What was your life like when you were 24?

[OkSoqhateo]

The title says it all. Were you living with your parents still? What was your job like? What did your social life consist of?

I was single, living in Italy, in a shared flat. Pay was low but it was pre-euro so cost of living was OK. Socialising was mainly pizza-based!

I had two kids under three. I'd just married DH and started my degree. Money was a bit tight and we weren't living in any kind of luxury but I genuinely believed things would get better for us, an that my continuing education was a step towards a more secure future (it absolutely was). I really loved being a student and I was able to be there for the kids a lot more than when if been working FT.

We received some working tax credit and child tax credit which really helped with childcare costs. Kids were with a childminder 3 days a week and with either my DH or my mum depending on my timetable.

Lived with my partner (now DH), decent job after finishing uni, had a small but good group of friends who I went out with maybe monthly, went out with DH a lot (meals, shows etc) and did a lot of travelling, think I visited around 10 countries that year.

I had just moved to a new city for a job as I wanted a change and didn't want to live with my parents so I applied for jobs in different locations and upped and moved for the one I was offered. I was single and rented a room in a house share.

Socialising was tricky as I didn't know anyone but fortunately I got on really well with one of the girls in the house share so ended up socialising with her and met people that way. It was mainly going out to bars and house parties to be honest!

I had left home eight years ago. Was living in a bedsit with my boyfriend. I was unemployed. I had very little social life.

I'd just returned from backpacking around the world and was thrilled to have my first proper job and a cheap flat share in z1 London. Had also just broken up from my first proper long term boyfriend.

It felt like a time when my whole life was ahead of me, and anything was possible.

But now I'm 50 and all settled I'm much happier.

I was living in a different city following uni in a 2 bed flat with my uni boyfriend who went on to become my first husband. I was 2 years into my first graduate job and just on the brink of a move to London to double my salary and jump up a few grades in my career.

I had graduated from uni and was living in London with my fiance ( now dh)
Was working as a civil servant.

Social life was friends from uni snd work mates.

I was married and working up to 100 hour weeks as a junior doctor.

The marriage was happy but the job was miserable - too much responsibility with too little time to do it in, and not enough sleep.

I had 3 dc and pregnant with dc4... ..living with an utter cunt. Managed to leave in time.

I had been married for 3 years, living away from the UK for 2 years and gave birth 1 month after my 24th birthday. Gave up work to be a SAHM. That changed after 9 months when I found out what an arse my husband was while I was always home with the baby

Working in a bookshop, living in an area of north London that would be wildly out of my budget now, with my then-bf and a group of mates. Fantastic social life, making the most of one of the best cities on the planet. Could go out most nights, and pay rent/bills in London on a retail wage. I remember it as a very happy and carefree time.

Oh my! It was one of my best years!

I was earning really good money, worked extremely hard, just bought my first house and was doing it up.
It was my house, my mortgage and my then boyfriend moved in with me.

We were travelling, fantastic holidays, socialising a lot.
Having a blast! Loved being that carefree and young.

I was living in NYC. I had a really glamorous circle of friends (‘friends’ really because I barely keep in touch with most of them now that we’ve grown up and stopped partying). I was out probably 5 nights a week. I was going a master’s degree at the time and working and travelling quite a bit. It was great. I was worried quite a bit about meeting the right guy and settling down. I think if I’d known what life would become (met Dh when I was 27, married at 30 with first dc at 31) I’d have relaxed and enjoyed it more.

Single and fancy free, living with my mum, working in a great nightclub in the city.
Happy days.

I had a DH, a one year old, a graduate job with the local council and a mortgage which sounds insane when I compare it to the 24 year olds I know now.

I'd graduated my BEd degree and was in my 2nd year of teaching, hoping a temp contract was going to be able to be made permanent (it was, and I'm still there 25+ years on!).
Married for 4 years already and looking ahead to starting a family once I'd been working for 2 full years to qualify for mat leave.

Living in the house we are still in now.

I was a mum to a 5 year old living in my second home.

Married 5 years, bought our house a little before that. Running our own business and trying for a baby.

Just bought first house with DP. We married two years later. Was just starting on what turned out to be 7 years of part time study whilst working. I recognised I was not going to get on unless I studied. We were saving up for a new car as DP was earning well. No DC for 12 years further on though, unlike most of our friends. So the start of doing pretty well.

Socialising was pub, sports events, parties and meals out. DH meeting up with uni friends was something we did and gigs. Lots of gigs.

I had a professional qualification, a husband, a mortgage and 2 children under 2.

I worked part time opposite my husband (no childcare) so we could pay the mortgage

We were broke but very happy.

I lived with my OH, having moved out of parents home permanently aged 21. We were renting, but then did buy aged 24 which was possible then in the early 90s .
Was fed up with the job I had then, didn't leave for another 3 years. Should have left earlier.!

My social life was great, throughout my 20s and early 30s, in retrospect.
Lots of cinema trips, sport, boozy weekends. I should have appreciated it more at the time.

I was living and working abroad.

Living with my fiancé and looking for our first home together.

I gave birth to ds 2 days after my 24th birthday.

The next year was a tough one being a first time mum, working FT and running around after my DP because I could feel the relationship was strained - I wasn't happy but thought that was normal with a newborn/ baby.

Anyway he cheated and so just after I turned 25 I was a LP in a foreign country.

I was in my second year at Uni as a mature student. Became engaged .

I got married at 24. My job was a basic administrative role, but I liked my team, the organisation and the role (was fortunate enough to get promoted at 25). I had a good social network (friends and family).