How did you spend your 20s?

[confused20s]

Just that really. I sometimes feel like I'm doing it wrong. After my degree, I worked for a year in London but then decided to teach abroad and do some travelling (both solo and with friends). I've seen some of Asia and lots of Europe. Amazing time. Been offered a job abroad in a completely unrelated field and parents are giving me an awful lot of stick saying I should be thinking about settling down now and getting a deposit to buy a home etc.. I'll be 26 in a few months. I havent got a pension and only have about 6k in savings. I dont have any Uni debt. They are making me feel this new job might be a step back but on the other hand there is so much of the world I still want to see. I plan on coming home eventually and doing a Master's but will probably not start my "real career" until maybe 29/30- depending on when the Master's finishes. I fear that if I dont do these things now I will regret it when/if I ever get married and have kids. Even some of my friends from my Uni are getting engaged and having babies now and it stresses me out lol. So..... any advice? How did you spend your twenties/ wish you spent them?

Your life sounds amazing, take the job and enjoy your life x

How are you funding it?

Go have fun, you can do other serious stuff later!

Sounds fab

Hi you sound like your having a great time and ultimately life is for living do what makes you happy

I am just about to turn 30. My 20s we’re graduating at 22 and started a management grad scheme and married at 23 and bought my first house

D.C. at 25 nearly 26

D.C. is now 4 still happy married. Career has taken off and in my dream job with a fab company and upgraded to my dream house last year

I’ve achieved a lot in my 20s but if I am honest I wish I had thrown caution to the wind a bit more and stopped being a people pleaser and that includes Dh who I love very much but I do wish I’d had more crazy experiences and not been so set on doing what my family expected me to do!

Ultimately do what you want! Life is short and youth is shorter x

@lampsandrain fund what? my job? It's paid and I travel on the cheap during my time off. Not sure what you mean

Making very slow progress with my PhD, being a little bit lonely and not doing much other than (mostly) enjoying my own company. My 30s was when everything else started to happen (husband, career, pension, children, house). Looking back, it would be easy to say my 20s were wilderness years, but actually I'm grateful for that time for myself, before my life became filled with other demands!

It's completely your choice - and 26 isn't too early to settle down - but neither is it too late by any means to go out into the world for an adventure! If you want to do it, do it - really!

I didn’t have a pension until I was 32. I mostly spent my twenties at university (I have a masters and a PhD), and then dealing with small children (I had DD when I was 28, and was pregnant with DS when I turned 30).

I retrained in my thirties. I didn’t start my “real career” until I was 34. I’m now in my forties with teenage children and a great job (I earn a six-figure salary).

Go, travel, have an amazing time! That’s what your 20s are for.

I spent my 20s going uni and then a master’s degree and I lived in New York City for 6 years and then I moved to Asia for a job (where I met dh, also an expat) and then I started a PhD programme.

I had an amazing time. I partied and travelled and saved absolutely nothing. But because I developed a good career (while having a lot of fun), I’m late 30s now, financially comfortable, and we are just buying our first house - but it’s not a ‘starter house’. We skipped that bit and actually have a nicer house than most our really practical friends who saved for years and didn’t travel. I had dc at 32 and 37, so I’m very glad I enjoyed my 20s while I had the chance.

@MrsDevine89 wow, sounds like you have it figured out! Congrats on the grad scheme. I actually turned one down so I could travel. I do wonder if I'll regret it. Congrats on the dream house

I was pregnant with my first age 25 but was lucky as we tried for over a year and both had problems. PCOS and low sperm count. I started teaching age 24 after a PGCE, bought first house at 25. No regrets as now our DCs are older we can travel with them or leave them with Granny and go away just the two of us. I met DH when we were 19 so quite young.

Go for it OP. Freedom is priceless..

@mindutopia Spending 6 years in New York sounds like the dream. Where abouts did you work in Asia?

I spent my 20's married and having children.
Still married 33years later children all adults.

My 20s sound a bit like yours! I worked overseas for a bit, went on lots of holidays, partied a lot... Split up w my parter of 7 years at 29 and moved overseas again. Think my parents gave up on me ever becoming a responsible adult at that point! But here I am at 39 with a husband, 2 kids, a senior job, a pension, a house and all sorts of boring grown up things. Wish I’d been even more adventurous when I was younger!

At your age and with no commitments, I’d strongly advise you follow your nose. When mid-life hits, so does any unfinished business. Now’s the time to do what you most desire. My twenties were: dull but secure job until 24, did a degree and a masters, then somehow ended up in....another dull but secure job. I feel I found myself, then lost myself again! My thirties involved a lot of striving to find my ‘place’ and trying out various jobs - interesting but left me feeling like a case of arrested development. It wasn’t until my forties that I found work I loved and - much to my surprise - a professional qualification. I’m in my early fifties now and, whilst part of me wishes I’d found myself again a bit sooner, now is quite a good time.

Honestly op, enjoy it! You've plenty years to live the mundane life. I spent my twenties having dc, I hit 30 and had a bit of a crisis, the realisation that I wasted my 20s.

20-23, uni, travelling, dating, working
23-25 working, dating, holidays with friends
25 back to uni for a 1year masters
26 met husband to be, working&saving
27 moved in with husband to be , working&savings
28 married, bought house, pregnant
29 first baby born

Whatever feels right for you OP!

You're only 26! You've probably got another six decades to go.

There's not much point having life with the health and means to live it in a way that's meaningful and fulfilling to you if you're not going to bother doing so.

You've got a plan that's right for you, it fulfils you right now, and it's not hurting anyone. Why chuck that away?

I studied until I was 23, developed my career, met my future DH, had a baby at 27 and got married at 28. I’m very happy with how my twenties went but I do wonder if I missed out on the whole travelling/living abroad experience before I had children. There is plenty of time to develop a career and to “settle down” so enjoy what you’re doing

Graduated at 22 and met now DH. Started pension then as well. Started graduate scheme at 23 and moved in with now DH. Got engaged at 24 and married at 25. Graduated again at 26 and got pregnant. Had DS at 27 and went part time. Bought house at 28 and was promoted. Threw in my career at 29 and took a low paid admin job that fits well around DS and which I enjoy more than management. Had a few holidays in there too :) I am glad that I got all that done in my 20s as my 30s are now about relaxing and enjoying family life. However that was what was right for me as I desperately wanted a family after a difficult childhood. It's not what is right for everyone and 26 is still very young :)

Graduated at 23.
Bought my first house.
Met dh.
Travelled the world, went to concerts, had an active and happy social life.
Worked very very hard in my job.

Didn’t settle down until well into my 30’s.

My 20’s were awesome.

I spent my 20s partying, travelling, having a lot of fun with friends and boyfriends and working (in a fledgling level but career job). I didn't have savings but I didn't have debts - no credit cards etc, I lived within my means. I am definitely happy I wasn't engaged or married or had children then, I did that in my 30s and by then I was partied out and ready to settle down. Having children does tie you down a lot if you are planning on working too. It's harder to be available for things like team building, training etc or to move with a job 100 miles away for 3 months on secondment, or relocate for a job to a different part of the country. Some early starts and late finishes would be very awkward when you have a nursery drop-off or childminder to get back to.

I'd say it would be useful to start a pension even if it's minimal amounts you are putting in to start with. Likewise, build up your savings where you can. It gives you choices and security. Avoid the temptation of credit cards, but having one which you pay off straight away helps build up your credit rating which will come in handy for mortgages in the future.

Spent my 20's and early 30's partying and travelling. Did everything and then some. Got a "real" job late 20's and met my partner. Now have a much better job and a house.

For me personally, do it all when you're young because you cannot recreate being responsibility free. Career wise I was late, but have caught up and in many cases surpassed my peers. And I've got a lifetime of amazing memories.

Go, travel, work abroad! You have no debts and are beholden to no one. Experience all the things and feel true joy in your freedom.

I spent my 20's working 12hr shifts in a factory.
I had dd1 very young. We moved into our own place when I was 18 she was 3.
I didn't do anything exciting in my 20's. Worked spent my weekends with dd. Very occasionally I went out at the weekend when my parents would have dd.
I met DH at 28.