Advice...

If you have graduated High School and you are living at home, save your money. Now I know that isn't a revolutionary thought at all, but I still see many single twenty somethings who have a really hard time with this. It's so tempting to go out with your friends or buy that new pair of jeans on pay day or take that road trip where you will take lots of pictures of memories to put on Facebook! I know, I know, trust me I was the worst. You're not under a huge financial strain, you aren't married and you don't have kids. You may feel that you are too young to buy a house and you aren't sure what you're gonna do for the rest of your life. Who does? That does not mean you should still live paycheck to paycheck and spend it faster than its coming in! Let me give you a couple of ideas:

Since you aren't paying rent, find out what it would cost you to get your own place and then set that amount of money aside every month. After all, you don't have to spend it since your parents are being so gracious. This will help you to save (even though it might be a little tighter than you are used to) and it will help you to start budgeting now for later on when you need to pay rent. Who knows, you may even be able to save enough for a down payment on a house when you get married, that would be an awesome wedding present.

Also, say NO to free money. What do I mean by that? Credit cards. Just because it allows you a little peek into adult hood and the card may come with a cool picture on it, does not mean it is free money! In fact, it is more expensive than money! Do yourself a favor and pay cash for everything. If you don't have the cash, don't buy it. That's called living within your means. If you don't have enough means, get another job. Don't have enough time for another job? Figure out priorities and either take time away from something else or live within some other means. It all comes down to "what do you REALLY need" at this time in your life? By the way, it may seem like a really simple thought, but you cannot make time, no one can. You can only take time away from something else, we are all allotted the same 24 hours a day. Hopefully you will get to the point where you live BELOW your means.