As someone who has a full-time job and has spent the last 5 years learning as much as possible about money. Here are 10 of the top things I think everyone should know about money by age 35;
1. Money and finances aren’t something you are taught in school and most parents don’t know enough to help you, so you need to take matters into your own hands and get self-educated (Books, podcasts, blogs)
2. The difference between good and bad debt, as not all debt is bad.
3. The rule of 72 (How long it takes your money to double based on the interest rate, PS this also works against you such as with credit cards)
4. Compounding interest and the benefits of knowing that young so you can start using it to your advantage before time runs out.
5. The old saying of “It’s not how much you make but rather how much you keep” should go a step farther and say its “how much money you keep that actually creates more income for yourself”
6. You should pay yourself first at least 10-15% before any other expenses or you will look back 5 years from now after working 40-50 hours a week and not have anything to show for it.
7. Money needs to be invested, leaving all of it in your savings account will actually be eroded over time, you will have less buying power and inflation will make it less valuable.
8. Understanding the power of leverage, through real estate and real estate investing.
9. You will most likely not get rich overnight and you have a higher chance to get hit by lightning twice than win the lottery so save your money and don’t waste it there.
10. Things will cost more and more each year due to inflation, your salary probably won’t keep up so you will need to get some side hustles to live the lifestyle you may want.
And 11 as a bonus :). : Stop comparing your money and wealth to others, you are on your own path and taking small steps at a time will get you there.
Whitney Nicely is an expert property investor, speaker and real estate coach. Today, she’s called the Queen of Real Estate Investing in East Tennessee.
