It has occurred to me that there are many pitfalls in life that can handicap people from ever being able to not struggle in life or not be TPOS moochers.

This thread should serve as a list of guidelines to follow for our young people to avoid potential mis-steps that could jeopardize their financial future.

First, is a list of what NOT to do:
1. Don't use tobacco products. Smoking/chewing tobacco is an expensive habit that can lead to much more expensive health problems down the road. It can also age you prematurely and gives off a less than professional perception.

2. Don't do drugs. This isn't a moral issue, but a financial one. Drugs are an expensive habit. The ability to pass a drug test is a prerequisite for a lot of high-paying jobs. Also, drug arrests on your record can make getting a job much much more difficult and the costs of going to court can near bankrupt a young person.

3. Don't get pregnant/get anyone pregnant unless you're married AND can afford it (aka plan it). If you're a woman, getting pregnant will immediately eliminate at least 1 month worth of revenue earning potential plus create an extra dependent who will require a massive amount of expensive medical care, attention, education, ect. If you are a guy, child support gets pricey. This situation can often lead to shotgun marriages and nasty divorces. An unplanned pregnancy often creates a lot of poverty.

4. Don't get arrested. This is often difficult in our modern police state. The average american commits an average of 3 actionable felonies PER DAY. The key all comes down to how one interacts with police normally and how one makes strides to minimize one's contact with officers. Always be courteous, Always be complaint, know your rights (but don't be a dick about them), NEVER submit to a field sobriety test, secretly video all interactions when possible, and NEVER resist arrest in any capacity.

5. Don't take on more debt than you can afford. Too many people get caught in a cycle of credit card debt, car notes, mortgages, and student loan debt. Don't buy shite just for fun. Make sure every major debt purchase either builds an asset that will increase in value beyond the payments on that loan, creates an asset needed for generating income, or creates or improves an asset that will itself bring in additional revenue.

6. Don't listen to school guidance counselors when it comes to post-HS plans, they're useless. Don't f&%k up, fill out your FAFSA, and if you don't know if you want to go to college, then don't go to college. Get a trade instead. You can always go back to college.

7. Don't get married without a prenup. Divorce is expensive. prenup makes it cheaper for all parties involved.

8. Don't get tattoos that are visible when wearing a polo and slacks. Any more obvious than that and they can start to be a detriment in one's professional development.

9. Don't drive drunk. DUI's are expensive. Also don't drink to excess. Alcohol is expensive.

Things to do:
1. Do well in school. High school is, sadly, important. What you learn is often useless, but your ability to score well on tests will go a long way in getting scholarships that can reduce potential student loan debt. ACT and SAT scores are huge for this. Getting tutors is particularly helpful. Doing well in college (particularly over a 3.5 GPA) will open a lot of doors as many employers often set GPA floors and will not interview anyone who does not meet at least a certain benchmark (generally 3.0, 3.3, or 3.5).

2. Get work experience as a teenager. I can't stress this one enough. This experience, no matter what it is, is mission critical for landing internships (the real gateway to a job) during college or apprenticeships. This is often very difficult on account of so many older people now working jobs that were traditionally filled by teens. Use every family connection possible if you must, but do some kind of job, ANY job.

3. If you don't want to go to college, DON'T Go TO COLLEGE. Get a Trade. You never hear about it in high school, but tradesmen make bank. Plumbers, welders, electricians, HVAC technicians, auto mechanics, contractors, ect can name their own price right now and still be turning down work. There is a huge demand and a low supply. If you don't like it, you'll make enough money to go to college on your own dime, and you'll probably have a much better idea of what you want to do.

4. Learn in everything you do. No one ever starts out particularly good at anything. Natural talents may make learning a particular skill easier for some than others, but they all had to start from being kinda terrible at it. Constantly strive to improve. You're going to fail...ALOT...that's a good thing. Each failure is a learning experience. Never stop learning, never stop growing.

5. Budget. Find out exactly what it takes to keep you alive and productive producing revenue and budget needing slightly more than that so you can still have some creature comforts. The rest of your largess needs to be saved or invested. Building emergency funds is critical. Cars break down, people get sick, accidents, fires, ect. shite happens. A lack of an emergency fund can make those issues more ruinous than necessary. For what's outside of the emergency fund, make sure that money is working for you. Money loses value over time, so if it's not increasing itself, you're literally watching your money burn. My dollar today may not be worth much, if anything less tomorrow, but it damn sure will be worth less in 20 years.

6. Cook more than you eat out. Jambalaya is super cheap to make, as is speghetti. Crock pot roasts over rice go a long way. Learn to cook simple meals and it will definitely save money in the long run.

7. Never stop gaining skills. Everyone needs to have some kind of skill that sets them apart from others. Learn music, woodworking, gardening, sewing, telling jokes, writing stories, writing articles, baking, candlestick making, ANYTHING. It will make you more valuable, well-rounded, interesting, and fun.

8. Home-making skills are money in the bank. Sewing can save you money on clothes. Gardening can decrease your food costs. Cleaning can reduce health costs. Carpentry, plumbing, mechanics, electrical knowledge can reduce repair bills.

Tips for living (aka blatant stereotyping that often is helpful)
1. Always take good notes. They're invaluable for retaining knowledge in all facets of life.

2. If you have to shoot someone, shoot them below the knee so it's not attempted murder, just assault with a deadly weapon.

3. There is only so much money someone can earn by their own labors. The key to wealth is assets that generate money when you're not around. This includes real-estate, patent royalties, dividends, and business ownership. Work should be done with 3 focuses in mind: keeping one's self and family alive and able (prepared for doing well in school, healthy, able to generate revenue, ect), stockpiling wealth for retirement, and building up savings to purchase revenue producing assets.

4. There are only 2 certainties in life, death and taxes. Plan for the first and take excellent records to make the most of the second.

5. Perception is reality. How people perceive you is incredibly indicative of how successful you will be in social interactions, job interviews, networking, ect. This has to do with hygiene, clothing style choices, hair care, personal habits, tattoos, ect. Look and act high value, and people will assume you're high value. Look sharp, speak with authority, and carry a clipboard and 99% of people will do whatever you say. This applies to jobs, relationships, everything.

Good luck and feel free to add your own