Most helpful tip you wish you could go back in time and tell yourself?

[sweet sparrow]

I would tell myself that I don't need to buy so many clothes, I could buy 1 good quality shirt instead of 10 cheap shirts.

Definitely a good tip!

You reminded me of a funny girl in school who mailed all her clothes home and found out she was staying an extra week. Even though she had clothes for a few days, she bought an entirely new summer wardrobe. She couldn't bear the thought of wearing anything twice and donated it all at the end of her stay.

She did buy kids' clothing so it would be less expensive though.

[matrix82]

Definitely a good tip!

You reminded me of a funny girl in school who mailed all her clothes home and found out she was staying an extra week. Even though she had clothes for a few days, she bought an entirely new summer wardrobe. She couldn't bear the thought of wearing anything twice and donated it all at the end of her stay.

She did buy kids' clothing so it would be less expensive though.

I wish I could fit into kids clothing sometimes. At 6 feet, there is no way. A friend who is just under 5 feet gets a lot of her clothing at Old Navy in the kids section. She can buy a whole wardrobe for under $100 when she shops their clearance section.

[Shwa Girl]

Yeah, I often shake my head when people struggling financially have expensive iPhones. Some even post hard-luck stories and request free stuff on Kijiji -- and they're using their iPhones to do it!

I think it may not be that simple.
Some age groups identify heavily with technology.
It's not a status symbol for them, but a way to communicate with their friends. It becomes a social need not a want, if you get what I am trying to say.
Without this phone, they feel cut off.

It may not make sense to you and me, but it's part of who they are, a this time in life.

[sweet sparrow]

I wish I could fit into kids clothing sometimes. At 6 feet, there is no way. A friend who is just under 5 feet gets a lot of her clothing at Old Navy in the kids section. She can buy a whole wardrobe for under $100 when she shops their clearance section.

This girl was 5'11". I never said she bought clothes that fit her. It was summer so she just bought basic t-shirts and really high-waisted shorts.

I have to say that Old Navy kids clearance is not very friendly to people with curvy bodies. Even for the not-so-curvy, children's clothing is tight in all the wrong places.

[roseofblack25]

I would tell myself that I don't need to buy so many clothes, I could buy 1 good quality shirt instead of 10 cheap shirts.

Thrift stores help me with this! I have so many clothing that I have vowed to not purchase anything from the cheapy mall stores like H&M or Forever 21. So far I'm doing quite well and have added some pricey good quality stuff to my collection of clothing. Bought a pair of Banana Republic wool pants brand new for 2.99 at the thrift store a few weeks ago and I know they retail for well over $120+ in the actual store in the mall. I'm a thrift snob now. I can't look at anything in the mall and seriously consider buying it when I know I can just wait until the right moment when the thrift store has something good in for cheap that retailed for much more and will last much longer.

[KRon]

I would have NEVER EVER bought a brand new car! My first car cost almost the equivalent of my annual salary at the time and eventually led to my financial collapse at the ridiculous age of 25. I would have saved my money and bought a good quality second-hand car. And I would have started an RRSP. So many double periods lost by saving too late.

[Ciel]

Should have tried thrift store shopping back in teen years when I was too tall for most girls/teen clothing in regular retail stores.

[Zonny]

I would say, don't worry so much about what everyone else thinks. Everyone else is not thinking ANYTHING about you most of the time, and certainly not as much as you assume they are.

[cath007]

Should have tried thrift store shopping back in teen years when I was too tall for most girls/teen clothing in regular retail stores.

Same for me and use coupons

[coupon girl]

should never have bought a new car also way back 20 years ago -it was a small huyndai pony-ahhh live and learn right

[brunt]

Mine has nothing to do with money.

As a big time nerd in a school that emphasized sports, I had a pretty rough time in high school. It took me until I was about 20 before I figured out how to deal with bullies.

So that's what I would tell my younger self - that the currency that a bully seeks is a reaction. A reaction of fear, a reaction of avoidance, a reaction of submission. A demonstration of their dominance over you is what is sought. It is not about the violence, it is about your reaction to it. If you deny them the payoff, you stop the actions. Don't give a damn what they say. Don't flinch when they start to throw a punch. Don't avoid them. Don't avoid their gaze. Just treat them as if they don't matter to you in the least.

And that would have made my life in high school a fair bit better.

[emg]

I would tell myself not to eat a lot of sugar or processed foods. It has been an uphill battle as an adult to detox from it.

[Zonny]

Mine has nothing to do with money.

As a big time nerd in a school that emphasized sports, I had a pretty rough time in high school. It took me until I was about 20 before I figured out how to deal with bullies.

So that's what I would tell my younger self - that the currency that a bully seeks is a reaction. A reaction of fear, a reaction of avoidance, a reaction of submission. A demonstration of their dominance over you is what is sought. It is not about the violence, it is about your reaction to it. If you deny them the payoff, you stop the actions. Don't give a damn what they say. Don't flinch when they start to throw a punch. Don't avoid them. Don't avoid their gaze. Just treat them as if they don't matter to you in the least.

And that would have made my life in high school a fair bit better.

I've been telling my kid that for awhile now, that what people are looking for is a reaction. Ignore it and they will go away. You're no fun to tease if you don't care about it.

[Tweets77]

Never ever start smoking!

[Valerey]

Check your credit score at least once a year!!

And I don't mean having Equifax send you your credit "report" for free, but get the "score" also. I just did this 2 weeks ago and was floored at what did and did not show up on my credit report, and what actually makes a difference on my credit score. For twenty bucks, you could save yourself thousands. Think about it, you just bought a car. You couldn't get the 0% they were advertising, and instead got your new car financed for 5.99% or something along those lines. Huge difference on your monthly payment and the amount your paying them by the end of your 5 or 7 year term! If you had only checked your credit 6 months earlier and realized your cell phone bill is pretty much more important to pay on time than say, your hydro or mortgage.

Just think... Making a large income means nothing if your credit sucks...


That's my 2 cents...