Young Earners Struggle with Spending Habits
Young people, particularly those new to earning income, are finding it difficult to manage their money effectively. They struggle with impulse spending and often face unexpectedly high recurring bills, like phone plans, which drain their limited funds. This leads to frustration and a desire for better financial control.
SOURCES (60)
“About to get my first job out of college. Ideally, I want to lean or fire in 15 years (or less if possible) and will stop living with parents when I get married, maybe in late 20's or so. I'm still doing a lot of…”
“parents also don't have a lot of insight and idk what bank accounts to open, how to open them, what credit cards to apply for, or anything like that. What do I do to start and what should I look for submitted by /u/Xenotic_LDR [link] [comments]”
“Hi everyone, I am 23 and recently got a job that pays about 95k / year with about 75k-80k take home. I am very fortunate to have no debt out of college, living with my parents not paying rent, and generally minimal expenses. I only have a debit card and haven't touched any sort of credit card related things so I am a bit in the dark with how to build credit for when I might need it. Should I start making my everyday purchases with a credit card to build credit? What is the generally accepted”
“The 50/30/20 budget is not really that useful. It’s unrealistic for someone like you, yet you’re still able to live on less than you make and put money into savings. If you can get through college without credit card debt and graduate with any cash in your bank account, you’ll be doing great.”
“I'm struggling to have a grasp of my finances. I just wanted to share because I was on a steady incline where I was increasing savings and doing well but it's stagnated. We are struggling submitted by /u/DoctorLoose1556 [link] [comments]”
“I (22F) just graduated college in May 26 in computer science and engineering. I am about to start my first actual salary job in two weeks but I want guidance on how to navigate this new part of my life. Income: - $80,000 a year salary (remote job no expenses) - $45-70 an hour on available freelance jobs (I range between $1,000 -$5,000 a month) Benefits/perks: - 401k matching, if I put 6% my employers will put in 3.5% - I am still part of my parents health insurance, but employers offer basic hea”
“I think I got a little complacent after paying off my student loans. I started spending more on traveling and definitely gave in to a bit of lifestyle inflation :) My sister has also been struggling to find a job, and since my parents aren’t in this country, they expect me to support her financially. I think I took on more responsibility than I can comfortably handle. The difficult part is that she’s not really open to taking temporary or manual work while she looks for a job in her field. She w”
“It’s understandable that you went from saving a great deal of money to all of a sudden using all of your money. When you know that you’re not saving, of course it undermines your financial mental health. This might be an opportunity to maybe dial back some of the wedding investments and make sure you’re saving at least a small percentage of your income each month. Just so that you have some financial peace of mind because right now it sounds like there’s no buffer you’re basically like paycheck”
“Make her pay “rent” but save the money and gift it back to her periodically. You’re teaching her to pay bills while also teaching her how to save.”
“Hello I am 24 (M) I have lived at home over a year after graduating college. I have 23k in low interest gov student loan debt, I make 65k a year before tax, I have a 6% 401k employer match and around a 5%-10% bonus. I have around 10k in Roth IRA and 6k in a traditional brokerage. An additional 3k in my 401k currently. And another 1k in my HSA. Another 1.5k in checkings. I have been saving for a year living at home and want to move out with two roommates but everywhere is kinda of expensive as it”
“For a long time, I thought the solution was simple: earn more money. But every time my income increased… nothing really changed. I was still stressed about money. Still living paycheck to paycheck. Still wondering where it all went. Eventually I realized the problem wasn’t income. It was habits. Here are a few that made the biggest difference for me: Lifestyle creep Every raise I got, my spending followed. Better food, more subscriptions, small upgrades that felt harmless — until they became nor”
“Have the same mindset problem but I am working on it, with help. First, what do you value? Time with others? Hobbies? Travel? Once you have that list, put a real budget to it kinda like you have done all these years but instead of it being a budget not to exceed, make it a budget you have to spend. Put a very generous number on it and meet that budget. Kinda flips the script but allows you to use those tools you have built up over the years. Enjoy the luxuries you have earned.”
“I need some real world examples from actual brokies who have successfully dug themselves out of the hole submitted by /u/Due_Today2701 [link] [comments]”
“Our kids are still young but I was in your shoes a few years ago. Big high stress tech jobs in SF that paid a lot. Kids had a nanny, clubs, sports, tutors, etc. Life felt busy, stressed, expensive, fun but like we were always on the go. Didn’t really feel like the life I’d imagined even though on paper we were living the dream. I made an extremely difficult decision and left my $1m+ a year job to stay home with my kids. Never thought I’d ever do that bc I actually loved my job. But I knew death-”
“Okay so I’m going to begin by saying this may be long because I have a lot of anxiety and schemas surrounding money and I tend to over explain, please bear with me, I promise I’m trying my best to keep this to a minimum. Also please read it all before responding as I tend to talk kind of in a roundabout way sometimes. ALSO let me know if this doesn’t make sense so I can try to explain it better if I need to. Anyways sorry for all the extra stuff here’s the actual stuff. First I am 19, I am about”
“How weight always goes back to how many calories you eat, savings goes back to leftover paycheck after bills. Im guessing theres more than a few expenses you call necessities and they arent true. Be honest, list them in this post and let the community tell you”
“22 years old $80k TC. Just moved out living solo. I feel like I'm doing horrible financially. I don't budget, don't know how to budget, and i have no idea where my money is going. I am worried about the future because I am not saving anything other than my 401k. Context: I have $11k in my checking account (I don't have a savings account), $6k in the stock market (mostly S&P). My company does a 5% 401k match, so I also contribute 5%. All I know is that my total amount of $$ is”
“There is no trick. Spending is a behavior. Change your behavior. There are bazillions of YouTube videos on effective methods to change behaviors. Start watching. At least the fact you are aware of your spending problem and want to tackle it is a good sing”
“Retirement and savings should be automatic withdrawals and you need to pretend that money doesn't exist unless it's an emergency. Self control may be the issue and we can't help much with that. https://www.reddit.com/r/personalfinance/wiki/budgeting”
“Checking won't have good interest. You only keep about 1-2months expenses there. You have no credit history, you're not going to get approved for a card with great benefits. Not even low interest. (pay your bills on time, in fully, every month, and you won't pay any interest anyway) You need a job. Work on that first. And an education and career path. The rest will come with time.”
“first off, in late 2025, i got $3000 of music gear stolen from my storage while i was unemployed. it wasnt essential, so i haven't really replaced anything besides grabbing a guitar off craigslist for $80 and a practice amp for $20. i just still feel really bad about it. i started working three jobs and thought I could pay off all my debts by july and start saving up. then my car got stolen. i spent $5000 cash on a used car because i hadnt gotten comprehensive insurance. timeline for clearin”
“im a university student, 21f, i dont have a job, i get 800 a month from my dad (whole thing, i wont give more details, idk how to explain tbh). my mom doesnt want me to get a job so i can kep my grades up but my grades are mediocre at best. im feeling very annoyed and upset with myself and generally pessimistic. i have a small issue with spending. occasionally after therapy id go to a store and get a tshirt or smthn, and my friends all enjoy thrifting and im terrible at saying no. i also have a”
“I'm 31 and work in IT the pay is decent and I save a good chunk every month but something feels off. Yesterday after work I was sitting on my laptop updating my budget spreadsheet and checking a couple of investment accounts I noticed I spend way more time planning the future than enjoying the present every purchase gets analyzed and every raise immediately turns into another savings calculation. The weird part is I don't even want expensive stuff anymore I just want enough money that I”
“Once you start burning thru your savings, it’s like getting pulled into the gravitational force of a black hole There may not be enough demand for you in the way you are shopping yourself out.”
“You're doing the right things now. Don't worry about saving/investing money at this time. Focus on learning skills, getting good grades, and doing internships, co-ops, school-sponsored industry projects, or anything you can find that will help you meet future employers. That won't show up in a bank balance, but it's what matters. The $50k in loans is not good, but at least you're not going deeper in. You need to dig in, though, to this card with your father . Did you sign up”
“but what do you guys do to not freak out about it? Budget so that I didn't get caught in a situation I feel like I'm drowning. Sometimes that means going without luxuries.”
“Hi! I just wanted to share. I know it's challenging to save money, but I think it's time for me to start taking it seriously. I'm going to stop buying things I don't really need and focus on building my savings instead. It won't be easy, but I know I can do it. submitted by /u/Kooky-Scar8052 [link] [comments]”
“32 years old live with parents and I have a full time job but I got bills and still broke. Any advice on how to make extra cash at home. Doesn’t require commuting etc. any ideas help submitted by /u/CushinB [link] [comments]”
“I’m from a lower-income family. I have saved for 2-3 years and I got about 500$, and even if I combine all the savings of my family members, they still don’t have that much. My family is going through a very difficult time financially. I’m 19 years old and currently attending university. I don’t have enough time to work a part-time job because of my studies. I can’t even afford a motorcycle for transportation. I also don’t have enough money to start a business, and I don’t have any valuable skil”
“I’m from a lower-income family. I have saved for 2-3 years and I got about 500$, and even if I combine all the savings of my family members, they still don’t have that much. My family is going through a very difficult time financially. I’m 19 years old and currently attending university. I don’t have enough time to work a part-time job because of my studies. I can’t even afford a motorcycle for transportation. I also don’t have enough money to start a business, and I don’t have any valuable skil”
Keep working. Save more. Learn to live on little income.
“We keep a thing called “Bank“ at Home in which we have a month worth of each of our pocket money(Dave Ramsey, cause it blow money), a month worth of grocery money, a month worth of date night, money and a month worth of gasoline money for our cars. We are a cash based Family. When we get down to one weeks worth of money we go to the bank and draw out about 5000 to replenish our weekly account. Then we used to keep around 2000 in the checking account. Bills are all automatically paid through my b”
“For those of you who feel like you've gotten good with money: What habits made the biggest difference? How do you organize your finances each month? (I have started tracking my finances again) What do you always pay first? What books, podcast, or resources helped you learn about money? How much emergency divings did you build before spending it on hobbies? And most importantly, How did you stop living paycheck to paycheck? I would love to hear what has worked for you. Thank you for taking yo”
“Hello, I am a 19 year old female college student and I am feeling a little stuck? To those that are well established in adulthood, if you turn back time and choose a career would you choose money or your passion? I am currently pursuing a career in the medical field as radiographer or dental hygienist, and I am starting to rethink my path. Living comfortably and travelling from time to time is also something I'd like in the future. I don't want to stress about bills and not being able to”
“I work full time it’s around 2,100 after tax monthly I don’t have my degree yet. I’m still in school how do I save to have a stable future. I definitely am living paycheck to paycheck but how do I make it better I am willing to work more but I just don’t know what to do. The Uber Eats and DoorDash pays me around like $3 a trip and I don’t think it’s worth it any advice is appreciated but I am ready to save submitted by /u/Longjumping-Crazy695 [link] [comments]”
“This might be really dumb of me, but hear me out, guys. I have one proper friend in this entire world. She's pretty comfortable financially, and I'm really not. We don't hang out very often because I can't afford to. I genuinely can't keep this up because hanging out with her has me spending more money than I should be. I don't know what to do. She already thinks we don't hang out enough and can't comprehend my financial situation. I'm living paycheck to paych”
“I'm 19 years old and just started to work full-time in a factory making $16.80/hour. I usually work around 40 hours a week, sometimes closer to 48 hours when overtime is available. I also get a $0.55/hour shift premium. I get paid weekly and currently save $100 from every paycheck into a high-yield savings account. I have around $700- $800 saved right now. I don't have any debt. I recently got a 2016 Chevy Impala that I own outright. It gets me to work, so I don't have a car payment.”
“I would agree if they were <25. But you’re 28 man cmon 😂😂. Also there’s more to life than saving every dime. Most people find that out too late when they have everything they wanted financially and confused on why they aren’t happy”
“What you're missing is that the difference between OP and majority of people here(barring disability) is the motivation and sustained effort to do the same things. I don't think living in a basement and saving every penny has anything to do with luck but rather persistence.”
“It's 45000 inr (Indian rupee) My job location is near my house so travel expenses are very minimal and i don't have to give my salary at home because we also have rented income which is higher than my salary, all i need is guidance on how to save and invest my salary submitted by /u/CertainTie9279 [link] [comments]”
“Hi all! I am an 18F and last week I landed my first ever part time job. I’m working and attending university simultaneously (not taking out any loans for college). I feel a bit behind when it comes to my knowledge of finance and I’d just appreciate some beginner tips of how to start saving and possibly investing my money so that it doesn’t just sit in my account. I make $19/hr and work ~29-32 hours per week. What percentage of my checks should I save? Should I open a HYSA? This is all very new t”
“I (25M) worry I’m not going to make it back to the middle class in my lifetime unless a miracle happens, even though I grew up middle class. And I somehow feel like it’s my fault. My parents were divorced, but both typical middle class: typically one vacation a year, an average house, etc. My dad lived more within his means than my mom so he was able to splurge a little more, but he wasn’t super rich or anything. I’ve suffered a lot in my life from early diagnosis of ASD and the social isolation”
“I am currently on the climb up from basically nothing. as far as personal finances, about 3 months ago i had nothing. ( bills were paid, but had to borrow money from family, didnt have any savings etc…) Right now, i have a decent job (45k before OT) traveling and all my “expenses” are paid for. Hotels, Food, flights, so on and so forth. I have an apartment ($1100 a month and the electric bill gets put on my credit card) so besides that im in a position to save a good amount from it. i just cant”
“I spent years trying to save a few dollars here and there without ever looking at where most of my money was going I broke everything down and realized a handful of larger payments made up the biggest part of my budget Now I'm wondering if I've been optimizing the wrong things and wanted to ask you guys on how you did it? submitted by /u/Legitimate-Scheme418 [link] [comments]”
“Starting my first full-time "big girl" job in a couple of weeks! I've only ever worked part-time while I was in college, so this is going to be an adjustment. For the past few years, I've had a pretty breezy schedule. I usually only worked Tuesdays and Wednesdays (plus some weekends), and even my class schedule was only Tuesdays and Thursdays. This may seem pretty minor but I've gotten really used to having so much flexibility, so going from that to a full-time Monday–Frida”
“Hi everyone, I’m 19 years old and a full-time college student in California. I don’t have a stable job right now because I work mostly through pet sitting and other temporary gigs. My income is very inconsistent. For example, this month I’ll make a little over $2,000 from cat sitting, but next month I might only make around $200. It really depends on what jobs I can find. My biggest financial goal right now is saving for my education and building good financial habits while I’m still young. Sinc”
“Hi everyone! I'm moving to the US soon to work as an Au Pair for the next year or two, and I'd love to get some financial advice on how to handle my income while I'm there. My Situation: Im 23. I will be earning $975 a month . Because I'll be living with a host family, I have absolutely zero living expenses . My rent, food, gas, and basic utilities are entirely covered. Every dollar I make is mine to keep. I am currently prioritizing building up my general savings rather than foc”
“Hi, I’m turning 21 this year. I was wondering if I’m ahead for my age or if I’m behind. I pay an exceptionally large amount each month for bills and I wanted to know if this was normal. I make about $5-6k a month and spend roughly $2,800 in bills. My biggest expenses are rent, and owning a car in general. My auto insurance and my auto loan. My auto loan is degrading since it is $468.85 a month and only $179.67 goes to the principal for a 2020 Nissan sedan with no co-signer. And my auto insurance”
“Well, if only it was as simple as the title. I’m stuck and don’t know what to do. To build some context: I’m 23, graduated college a year ago, and have been working my full-time job since. I make a salary of $75k. I’m a massive car enthusiast and custom-ordered a brand-new BMW right after starting my job. The minimum payment is $789, but I voluntarily pay $500 bi-weekly to knock the principal down fast. My other monthly bills (health insurance, car insurance, cell phone, and subscriptions) total”
“I know youre not my financial advisor but i am earning around 1.5k a month- 200 a month to my mum (board) i could probably manage on 300 a month (excluding board) my dad owes me like 8 grand. Im already putting money in a stocks and shares ISA and have a lifetime ISA. Own some gold and have a backup fund. Should i just keep putting money in my backup and both ISA’s or does anyone have some ‘non-financial’ advIce? submitted by /u/CalendarMelodic6234 [link] [comments]”
“So I've really struggling with this for awhile, and I'm sure this has come.up a thousand times here, but I really need some advice. I fluctuated a bit, but seem to have stabilized at about 220 subs. I charge 4.95 a month, which gets you a bit of messaging and the partially nude pics I post, as well as the ability to buy the paid stuff, my vids are 15 to 25 depending. If subs are cool, I'll non sext chat with them whenever I'm able to throughout the day. I seem to get a shitload o”
“In 2026 living off 56k/yr & I’m still struggling going to have to move back home because it’s getting overwhelming. Or what can I do to make my life more comfortable because going back home likely means no peace. Living in a mid west state also Indiana. submitted by /u/Fast-Reception-3701 [link] [comments]”
“For context I'm already living with family and I'm considering moving out into a roommate situation. I make 55k a year, and have 40k saved up for school. I plan to take out 30k in loans max. My program cost 54-58k, depending on how much they raise tuition over the next two years. So I was doing some math and with the interest rates on the grad loans I have to take out and how often my university raises tuition (literally every year) it feels like I should just go full time. My issue is I”
“Hi, so I haven't really ever had the ability to save, the past few years I've been doing a dollar a day but only in the past year have I been able to actually keep that money so I decided to put it into a roth IRA with Vanguard 12/25 (opened 10/24 but was never able to save). I really have a hard time wrapping my head around everything especially because so many people have such different opinions and everyone sounds so knowledgeable. I've got like $260 and it's just been sitting”
“Hey everyone a broke college student who has been living frugally and very disciplined. I’ve saved up everything myself. I’m a junior in college and I have around $40K saved up, and right now all of it is sitting in high-yield savings accounts. About $7K of that is specifically set aside because my car broke down and I’m planning to buy another car soon. I recently got accepted into a top-tier college in the Bay Area, so I’m going to be living more independently and dealing with higher expenses”
“I (21 F) have been struggling with keeping up with school payments for nursing school while also trying to save up for a car. My yearly tuition is 10k a year besides nursing insurances and certifications and such. I work part time and used ti be able to clear 600 a week to keep up with monthly tuition (800) payments and other needs. But I had a medical emergency that was quite costly that put me out of work as well and backed me up into 2k cc debt. Now with my nursing school advancing,”
“Hi everyone, My boyfriend and I are about to move into our first rented home, and I’m trying to get our finances organised before we move in. I’m someone who likes everything to be very organised, and I can be quite obsessive about budgeting. I’ve worked out roughly how much all of our regular expenses are going to cost, even down to things like toiletries, because we’re planning to buy 5-litre refill packs where possible and I wanted to know the monthly cost over time. Our plan is to open a joi”
“Hi everyone, My boyfriend and I are about to move into our first rented home, and I’m trying to get our finances organised before we move in. I’m someone who likes everything to be very organised, and I can be quite obsessive about budgeting. I’ve worked out roughly how much all of our regular expenses are going to cost, even down to things like toiletries, because we’re planning to buy 5-litre refill packs where possible and I wanted to know the monthly cost over time. Our plan is to open a joi”
“I’m trying to improve my financial situation and build better money habits but I’m finding it difficult to manage expenses and save consistently with a limited income. Right now my main focus is on understanding basic budgeting reducing unnecessary spending and finding realistic ways to save small amounts over time. I’m not looking for any risky or unrealistic “quick money” ideas just practical advice that can help someone slowly build stability. If anyone has experience managing tight finances”