Young and Stupid

Hi Scott,

Our Year 12 economics teacher just read out one of your Q&A newsletters in class. An 18-year-old guy had written to you confessing he’d spent $8,000 on a credit card. He said he felt a burden to share it because many Aussie teens fall into the same trap. It dawned on me that I’m now eligible for a credit card too. The $$$ symbols flash before my eyes, just for a moment. It clearly illustrates just how easy it is to fall into stupid mistakes being young, and I really don’t want to be stupid. So I’m simply writing to say thanks. I’ll definitely be getting your book!

Annie
 
Hi Annie
 
You’re right, you can get ahead of most people in life simply by avoiding doing the ‘stupid’ stuff. That’s how people stay in loving relationships, out of jail, away from debt collectors, and with their adult teeth intact.
 
Yet if you really want to thrive, and live an amazing life, you need to go one step further. You need to actively build up the belief that you, Annie, are a really savvy woman with money.
 
How do you do that?
 
You prove it to yourself with the little actions you do, starting today.
 
Yes, you avoid credit cards, but you also open an investing app and start buying index funds. Yes, you avoid Afterpay, but you also set up your buckets and start saving for a house deposit, even if it’s years into the future.
 
I’m a self-serving grubby author, but I’ve always thought my book makes a good graduation present.
  
Good luck!

-Scott.