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Turns out, your 30s can hit harder than expected, especially when it comes to money. A recent discussion on Reddit revealed how many people in their mid-30s are struggling with financial regrets, from missed investment opportunities to costly relationship decisions.
One of the biggest regrets? Not saving for retirement soon enough Dozens of commenters said they cashed out their 401(k)s during job changes or contributed too little in their 20s.
“I didn’t start until I was 34 because I was underpaid and unmatched, but I wish I had contributed something,” one person admitted. “Now I’m trying to catch up.”
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“I started a 401(k) at age 20, but I had $4,000 because my income was so low,” wrote another. “When I changed jobs…I collected and paid the penalty thinking he was too small to matter.”
Others echoed this theme, calling it a harsh lesson in lost composition. “Not starting to save early is very important to me. Time really is money when it comes to investing,” said one commenter.
Playing it too safe was another thing people regretted. Many admitted that they were too afraid to invest or take risks, so they kept their money in savings accounts or low-yielding options. Years later, they realized that they had lost huge profits.
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Debt was another common lament, especially credit card debt and unnecessary loans. “Debt… is really, really, really bad,” one person wrote. Another admitted to spending $70,000 on a recording studio right before COVID, only to lose it all and lose ownership of the house.
Bad relationships also arose frequently. Several people shared how marrying the wrong person or co-signing financial decisions with a partner led to major setbacks. “I regret going into debt for the wedding and honeymoon and then getting divorced, but continuing to pay off that debt,” said one.
Lifestyle inflation was also high on the list. “Buying too much materialistic crap to impress people” and maxing out budgets “because the salesperson says, ‘you can afford it'” were patterns that many said were holding them back more than they realized. “It feels good at the time,” said one person, “but then it leaves you stuck with no flexibility.”
