Quote Originally Posted by firenze11 View Post
I'm only 24 and still in school but I have a lot of friends who got jobs right after their BAs so it's kind of hard for me to see them making a real living already. I also have some friends who spend A LOT and I always wonder how they're making it - using credit cards for everything, going on expensive trips a lot, eating out at trendy, expensive places a few of times a week. I almost didn't go to one friend's birthday because the "party" was at a really expensive restaurant and it made me sick to have to pay $130 for a dinner.

I make sure I always pay off my credit card and watch my spending. I'm learning about how to save for the future when I start my career. I guess it's better than being frivolous with money and ending up in trouble down the line, right?

BTW, I'm already seeing how very stressful but high paying jobs are affecting my friends. Sleeping at the office is, hopefully, not in my future. I'm all for ambition and dedication but I want to enjoy my career and have time to live my life and ride my bike, too.
Hopefully that expensive dinner won't occur again for quite awhile. It's unfair (unless you were warned in advance of the dinner party) to place people in that position to fork over that amount of money, unless the friend was very close/special to you. 'Course the other option might have been to show up for dinner party halfway and pay for dessert or whatever. Just a discreet way of doing things differently.

It does highlight one's own financial status to do such things, but I'm certain there is someone else in the same crowd who wants to save money too but hasn't figured out how to do it in a way without offending friends or thinking you are a party-pooper.

Stick to your long-term financial values and goals..you will thank yourself years from now.