Advice I Would Get to the Younger Gen

There are so many things I wish someone would have imparted to me when I was younger that I want to pass to the next generations.

1. Skip the student loans and the credit card debit. It is always better to find affordable options whether it is higher education or your dream vacation. In some cases it may be better to go without for a time in the case of using credit cards. Just remember that the house always wins.

2. Having a children is expensive so start saving today. One of the revolving questions I had prior to having children was how was my spouse and I going to afford it. I talked to numerous parents and they always gave me the same universal blanket response, "You will figure it out, don't worry about it." That was the worst advice ever. As a parent of two little ones, my advice to the next generation is start a savings account asap. Parenting is a worthwhile and wonderful endeavor but it is also very expensive and that alone can be extremely overwhelming. Think about the cost of childcare, medical cost , and date nights and start saving today. You won't regret it.

3. Make sure you know what part of the American dream is for you. By not allowing peer pressure or pressure from others to determine your course. Buying and owning a home for example is a huge responsibility. Just know that at the end of the day the responsibility will be on your shoulders so proceed with caution and buy what you can afford to maintain and upkeep.

4. Having a big wedding is amazing and there is nothing like having your friends and family celebrating with you and your future spouse on your special day. Instead of using your entire budget on your wedding and honeymoon consider saving at least a third of it and placing it into an emergency fund.

5. Perfection is not real. Give yourself and others a break and remind yourself that making mistakes is a part of living. In order to grow you have to be willing to acknowledge your faults. Instead of finding faults in yourself or others think of them as opportunities to laugh, by finding the humor in it can take the pressure off. It's like having joyful growing pains. It can keep you humble and grateful for the simple things in life that truly matter.

From the desk of Esther Kamoche Robinson

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