What are your biggest early 20s regrets?

[lukefreeman]

I must be old fashioned, but when I hear of people 25+ living at home with parents I just think "loser"

[ZOLLAR]

Meeting my ex (more like late teens)

[BorkFactor]

I am 22 and you are doing a lot better than me!

I am currently a first year university student so won't graduate until 2018. A lot of people my age are getting married, having kids, and have degrees with graduate jobs.

Meanwhile I am living in a rented flat in a course full of people that are about a year older than my car!

I try not to think about it too much

[Oldred_V8S]

Adenauer said:

nick s said:

I'm not sure why everyone is encouraging to move out at 22? I am 29 now and only moved out at 27. Staying those extra years meant I had loads more money to blow on clothes, women, drink, holiday's and cars.

You might like to check that you have the flame suit handy?

[Japveesix]

parakitaMol. said:

Why does anyone post their salary on the internet?.... You can pretty much guarantee it is at least 25% less than they say.

I'd never post my salary as I don't think getting £45k at age 30 is that impressive compared to many on here.

[Megaflow]

It's 1996, I am 21, at the works Christmas do.

I get hit on by some smoking hot mid 30's MILF from one of the other companies there, too young and naive to realise I was being properly hit on and let it slide...

Doh!

[Shnozz]

BorkFactor said:

I am 22 and you are doing a lot better than me!

I am currently a first year university student so won't graduate until 2018. A lot of people my age are getting married, having kids, and have degrees with graduate jobs.

Are you at the university of Yemen or something? None of the folk I knew were getting married or having kids at anything like 22.

[BorkFactor]

Shnozz said:

Are you at the university of Yemen or something? None of the folk I knew were getting married or having kids at anything like 22.

Nope, UK!

Currently I know of 3 couples I went to school with that are now married, and I know another 4 (not from school) that are engaged.

Out of the three married ones, one have a child and one other have got one on the way.

Scary!

[NRS]

nick s said:

Why? Load of people on here regretting not buying a house sooner, but not me. I was spanking £2500 a month on good times and don't regret one second of it!

Not to mention most people won't have enough for a deposit in their early twenties. And as above, renting is a complete waste of money IMO.

30k per year on partying etc? I guess that depends on how much money your parents have/ what kind of job you will have at the end. As someone who is 27 now I wonder a bit on how much I missed in terms of getting a place a bit earlier than most, and having less holidays than some others. But I also do wonder what will happen in the future with our pensions etc. As a generation we seem to use a lot of money from our parents and have less long term plans for retirement (which is potentially an issue with the way pensions are going these days). I'm not saying be too serious, but so many people when I was at university were complaining about having no money and feeling bad about borrowing money from parents, yet would be taking holidays to Australia, South America etc all the time. It's a balance to having a good time now and thinking about the longer term too.

[parakitaMol.]

NRS said:

nick s said:

I was spanking £2500 a month on good times and don't regret one second of it!

30k per year on partying etc?

less 25% internet 'big it up' inflation
less 25% parent contribution
less 25% lie factor

He was actually spending about £100 a week on a Friday then washing his mum's car on a Saturday in return for nicking money out of her purse.

[nick s]

parakitaMol. said:

NRS said:

nick s said:

I was spanking £2500 a month on good times and don't regret one second of it!

30k per year on partying etc?

less 25% internet 'big it up' inflation
less 25% parent contribution
less 25% lie factor

He was actually spending about £100 a week on a Friday then washing his mum's car on a Saturday in return for nicking money out of her purse.

Not at all. I was "only" on 32k a year back then and was spending every penny every month on what I said above + about £300 a month additional on credit cards. I didn't save a penny and actually got into debt. Have cleared it all now though. What made you think it was a lie? And what would I have to gain from lying?

[Major Fallout]

Money is money it comes and goes, not matter how much you have you are always short of what you want.

What I really regret is:

Clare
Jade
The leather jacket girl
Laura I met on the snow train
The crying girl at the pub
Analisa
Ann Mc-something
Alex
Kayeligh
Charlotte G
Helen
Kerry
Natalie
Ness
Becky
Sheridan
Sadie

17! 17! extra girls I could have had my wicked way with if only I had played it right.

[vikingaero]

Major Fallout said:

Money is money it comes and goes, not matter how much you have you are always short of what you want.

What I really regret is:

Clare
Jade
The leather jacket girl
Laura I met on the snow train
The crying girl at the pub
Analisa
Ann Mc-something
Alex
Kayeligh
Charlotte G
Helen
Kerry
Natalie
Ness
Becky
Sheridan
Sadie

17! 17! extra girls I could have had my wicked way with if only I had played it right.

I hear your pain.

Early 20's and Sarah Bird, my friend with lots of benefits, announced that she was leaving to live in Australia with her family.

On the last night she offered to let me tap her one last time. Like an utter c0ck I said something like: "No, I respect you too much." Oh FFS! What a tw@t! Now if I moves (barely) I'd hump it!

[DanielJames]

lukefreeman said:

Not snorting enough Charlie.

Not enough Hookers.

Always avoided the party life. Maybe that is whats missing. Meeting up with school friends at the weekend though so anything could happen.

[DanielJames]

lewisf182 said:

£30k at 22? What are you complaining about lol. If the work life balance is good that sounds like a fantastic career.

Sounds like you need a slight change of scenery, a flat purchase/renting a place will provide something a bit different while not upsetting the nest too much I'da thought?

Sell both cars and buy something more special IMO. Give you something new to enjoy.

Haven't seen your Integra around sheffield, where is it you work?

I work at the BT building right in the centre mate. I commute at either 630am or 630pm though so maybe you wont see me, but keep an eye out!

I've only just got the DC5 - it's a very special car to me. On the car side of things I'm more than happy. Was just bloody fed up last night. I was having a good day until I failed at the gym doing squats (7th rep got the better of me and I went down with the bar)

[lukefreeman]

DanielJames said:

lukefreeman said:

Not snorting enough Charlie.

Not enough Hookers.

Always avoided the party life. Maybe that is whats missing. Meeting up with school friends at the weekend though so anything could happen.

Ket is where it's at these days.


So good, the horses want it baxk

[numtumfutunch]

I am more than double your age and am happily married with the kids, dog and 4x4 global warmer boxes all ticked

When I was 22 I lived in a shared rented house and had a hoot
I didnt get my name on a mortgage till my mid 30's which was after I got married and we outgrew the missus' spinster 1 bed flat

In retrospect you can apply the "rent is dead money" thing to my life however I was lucky enough that my job was portable and I lived in several great places here and abroad before eventually having a family and putting roots down

When interest rates were knocking 20% in 1990 or so I was throwing money at hot hatches without a care in the world for pensions or bricks and mortar

If Id bought a place at 22 theres little doubt that I would have moved so much and had the memories and experiences I do now

Lots of colleagues are getting bored and/or stressed at work
Im really not, and I do think its because I know whats out there and have done it

Regrets - nil

Highs:

Renault 5 GT Turbo
Peugeot 205 1.9 GTi
2y backpacking
Being single in London when I used to have hair
A ski season in Colorado
MX5 - natch
A long weekend in Alice Springs with 2 Lufthansa cabin crew
Hallucinogenic love drugs - allegedly
Weekends with mates at a moments notice
Etc etc etc

So to answer the OP's question, I have nothing material to show for my early 20's other than a bunch of superb life experiences I dont wish to repeat but bloody well enjoyed at the time and wouldnt have done if Id have lived with my mum or else settled down with the missus at that time either

To paraphrase youth culture

YOLO

[Justin Case]

This may sound daft, next to some (all ) of yur regrets, but in my early 20s I was happy with my job, happy with my girlfriend (she became my wife in my mid 20s ) and my rented flat; I didn't buy a house until we got married. I had some good friends, including other couples who we went out with, and I got on well with the folks. But looking back I think why the hell was I driving such crap cars; middle-aged Cortina, Escort and Avenger I could have had a citroen DS or even a rotten XK 140 for the same money, so what on earth was I doing. The worst thing is that many years on I'm on here but I'm still driving a crap car

[Impasse]

Major Fallout said:

Money is money it comes and goes, not matter how much you have you are always short of what you want.

What I really regret is:

Clare
Jade
The leather jacket girl
Laura I met on the snow train
The crying girl at the pub
Analisa
Ann Mc-something
Alex
Kayeligh
Charlotte G
Helen
Kerry
Natalie
Ness
Becky
Sheridan
Sadie

17! 17! extra girls I could have had my wicked way with if only I had played it right.

Oh chinny chin wag, Jimmy Hill, reckonnn!

[Steve7777]

DanielJames said:

Or should I move to London?

Or California?

Hmm

I wouldn't move out of your parents in Sheffield just to get a flat in Sheffield. My biggest regret is I didn't start moving countries earlier. It sounds like you could do your job pretty much anywhere so if you can find a company to sponsor a move to California definitely do that. You could be 22 with a decent job in California, a Mustang in your garage and Tinder on your phone. What are you waiting for?