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What advice would you give to your younger self? Share with Legal & General - NOW CLOSED

(624 Posts)
EllieGransnet (GNHQ) Mon 04-Feb-19 14:42:13

We’ve all been asked this question at some point. Our answers can vary from ‘I wish I’d taken more risks’ or ‘I would have stopped caring about what people think’, to ‘I wish I’d had more fun’ or ‘I wish I’d travelled the world more’. But if you really think about it, what practical advice would you have really benefited from when you were younger? What would you have told your younger self? What would you have done differently? A recent survey carried out across Mumsnet and Gransnet revealed that some Gransnet users consciously put off financial decisions. Is going further with your finances something you might have given more consideration to, with the benefit of hindsight? Whatever advice you’d like to give to your younger self, Legal & General would love to know.

Here’s what Legal & General have to say: “On our savings journey, a nudge in the right direction can make the world of difference when it comes to our financial futures. It’s starting off early, saving little and often over a longer period, that can really pay off*. Although it’s never too late to start saving, what tips and guidance would have motivated you to do more with your money and just get started?”

Would you have taken more risks when you were younger? Is there any information you wish you would have known back then, such as how to save into your pension, how to invest your money or even how to save your money from an earlier age? Would you like to tell your younger self to be more confident in the decisions you make? Or perhaps you wish you’d spent more time with friends and family?

Whatever the advice you would like to give to your younger self, post them on the thread below and everyone who does will be entered into a prize draw where one GNer will win a £300 voucher of their choice (from a list).*

Thanks and good luck with the prize draw
GNHQ

Standard Insight T&Cs Apply

*Open 4/02/19 to 25/02/19. To enter please post on the thread below. One entry per person. One prize to be won: £300 voucher of winner’s choice (from a list). Winner chosen by random draw performed by computer process.

*The value of your investments can fall as well as rise and any income from them is not guaranteed. Legal & General Unit Trust Managers Limited.

dragonfly46 Mon 18-Feb-19 08:10:37

I wish I had followed my dream and applied to do research for children’s programmes or any information based job. I love delving and finding out things. The internet is a joy to me.

footballersmum Mon 18-Feb-19 08:47:14

I would tell myself to relax and enjoy.

jkenn Mon 18-Feb-19 09:26:57

'Listen' to my father's stories and ask him questions, same with my nonna. Travel, learn a language, an instrument. Be less conservative and save for a rainy day.

Candelle Mon 18-Feb-19 14:39:08

Re. financial advice, not much would change as we have always been 'sensible' and saved, had pension pots and paid off the mortgage early, etc.

Personally, I'd tell myself to write down as much information as is possible (gleaned from the family) on the back of old photographs. When the previous generation dies, one hasn't a clue who the relatives were - such as shame.

elfies Mon 18-Feb-19 14:39:16

Follow your instincts , disregard pension promises from governments , they never honour them .
How many people my age followed government advice to pay married womans stamp , 'because you'll always have a pension from your husbands contribution '.Oh Yes !!! How many paid extra graduated pension contributions ..and where is it now ? How many saved personally for their own pension, only to find pension funds plundered ?
Indeed how many folks invested all their money into a house 'something for your children ' only to find that care, now takes your home to pay for care . Yet people who spent on holidays, cars and enjoying life now get far more help.

Orelse Mon 18-Feb-19 15:22:38

Whenever I had a wage increase ( through rises or moving into a new post ) I would absorb it into day to day living.....very quickly noticing little difference .

My advice to a younger me would be to save at least 10% of that rise when I receive it and place it straight into a savings ( or after good advice) a pension account , . I wish I had done this as something that doesn't count for much at the time accumulates to making a huge difference if invested well .

alecchristie888 Mon 18-Feb-19 18:23:06

Start saving as soon as possible and find odd jobs to do as a child to build up savings.

suedoidge Mon 18-Feb-19 18:37:58

You are better than you think

ElaineRI55 Mon 18-Feb-19 19:41:01

Relationships are the most important thing in life.
Every day, ask yourself what can be done to nurture your relationships.
Spend more time in God's presence, letting go of worries and fear, and learning how to rely on him and share his love with others.
Spend enough time considering your choice of marriage partner to be as sure as possible that it is the right choice (took 3 attempts to get this right)
Spend more time thinking about and being with family and friends, so that you can support, encourage and cherish them while you have each other.
Spend less time worrying about other things, like finances and work!

ranzy Mon 18-Feb-19 20:05:17

1, don't smoke 2, listen at school don't be the class clown. Do the best you can

hellcat Mon 18-Feb-19 21:10:32

I would urge myself not to worry so much about the smaller things. I wasted so much time getting myself in a state about things that really didn't warrant it.

janpart1 Mon 18-Feb-19 21:45:08

Don't listen to the whispering bullies!
They will not define you and you will have true friends in the future life is worth living.

marrich Mon 18-Feb-19 22:20:01

I'd have followed my instincts instead of listening to people who didn't really know enough to advise.

Welshladyinexile Mon 18-Feb-19 23:49:19

I would have told my younger self to take out a repayment mortgage and not an endowment mortgage which left us short.

chelseababy Tue 19-Feb-19 07:34:05

Don't be afraid to fail - you regret what you didn't do not so much what you did.

pandoraskids Tue 19-Feb-19 08:26:28

Follow your gut instincts, don't be swayed by the opinion of others

Hubbers Tue 19-Feb-19 09:36:42

Try not to pay too much attention to what other people think of you. In truth, they are too busy getting on with their own lives and are focused on themselves not you.

Failure can be instructive. If you learn from your mistakes you will become stronger, smarter, wiser. Always trust your gut. The only person who knows what's best for you is you.

Don't agonise and waste time musing about how others have hurt you. Acknowledge your feelings but then let them slip away. You will always suffer if you have an emotional reaction to everything that is said to you. If words control you that means everyone else can control you. Breathe and move on.

Toe1 Tue 19-Feb-19 10:02:20

Didn’t realise how much I would gain from overseas travelling until later in life, would definitely change it next time around.

MoanyMargaret Tue 19-Feb-19 11:50:05

To never start smoking. If only I'd listened to others years ago I could have been healthier and saved thousands of pounds .....

Tray31 Tue 19-Feb-19 12:02:31

Just slow down! Sleep on it first!

caz21 Tue 19-Feb-19 12:03:16

Just keep breathing. Life's too short to worry about stuff you have no control of.

ChefAl Tue 19-Feb-19 12:11:20

Eat more cheese, life is too short not to enjoy cheese!

gabbie01 Tue 19-Feb-19 14:09:17

There is no benefit in worrying endlessly about pleasing everyone all the time. Do not spend your energy on what is outside of your control.

gabbie01 Tue 19-Feb-19 14:12:57

There is no benefit in worrying endlessly about pleasing everyone all the time. Do not spend your energy on what is outside of your control.

Babytige Tue 19-Feb-19 14:30:06

Buy the house, take the risk for what you really want