For the young and the young of heart

[GoAskDaddy]

Credit Cards and Relationships

Have your own Credit Cards. If both partners want to purchase something cool go for it but both use your own card and go halves. I have lots of friends who have since split and one partner refuses to pay their share for purchases made on the others card. REALLY, REALLY DUMB! One friend is still paying hers off and she split with her partner 8 years ago and not getting very far paying all the interest.

Personally I don't do credit cards but if I did, I would always pay it off in full each month.

"If you don't have the cash you can't have it" - this rule will never, ever let you down. Only exception would be a home loan. :)

[Hammerhead]

"If you don't have the cash you can't have it" - this rule will never, ever let you down. Only exception would be a home loan. :)

My dad had a very similar saying: "If you can't afford it you don't need it". He never took out loans or use credit credits. The only exception was the home mortgage.

[Angelica Soprano]

Be adventurous without being carless. Go bungie jumping but check the cord first. I sky dived (dove?) twice. The only reason I did not keep doing it was that the person who was responsible for folding the students 'chutes, her's did not open one day. True story.

Anyone else?

I think I'd try hang gliding instead. At least you don't have anyone else to rely on building the frame. :)

[thylacine]

Don't be like my father.

This is good advice for young people.

He was one of the 60's generation that felt that anything is okay, as long as it feels good.

He smoked several packs of Marlboros a day, drank hard liquor the entire weekend long, smoke occasional pot, he had diabetes and ate whatever he liked. He did not exercise, or get a decent night's rest, because he was out in bars all night long. He associated with bad people (yeah, he did). He slept around, even with a minor (things were covered up then, so he did not end up in jail. Instead, he left town to avoid responsibility.)

He did whatever the f--- he wanted.

He did not live to be 70. One night, his heart just failed. And that was it.

About 8-10 people (don't remember, I was too sad to pay attention & count accurately) came to his funeral. I said to my sister, who lived with him (I lived in a different state & therefore, he kept many secrets from me) -- "I thought dad had a lot of friends. He always said he had so many friends. Where are they?" "Those were just drinking buddies, from the bar. They probably don't even know he's dead."

So. Good advice: Don't ! Be !! Like !!! My !!!! Dad !!!!!

[------]

This is depressing. Everything has just turned into a conversation about money. This is why I should stay out of the Oldie section.

Don't be like my father.

I have no idea how this will sound, but I wouldn't mind a life like that. I don't care who does or doesn't come to my funeral: I'll be dead.

[thylacine]

Yeah... but don't yah wanna be remembered in a good way... ? I do. My spirit will be looking down and counting the people at my wake. Really. If I don't get enough people, I'll feel ashamed. And they better say good things about me, too.

[------]

Yeah... but don't yah wanna be remembered in a good way... ? I do. My spirit will be looking down and counting the people at my wake. Really. If I don't get enough people, I'll feel ashamed. And they better say good things about me, too.

I'm not particularly attached to my ego. I believe I'll just be deaddead and honestly if there is an afterlife surely surely I'll have better things to do than watch my own funeral. What people think about me isn't my primary concern; if I do good I don't care who knows or who doesn't know.

My advice:

Hates gonna hate.

[P is for...]

Yeah... but don't yah wanna be remembered in a good way... ? I do. My spirit will be looking down and counting the people at my wake. Really. If I don't get enough people, I'll feel ashamed. And they better say good things about me, too.

golly. just... golly. i won't presume to speak for anyone else, but if there is an afterlife, i certainly don't want to spend it fretting about whether or not my memorial was the social event of the season. i couldn't care less what anyone says about me once i'm gone, so long as i did the best i could with what i was given and enjoyed myself while i was here.

anyway.

i don't normally post in this forum, although i'm of an age to do so; but since i have been giving advice to many people younger than myself lately, i thought i ought to put in my two cents (and don't worry, Jicragg, that will be my only mention of money).

somewhat ironically, my first piece of advice is, don't listen to adults who want to give you advice. in fact, don't listen to anybody who thinks they've got all the answers. and especially don't listen to anyone who tries to tell you that you need to live your life a certain way, or buckle down and get your degree, and get that high-paying job, and be respectable, and all that malarkey. my experience has been that most people, particularly most smart and talented people, know better what they want for themselves and their lives at age 17 or 18 or 19 than they ever will again. that is the time when your own voice speaks to you the loudest; i implore you to listen to it before it is drowned out by all the louder and so-called wiser voices. what passes for wisdom today 90% of the time is nothing more than practicality. the two are not the same. do not be deceived.

your parents and other people in authority over you will try to get you to do what they think is best. they will want you to live the life into which their parents and authority figures guided them. break the cycle. do something new. you, like every other person in this world, were given a unique set of talents, proclivities, and gifts, and if you slot yourself into something that does not embrace these, the world will be a poorer place for it. do what you love; that is your best guide. and don't be dissuaded by the fact that it will probably never make you rich, or even necessarily middle class. stability and security are overrated. in fact, they're an illusion. none of us can expect to hold on to a single thing we have today come tomorrow. and there are so many things more valuable than money. (oops, sorry, Jicragg; but that doesn't really count, does it?)

i am not only inviting you to step off the beaten path and hack your way through the messy undergrowth of life with a machete, i am outright encouraging you to do so. if you are a creative sort, launch yourself into your chosen field with gusto, and take whatever crap jobs you have to in order to pay the rent while you hone your craft. don't worry about having a back-up plan. the danger in having a back-up plan is that it's too easy to fall back on it. if you fail, fail spectacularly and rise from the ashes. i can't offer you any promises of success. i can't tell you it will be easy. i won't say you'll never have times in your life when you won't eat Cream of Wheat for two weeks straight because you have to decide whether groceries or electricity and, by extension, internet access are more important. you will not always feel safe, and you may not always have someone to bail you out. what i can promise you is that, whatever else happens, you won't end up a bitter 40-year-old, slaving away at a desk job and complaining about how the young people of today don't understand how hard life really is, and all the while dying inside because you always thought maybe you had something and never had the guts to find out for sure. right now, today, you have all the time in the world. don't waste it on somebody else's dream for you. the days really do get shorter the older you get.

i'll shut up now. forgive me if i get a little passionate about the subject. i just don't know whatever happened to all the beautiful, luminous, brilliant friends i had in my teens. they've all been replaced by soulless drones who do nothing but carp about their mortgages and struggle to uphold some kind of reputation as "responsible adults". it didn't have to happen. please have pity on this case of arrested development and don't let it happen to you.

i remain your friend and ally, P.

EDIT: we crossed posts, Jicragg... great minds, eh?

[Saggia]

I have to agree with the I don't care crowd. My sister has asked me in passing what kind of funeral I would want if I died before her. I just told her When I'm dead I won't be here to care...just cremate my remains and dispose of the ashes the cheapest way possible. The essence of what I am will no longer be here, and I pray I will no longer care.

[Sally]

Here's advice that isn't about money (although you'll probably need it).

Whatever else you want to do or not do, if you can get into college/university/whatever it's called where you live, do it and get a degree. It's MUCH easier when you're young to get one. You'll never never (I guarantee it) regret doing getting that degree. You will almost certainly regret NOT doing so.

Otherwise, live however the hell you want.

[------]

i remain your friend and ally, P.

EDIT: we crossed posts, Jicragg... great minds, eh?

Now I remember why we share prunes. I'll have to print that post out and stick it on my wall for inspiration. ^_^

I have to agree with the I don't care crowd. My sister has asked me in passing what kind of funeral I would want if I died before her. I just told her When I'm dead I won't be here to care...just cremate my remains and dispose of the ashes the cheapest way possible. The essence of what I am will no longer be here, and I pray I will no longer care.

Another option is to get 'buried' in the woods in a cardboard box. Extremely cheap (I think) and eco-friendly if you're really interested. Body decays faster and if it's in the woods I think some plants like the nutrients not to mention all the hungry worms and bugs that eat us will be nice and full.

[KAGU143]

In many areas it is illegal to bury human remains. 'Not sure why that is, especially if it's your own property, but .. *shrug* ...bureaucracy.

[P is for...]

In many areas it is illegal to bury human remains. 'Not sure why that is, especially if it's your own property, but .. *shrug* ...bureaucracy.

yeah... um... but you're kind of not around to have to deal with that end of it, are you? just get yourself some trusted friends to make you a promise before you go. Gram Parsons kinda friends, if you know what i mean. if they bury you deep enough in a secluded enough spot, i guarantee you that by the time anybody's wise to it, it's not going to be an issue anymore...

oops, sorry. i forgot myself a little there. that's the reason i don't let myself post in this forum. nevermind me, i'll be on my way now...

[P is for...]

OK, well, actually, one more thing before i go...

on the subject of traditional four-year degrees, or even two-year degrees, it's OK to be sceptical of what people of my generation or the generations above me have to say about them. i'm not saying such degrees are bad, or that you shouldn't consider them; but i absolutely believe it's all right to question whether they're appropriate for everyone. the fact is, most people over the age of 30 or 35 are operating on an outdated model of the workforce. things are changing, rapidly, and it's a huge mistake to assess your options based on the advice of people who are passing on traditional wisdom without questioning whether it's still factually based.

the truth is, even within the last 5 years, things have changed dramatically. i recently left public sector work, and even there, hiring practices are changing quite a bit; but in the private sector, especially in any jobs having to do with technology, things have altered radically. there, the emphasis is not so much on whether or not you have a degree as it is on whether you can do the work. there are too many people out there gaining the requisite skills without ever having set foot in a classroom for employers to blindly insist on seeing a diploma; they'll end up shooting themselves in the foot, because they'll be missing out on some of the best and brightest people out there if they do.

the bottom line: be your own advocate. explore your options. use your brain. don't take anybody else's word for anything. do the research. and have the guts to stand up for what you know is right for you even when the people who think they know you best say otherwise.

yes, OK, today P is for preachy, pedantic pedagogue. i really will shut up now.

[KieranTheWerewolf42]

Yeah... but don't yah wanna be remembered in a good way... ? I do. My spirit will be looking down and counting the people at my wake. Really. If I don't get enough people, I'll feel ashamed. And they better say good things about me, too.

golly. just... golly. i won't presume to speak for anyone else, but if there is an afterlife, i certainly don't want to spend it fretting about whether or not my memorial was the social event of the season. i couldn't care less what anyone says about me once i'm gone, so long as i did the best i could with what i was given and enjoyed myself while i was here.

anyway.

i don't normally post in this forum, although i'm of an age to do so; but since i have been giving advice to many people younger than myself lately, i thought i ought to put in my two cents (and don't worry, Jicragg, that will be my only mention of money).

somewhat ironically, my first piece of advice is, don't listen to adults who want to give you advice. in fact, don't listen to anybody who thinks they've got all the answers. and especially don't listen to anyone who tries to tell you that you need to live your life a certain way, or buckle down and get your degree, and get that high-paying job, and be respectable, and all that malarkey. my experience has been that most people, particularly most smart and talented people, know better what they want for themselves and their lives at age 17 or 18 or 19 than they ever will again. that is the time when your own voice speaks to you the loudest; i implore you to listen to it before it is drowned out by all the louder and so-called wiser voices. what passes for wisdom today 90% of the time is nothing more than practicality. the two are not the same. do not be deceived.

your parents and other people in authority over you will try to get you to do what they think is best. they will want you to live the life into which their parents and authority figures guided them. break the cycle. do something new. you, like every other person in this world, were given a unique set of talents, proclivities, and gifts, and if you slot yourself into something that does not embrace these, the world will be a poorer place for it. do what you love; that is your best guide. and don't be dissuaded by the fact that it will probably never make you rich, or even necessarily middle class. stability and security are overrated. in fact, they're an illusion. none of us can expect to hold on to a single thing we have today come tomorrow. and there are so many things more valuable than money. (oops, sorry, Jicragg; but that doesn't really count, does it?)

i am not only inviting you to step off the beaten path and hack your way through the messy undergrowth of life with a machete, i am outright encouraging you to do so. if you are a creative sort, launch yourself into your chosen field with gusto, and take whatever crap jobs you have to in order to pay the rent while you hone your craft. don't worry about having a back-up plan. the danger in having a back-up plan is that it's too easy to fall back on it. if you fail, fail spectacularly and rise from the ashes. i can't offer you any promises of success. i can't tell you it will be easy. i won't say you'll never have times in your life when you won't eat Cream of Wheat for two weeks straight because you have to decide whether groceries or electricity and, by extension, internet access are more important. you will not always feel safe, and you may not always have someone to bail you out. what i can promise you is that, whatever else happens, you won't end up a bitter 40-year-old, slaving away at a desk job and complaining about how the young people of today don't understand how hard life really is, and all the while dying inside because you always thought maybe you had something and never had the guts to find out for sure. right now, today, you have all the time in the world. don't waste it on somebody else's dream for you. the days really do get shorter the older you get.

i'll shut up now. forgive me if i get a little passionate about the subject. i just don't know whatever happened to all the beautiful, luminous, brilliant friends i had in my teens. they've all been replaced by soulless drones who do nothing but carp about their mortgages and struggle to uphold some kind of reputation as "responsible adults". it didn't have to happen. please have pity on this case of arrested development and don't let it happen to you.

i remain your friend and ally, P.

EDIT: we crossed posts, Jicragg... great minds, eh?

Even though I'm not really old enough to be posting here (I'm turning 20 next month) I'm going to comment anyway.

P, I agree with you wholeheartedly. In my sophmore year of high school someone told me the exact same thing. My film studies teacher, told me that she regretted not going for her dream when she was young, and encouraged me to go for being a writer instead of just an English teacher because she could tell I was good at it. She pretty much told me not to listen to my parents:lol: . I'd rather make little money and work on making ends meet doing what I love instead of being wealthy doing something that I hate.

OK, well, actually, one more thing before i go...

on the subject of traditional four-year degrees, or even two-year degrees, it's OK to be sceptical of what people of my generation or the generations above me have to say about them. i'm not saying such degrees are bad, or that you shouldn't consider them; but i absolutely believe it's all right to question whether they're appropriate for everyone. the fact is, most people over the age of 30 or 35 are operating on an outdated model of the workforce. things are changing, rapidly, and it's a huge mistake to assess your options based on the advice of people who are passing on traditional wisdom without questioning whether it's still factually based.

the truth is, even within the last 5 years, things have changed dramatically. i recently left public sector work, and even there, hiring practices are changing quite a bit; but in the private sector, especially in any jobs having to do with technology, things have altered radically. there, the emphasis is not so much on whether or not you have a degree as it is on whether you can do the work. there are too many people out there gaining the requisite skills without ever having set foot in a classroom for employers to blindly insist on seeing a diploma; they'll end up shooting themselves in the foot, because they'll be missing out on some of the best and brightest people out there if they do.

the bottom line: be your own advocate. explore your options. use your brain. don't take anybody else's word for anything. do the research. and have the guts to stand up for what you know is right for you even when the people who think they know you best say otherwise.

yes, OK, today P is for preachy, pedantic pedagogue. i really will shut up now.

I also agree with this. I taught myself how to write creatively. I study English at university, but I doubt I'm ever going to refrence my professor's interpretation of Shakespeare. If I apply at a job at a newspaper, having a degree might help, but I'm positive they'll focus on a portfolio of my work to see what I'm capable of. Going to a university can help build a portfolio, and help with networking. However, I doubt it's absolutely necessary in most cases unless you want to be a doctor or something along that line.

[JustJudy]

My advice to young people is remember your parents, call them once a week or as often as you can because 1 day they will be gone and you can't get them back. I was never close to my mom, lived 2000 mi away from her for 25 years and when she died 2 yrs ago I had not seen her in 10 yrs, and now I regret being so distant.

I'm also with those that don't care if there even is a funeral for me, if there were 10 people at my funeral I'd be shocked course I'd be dead so I wouldn't really be shocked. I've actually told my daughter to not even bother with a funeral for me just creamate me and toss the ashes somewhere. I don't believe in looking at dead people I think that's gross --and I've only been to 2 funerals in my life (uncle and mom) and hopefully will never go to another.

[4thquad]

Me again, I liked what I read. And I read every one. It's great that everyone draws form their own life's experiences, which is why there are so many opinions on the same topic.

True story, The other day I was walking through the store and the song "Live Like You Were Dying" was playing. At that point I realized that I did a lot of those things that is mentioned in the song and began to check them off;

Skydiving, check

mountain climbing, check

ride a bull (only in a bar, mechanical), half check, did not want to do that in real life anyway

Loved deeper , well as much as a asexual could love, family and friends only, check

Spoke sweeter, always, check

gave forgiveness, check

Read the "good book" check and found that I don't agree with some of the things in it and what I was taught, and have grown o'kay with that.

I need a new bucket list! :lol:

So, I guess my next advice is to live with as little regrets of not doing what you want to do and doing the things that you wish you didn't. ( huh? )

Get that degree, or not.

Live in a way that you enjoy, without hurting anyone else or hurt as little as possible.

Be a man and cry at a movie if you are moved to do so, and don't put down those like me who are not ashamed when I do. It's okay to enjoy the beautiful things.

When confronted with a dangerous situation, it's okay to throw the first punch, and then get the hell outta there. Or turn the other cheek, but remember you only have two (cheeks). On second thought, throw the damn punch!

Always remember that nobody has the right to abuse you physically or emotionally. Nobody has the right to define you but you. "To thine own self be true." I don't know if I quoted that correctly but you know what I mean.

When you are down and sad, feel that, it's okay. But remember you will bounce back. It may take a minute, hour, day, but you will bounce back. And being sad is better than not being here. You can recover from being sad. You can't recover if you take yourself out of the picture.

Find the thing you like to do as an occupation. Do the thing that you would do for free, and get paid doing it. I am a chef and I love it.( hate the paperwork though and disciplining the cooks when I have to) I began doing small cold food caterings for people on the side and did it for fun and no profit. It took me a while to get the guts to ask for what I was worth and to expect that I may loose the opportunity to work if the client thought my price was too high. I am over that. Now, I do the jobs that will pay and I do what I enjoy! I wish the same for everyone.

When caught in a embarassing situation and everybody is laughing at you, laugh harder and louder than anyone else. Their turn is coming.

Don't lend money to family or friends, give freely what is given to you with no expectation of getting the money back and enjoy the warm fuzzies when you do it. But limit the amount of times when you give. I gave my best friend money when his business failed. It was my pleasure. And he came back for more and did not change what he was doing wrong. It was painful, but I had to cut him off. He is better for it. He pulled himself out of the situation. I am better too because I leared that it was okay to say "no".

It's okay to say "no".

Listen to old people when they give advice. They are a wealth of knowledge.

Don't listen to old people. What do they know? If they had all the answers wouldn't they be happier, wealthier, and healthier by now?! :lol:

When you are down, there is always cake here on aven. Have as much as you want! ;)

[Sally]

there are too many people out there gaining the requisite skills without ever having set foot in a classroom for employers to blindly insist on seeing a diploma; they'll end up shooting themselves in the foot, because they'll be missing out on some of the best and brightest people out there if they do.

If an employer has a choice between a bright person with a degree and a bright person without a degree, guess who they'll choose -- today, in 2010, not just 10 years ago. Degrees still mean a lot to employers, the main thing being that you have shown the ambition and focus to stay in school and get the degree, and they want ambitious and focused employees. There are many many more potential employees now than jobs. Stay in school and get the degree.

[4thquad]

When you are down, there is always cake here on aven. Have as much as you want! ;)

Today is a good day for me to take my own advice!

[Fish That Swims]

I am not old, but I have something important to say:

Every skill is basically a mixture of practice and confidence.

[The Friendly Ace]

Am I old enough to give advice yet? ;)

I just wanted to chime in and say, I'm looking at a Uni education from the WRONG end of the age bracket right now (and while I'm working a full-time job), so my advice is: If you can get a Uni education while you're young, TAKE IT.

You may not know what you want to do, but the process of getting an education is not so much about the facts they expect you to memorize and repeat back, as it is about the *process* itself. Learning how to learn, honing your time-management skills, coping with stressful situations, social skills; you can get all that, and more, out of a Uni education...don't do it like I did, landing with both feet in the workforce in a high-stress position, developing those skills on the fly, under crushing work circumstances, and ten years later, I'm still trying to fill the gaps in my educational paper-trail part-time, whenever I can. Some degree programs can be done while one is working full-time, but if you don't have to, if you have parents or a scholarship or some funding from somewhere, that will allow you the luxury of a full-time University education while you're still young, I say run and JUMP, do not hesitate, at the opportunity. It isn't about WHAT you learn, that an education gives you: An education teaches you HOW to learn.

/rant Sorry, I'll get off my soapbox now. :cake: :cake:

[The Friendly Ace]

Aaaaaahhhh! I killed the topic! It's dead Jim!

[daveb]

Aaaaaahhhh! I killed the topic! It's dead Jim!

Nah, it hasn't been that long. Anyway, around here topics have a way of coming back from the dead. :P

When it comes to education I don't believe there is a "Wrong end of the age bracket". I got my master's degree in my 40's. You are right about a college education and learning how to learn and stuff. On the other hand, I wasn't ready for college right after high school. I needed time to mature a bit, get a better idea of my life, get a little experience in the so-called "real world", and generally have a break from high school, before I was ready to tackle college. I'm not saying everyone needs that. I just know I did. For people that can handle it younger that's great and better to do it then. But for those that need some time, taking that break can be worth it.

Friendly Ace, Good luck on your education! :)

[The Friendly Ace]

Friendly Ace, Good luck on your education! :)

Thanks muchly! Right now I'm still waiting to hear if I will be accepted into the program or not, and then I'll have only a two-week window (or less) to actually apply for the damn thing/clear up my prior experience/education/etc. if I have to, in order to get into the program. I haven't even considered the financial side of things yet...just kind of crossing my fingers, and hoping it won't be too prohibitive, financially. Still, it looks like a good program, and will be an excellent addition to my CV, for future advancement/opportunities, so it should all work out, in the end. And if it doesn't, at least it will have been (heh heh) a learning experience. ;)

[The Friendly Ace]

Friendly Ace, Good luck on your education! :)

Thanks muchly! Right now I'm still waiting to hear if I will be accepted into the program or not, and then I'll have only a two-week window (or less) to actually apply for the damn thing/clear up my prior experience/education/etc. if I have to, in order to get into the program. I haven't even considered the financial side of things yet...just kind of crossing my fingers, and hoping it won't be too prohibitive, financially. Still, it looks like a good program, and will be an excellent addition to my CV, for future advancement/opportunities, so it should all work out, in the end. And if it doesn't, at least it will have been (heh heh) a learning experience. ;)

Aaaaaaaand I just got the letter saying my post-secondary transcripts were unacceptable. :( Poop. :( Ah, well, recent family matters would have made it bad timing, anyway.....

[daveb]

Aaaaaaaand I just got the letter saying my post-secondary transcripts were unacceptable. :(

Ah, that's too bad! Is it something you can rectify? Or do you have some alternative to advancing yourself and your education?

[Sally]

Advice for incipient homeowners:

Do not buy a house that's older than you are.

Related advice:

Do not buy a car that's older than you are.

[Rivan Vox]

I am going to be an adventurer, and I am going to make the world a better and safer place, and I am going to be friends with great people, and I am going to look nihilism and pessimism and cynicism and all those words in the face and tell them to go the way of the dodo. Because I'll have my top hat and my long coat and my bike and my M&P15-22P pistol (what, you think I'm stupid?) and the good guys always win in the end.

My sister is coming along, too.

Once I'm done adventuring I'll enter a monastery or something. Screw mortgages.

~ Ily <3

P.S. Anybody of good moral character is welcome to join my adventuring party, but you have to be able to hold your own in a combat situation and have unique skills to bring to the table. Adventuring ain't easy.

[P is for...]

I am going to be an adventurer, and I am going to make the world a better and safer place, and I am going to be friends with great people, and I am going to look nihilism and pessimism and cynicism and all those words in the face and tell them to go the way of the dodo. Because I'll have my top hat and my long coat and my bike and my M&P15-22P pistol (what, you think I'm stupid?) and the good guys always win in the end.

My sister is coming along, too.

Once I'm done adventuring I'll enter a monastery or something. Screw mortgages.

~ Ily <3

P.S. Anybody of good moral character is welcome to join my adventuring party, but you have to be able to hold your own in a combat situation and have unique skills to bring to the table. Adventuring ain't easy.

i like your style, Valentine. i have an uncompromising moral code, am a crack shot with both pistol and rifle, and am a deft chauffeur (i am operating under the assumption you do not have your license yet). plus i am in with the monks--trained medievalist; comes with the territory--and can put in a good word for you. may i suggest the Trappists at Gethsemane? i believe you would suit each other well.

i shall await your word on when we depart. meanwhile i shall be spit-polishing my boots.

[Melorian]

I'm a young person myself (am 22 years old) so technically am not allowed to give advice here :P. But one thing that really annoys me is when people younger than me or my age complain when their parents/older relatives, give them advice. One of the things I think has helped me so much in recent years is that when an older person gives me advice I ALWAYS listened to it. And it really gets to me when I see people throw away chances and opportunities and great advice just because they think they know more than people with real life experience.

My parents always said to me, since I was fourteen, 'think about your old age, think about your pension'. And I do, I put aside money every year for my future, I am aiming for a job in the public sector, all my friends think I am stupid. But when I retire (If I'm ever allowed to do so) I will have made preparations for a nice easy retirement, with money in the back. Whereas my friends will be living off their £50 a week state pension with no money for nice holidays &c.

So advice I will always give is to listen when people give you advice. With age comes experience, and experience should be respected.