal lobe development!