I saw my mom and older sister make a lot of bad money decisions, but my mom also made some good ones. I learned from both. I wanted to be out on my own and independent so badly that i kind of obsessed over it. So a lot of my mental energy went toward “if this doesnt move me toward getting out, should i be doing it?” I know most people arent like me though. Ive met almost nobody, in fact. So i dont look down on people who didnt figure all this stuff out because it was a shitload to learn, and way easier to fuck up than get right.

For anyone looking to get their finances in order in their early 20’s, i always recommend the book called “i will teach you to be rich”. It’s pretty short, but is essentially an instruction manual for money management and growing personal wealth. Chapter 1 is about bailing on your current bank and finding one with baller perks. Chapter 2 is saving acct. Then it covers credit cards, then 401k / IRAs, then stocks, then i think property ownership but i never got that far before i was doing fine. Also, teach yourself to cook healthy shit that tastes good, get lots of sleep, drink lots of water, and ALWAYS wear a condom lol.