It can be pretty disheartening when you're broke AF in your 20s. The silver lining in that constant struggle with currency is that you are doing what you want during this time of your life. Money isn't everything, and creatively and memorably using what you have is what directly affects being broke in your 20s, and it's not such a bad thing.
The economy is not like the good ole' days when you could work part-time, pay for college tuition, and get handed a diploma, a career, and a home by the time you were 25 years old. Times have changed, and instead of dwelling in the disadvantages plaguing the wave of millennials, dealing with the hand that is dealt is mandatory. Being broke in your 20s doesn't mean you blew through a fortune, but that you're working with what you have and are trying to live your best life.
Between trying to work and live on your own, you don't want to turn into a monotonous machine that only pays bills. You need to carpe diem the sh*t out of life. Sure, experiences cost money, but living to only produce a check will leave your spirit irreparably bankrupt. So, before you get down in the dumps about being broke in your 20s, shine some light on the bigger picture.
01You've Traveled And Have The Spectacular Pics To Prove It
There may never be another part of your life when you can effortlessly drop everything and go on a cross country road trip or backpack through a different country. You aren't strapped down by much in your 20s, and your wanderlust is in high gear. If being broke for a bit allows you to see a sunset in Thailand, it's so worth it.
02You're Tending To Your Passions
Your passion is that one thing that doesn't necessarily produce a check, but it feeds your soul. It's a part of what makes you who you are and in that case, you need to immerse yourself in it. You might be broke, but you definitely don't feel anything near penniless when you're engaged in your passion.
03You're Finishing Or Recently Completed School
Continuing your education is not cheap, no matter what time you go back and decide to do it. And even when it's over, you're likely stuck paying back student loans. College is an experience, though, and if you got the degree you wanted and made those lifelong friends, it served its purpose.
04You're Still Getting Accustomed To Adulting
No one hands you a manual when you turn 18 that tells you every turn and move to make. You can hear as much advice as you want, but you're the pilot and it's going to take you more than one try to withstand the turbulence of growing up. Being broke isn't an eternal thing. You're still just getting your feet wet.
05You've Invested In Your Memory Bank
For now, delegating your money to try new foods and experience different things is understandable. Once the memory is burned in your mind, it's priceless. Yeah, that money could have gone into a savings account or something, but then you would have never checked an item off of your bucket list.
06You Still Have Time To Commit To A Savings Plan
The day you want to start a savings plan is up to you. There's still time to start in any way that you want. That's the cool thing about money. There's always a way to make it, spend it, keep it, or invest it. Save according to your plan.
07You Are Still Establishing Your Career Path
In your 20s, you may have a job you despise because it pays the bills and you're still trying to figure out who you are and what you want professionally. It's rare that anyone immediately falls into their perfect professional setting right off the bat. You may not get to control how much you make, but you decide how you make your income.
08You're Making Your Life Something Worth Looking Back On
It might not seem like it right now, but being broke is not going to be the main thing you look back on. Those memories and experiences you chose not to hold back on are going to be the highlight of your 20s. Of course, the struggle won't be completely discredited for adding a level of character to who you are, but it's those good times that are going make everything come full circle.
You only get to experience your 20s once, and if being broke for a bit is going to allow you to look back without regret — so be it. There's no return policy on time you didn't choose to live to the fullest.
