r/AskReddit 23h ago

What looked unimportant in your 30s but turned out to matter enormously?

2.2k Upvotes

294 comments sorted by

2.5k

u/1362313623 23h ago

Exercising, sleep, and flossing

804

u/selene4ever_ 20h ago

Basically all the boring advice adults gave us was annoyingly correct

210

u/Alfred_The_Sartan 18h ago

The old fucks were trying to save us from ourselves. Still, following that whole bag of advice seems like a way to die rich and without stories to tell.

45

u/is_mr_clean_there 13h ago

I can eat an apple at 65 seems like a pretty rad story

5

u/TheGreatRavenOfOden 5h ago

Most people die poor with no stories to tell.

41

u/ZealousidealFill1871 11h ago

Nothing humbles you quite like getting older and realizing your parents were right about almost everything.

8

u/SlowWally 6h ago

Yeah and the worst part is you can't even go back and tell them they were right, they already know

8

u/VioletRuinPetal 8h ago

The annoying part is realizing they weren’t trying to ruin our fun, they were trying to save us from learning everything the hard way.

108

u/douglasbanksmc 16h ago

My dentist told me "you only have to floss the teeth you want to keep."

Thought he was just being cheeky until my first root canal bill in my late 30s cost as much as a used car.

9

u/mongoliandragon 8h ago

26, dealing with this right now.

15

u/Maximum_Elevator8874 14h ago

I've been paying a Medicare credit card off for years on a single root canal. If I lived closer to Mexico id just go there, honestly. 

13

u/zeg685 9h ago

It's the shitty american health insurance system. Fly anywhere into eastern Europe and you'll escape with a root canal costing around 1000 eur for treatment+dental crown.

It's medical tourism. Lots of people do it

3

u/DiamondBurInTheRough 6h ago

Just be prepared to travel back to the international dentist for any post op issues you may have.

→ More replies (3)
→ More replies (5)

4.0k

u/alphawolf29 23h ago

saving for retirement. Every dollar saved now is going to be 3-4 dollars in retirement. Every dollar saved in your late fifties is just a dollar.

964

u/goodsam2 23h ago

Every dollar saved by 30 doubles every 10ish years in the stock market so you are underselling it.

$1 saved at 30 at the average stock market rate would double by 40, by 50, by 60 and then 65. Would be 10.67x your contributions. Even cutting a decade off is 5.4x

291

u/CombatMuffin 22h ago

In some countries, private retirement investment plans are also 100% tax deductible, as long as you don't touch the money until retirement age, and any money you contribute is tax deductible as well.

So not only are you investing your money, you are doing at zero fiscal expense.

119

u/alphawolf29 21h ago

the canadian TFSA is absolutely insane if you can get it rolling early enough. You pay income tax on the money you earn, you put that money into the TFSA, then any gains made by that again are never taxed again. I'll be making about 100k/yr in tax free gains at retirement.

65

u/maniacreturns 20h ago

In the United States this is called a Roth IRA, it's money invested out of pocket (already taxed) that can be withdraw tax free in the future, including all gains.

16

u/Dalewyn 17h ago

Sometimes called ROTH, shorthand for Returns On The House.

With so many people mistakenly all-capsing it, might as well give it a meaningful definition.

12

u/Bamres 19h ago

I recently started a job that does a TFSA 50% Match which is super rare, usually its only RRSP.

→ More replies (3)

8

u/Then_Sir7372 12h ago

Financial literacy regarding local tax codes should be taught in high school, so many people miss out on these deductions simply because nobody explained them.

2

u/Special_Kestrels 7h ago

I get what you're saying, but it's sort of a waste to teach it in high school when you're not going to remember that shit when you actually have a job.

2

u/Ill-Sign-1880 17h ago

That's honestly the part people overlook. The tax advantage can be just as valuable as the investment itself, especially when you give it decades to compound.

13

u/Little-Profession538 11h ago

Compound intrest is crazy even just starting a decade earlier changes everything

2

u/SpecialistWorth2889 6h ago

This is the thing nobody tells you loudly enough when you're actually 22 and broke

2

u/EnemyCharizard 2h ago

People do tell you. It falls on deaf ears for the most part unfortunately. I've given up in trying to get most of my friends on board with the concept of saving for the future, and these are people in their 30s with children. I know for a fact we all learned the same information in high school. It's not an information issue, it's a mentality issue.

6

u/FrighteningPickle 11h ago

Do not forget inflation and capital gains tax, still absolutely mandatory to invest 15-30% of your income, imo.

2

u/goodsam2 8h ago

Inflation is already calculated in there. Average growth is around 10% with 3% inflation so 7% growth rate which is what I quoted.

LTCG is 0% for numbers below ~$50k for 1 person or $100k for 2 people. Also some of this would ideally be in 401k or Roth which are taxed at lower rates.

→ More replies (2)

2

u/JStanten 9h ago

And if you have a typical 401k at least some of that investment will double at 0 and then start compounding.

→ More replies (8)

96

u/Then_Sir7372 18h ago

The hardest part is explaining this to your 30-year-old self when life expenses are currently peaking.

19

u/Different-Process-93 15h ago

Try to save 15% of your gross into your retirement. Auto deposit it so you don't see it and forget about it and budget around that 85% (after tax).

Honestly we're in a terrible retirement crisis right now. So save what you can.

3

u/LAManjrekars 8h ago

Thank god for super...

8

u/Then_Sir7372 12h ago

 Set it to auto increase by 1% every time you get a raise or promotion, you won't even feel the shift.

27

u/Frequent_Annual4463 19h ago

The earlier you start, the more time does the heavy lifting for you.

2

u/GoroPoroTree 9h ago

This is the most underrated part, it's less about discipline and more about just not having to fight your future self as hard for the same result

10

u/Soggy-Bird8339 11h ago

Compound interest is one of those things you barely notice in your 30s, then suddenly wish you had taken way more seriously.

247

u/Winter_Swan5104 22h ago

Until the billionaires start raiding the 401Ks which, they’re trying to. And literally no one is stopping them.

57

u/CombatMuffin 21h ago

You have no idea what you are talking about. Billionaires already use the money in your retirement funds. That's literally how some of the money for retirement is made: they get access to the funds, and must guarantee a return on that investment.

A lot of investment funds work by tapping into sovereign funds, some of which includes pension plans. They make successful business ventures, get a cut of the proceeds, but so do the pensioners. Though not a perfect system (and has been abused), t he investments are highly regulated and supervised so as to protect the pensioners.

They aren't raiding the pensions, "they" (banks, funds, orgs) are moving the money, because static money devalues, and the whole point of the pension is to grow over time.

25

u/boblabon 18h ago

Then when, not if, they make bad bets (looking at you subprime mortgages) they go crying to the federal government with their hands outstretched saying "b-b-b-but that's people's RETIREMENT MONEY. Cash is fine."

Privatize the gains, socialize the losses.

7

u/Different-Process-93 15h ago

Key word is "raiding". Many of the index funds at least have some semblance of slow and steady.

And with the recent Space X debacle, they did try to "raid" it. Probably knew the evaluation was high so they tried to change to rules to get a large amount of money, then sell so many people's retirement would crash.

4

u/Winter_Swan5104 16h ago

Wasn’t the SpaceX ipo crazy evaluation done in way, and lobbied for, to fast track it’s inclusion in the indexes? Which forced 401ks to buy in?

→ More replies (2)

162

u/ChaplnGrillSgt 22h ago

Vote Democrat in November if you don't want it happening.

32

u/Pilgorepax 18h ago

Bless your heart for thinking they won't do it too

19

u/ChaplnGrillSgt 10h ago

Well one side has been convicted literally dozens of times for fraud (among other even more disgusting convictions) and repeatedly passed legislation/EOs to remove protections for average Americans. While the other side has worked to increase consumer protections and regulate corporations trying to take advantage of the American people.

Certainly some bad ones on the left. That's why the primaries are so incredibly important and why those turds need to be voted out of office just as quickly as the rapist Republicans.

37

u/Krozek 16h ago

'Both sides bad'

7

u/aerostriker77 15h ago

This but unironically

→ More replies (2)

22

u/sosthaboss 22h ago edited 22h ago

Please explain how you think billionaires will “raid 401ks”

Edit: I read what I assume you’re pulling this from: https://archive.is/DH4nF

You know you are supposed to do your research for your 401k and actually look at what your selected fund is investing in right? Is our opinion of the American people so low that we don’t think they are capable of choosing a fund which invests in what they want to? Hmm yeah people are pretty dumb I guess… but still. You can just choose a fund without all this crap

6

u/Dalewyn 17h ago

Is our opinion of the American people so low that we don’t think they are capable of choosing a fund which invests in what they want to?

Yes, the vast majority of Americans (and frankly all people in general) do not know WTF a 401k or retirement account is let alone the alphabet soup of tickers. Most don't have one, and if they have one it's likely because their employer forced it on them and any money inside is likely sitting in cash or swept by default into some MMF or TDF.

The banshees screaming the olis will plunder the four oh wons likewise don't understand how any of this works.

39

u/dovaahkiin_snowwhite 20h ago

Many companies give very limited options for 401k plans, so "do your own research about what you're investing in" can only take you so far.

6

u/sosthaboss 20h ago

If there is a company out there that ONLY offers funds with crypto etc then everybody should run the hell away from that company. Do you really think that’s what they’re gonna limit it to? Trump can’t control what every company offers to their employees.

6

u/dovaahkiin_snowwhite 19h ago

Where did crypto come from. SpaceX and such can be pump and dump things too, but its a legitimate stock. Raiding 401k's can look different from just crypto scams. And given the job market, everyone can't just run away from a job because their 401k options are fucked. People have bills to pay.

4

u/StoneCypher 21h ago

stop weaponizing your unawareness 

10

u/sosthaboss 20h ago

Literally did my own research and responded with the actual source. Are you blind holy fuck

→ More replies (7)
→ More replies (1)

23

u/jimpiercest 16h ago

Watching coworkers in their late 60s realize they can never afford to retire is genuinely terrifying. Completely cured me of the "I'll just start saving aggressively in my 40s when I make more money" mindset.

5

u/Vicstolemylunchmoney 14h ago

I'm grateful that a CEO told me to convert to high growth, and add more to it than the minimum. Decades later my retirement is looking good. Save folks!

5

u/MagicMoa 9h ago

I’ve made a lot of mistakes, but I thank my younger self almost daily for having made a Roth IRA the week I got my first job at 18.

4

u/Icy_Nothing_2917 11h ago

compound interest is brutal, late fifties savings barely move the needle

2

u/jfoust2 8h ago

Let's not forget how inflation eats away at this.

$100 in 1985 had the power of $310 today.

$100 in 2001 has the same purchasing power as $188 today.

3

u/alphawolf29 3h ago

its irrelevant since the money grows significantly faster than inflation, and my numbers already account for inflation. If you include inflation your money grows like 10x.

4

u/Roki_ 14h ago

Jokes on you I don't plan to retire. 

8

u/AB_7361 12h ago

Jokes on you, my retirement plan is to die

→ More replies (10)

1.8k

u/Telrom_1 23h ago

Retirement savings. I didn’t think the tiny contributions would matter. They really mattered a lot!

336

u/Oseirus 23h ago edited 23h ago

It is surprising how even my just a basic, rudimentary savings account can start to balloon when you make regular contributions to it. Doesn't even have to be much, just put the money away and don't touch it and you can start building a pretty good pad within a year or two. Obviously a $50 contribution won't be enough to buy a vacation any time soon, but having the emergency funds for a thin paycheck or being able to buy a fun one-off event for the family without dipping into bill money can be a huge godsend.

159

u/DankVectorz 22h ago

I’ve been putting away $ 100/paycheck (bi weekly) in a HYSA in my daughter’s name since shortly after she was born. Don’t even notice it. In those 4 years it’s over $8k now. Kicking myself for not doing the same for me when I was younger.

24

u/Lord_Phoenix95 19h ago

Yes. Parents should do this more often. Even $20 a week for 18 years would be more beneficial than not doing it. DO IT FOR THE KIDS. So their future can be theirs and not one of poverty.

If I ever have a kid I'm doing this because it just feels like a better investment.

You can get them a good jump start in life by doing this. It will be upwards of $25k.

87

u/ChaplnGrillSgt 22h ago

You should consider putting it in a 529 instead. Tax free contributions and tax free withdrawals when used for education expenses (includes college, room and board, books, AND trade school). A portion can also be moved to a IRA once she's 18 if she doesn't pursue further education. Just invest the contributions into a broad market index fund (VOO, VT, or VTI for example)

37

u/DankVectorz 21h ago

I do $250/check to her 529

12

u/oxnardhard 18h ago

Good poppa

→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (1)

3

u/ponto-au 21h ago

You have been putting in 2600 a year and it's at 8k instead of 10k?

4

u/DankVectorz 21h ago

As I said, since shortly after she was born. Might be a few months or a year or so, I don’t remember exactly when I started

32

u/ChaplnGrillSgt 22h ago

One caveat. You should absolutely touch it to make sure it's invested. Don't just put it into a retirement account and let it sit there univested.

The entire process can be automated. By and far the best way to do it is by automating.

20

u/Eolu 21h ago

It’s really hard to get a sense of it in the beginning when you put some money in and see it waddle up and down. Especially if you start in a badly-performing year (or a badly-performing decade) and feel like you’re just not seeing the point.

It can even be hard when you look back and see that if you put 1$ in 30 years ago it would be 10$ now. Seems like an awfully slow way to make 9$.

But at that point you realize what that means if you put in some of every paycheck you make.

7

u/jcar49 19h ago

I'm 32 now, started a 401k just before my 30th birthday, started a Roth IRA a year later, and just now transferred my HSA from optum to fidelity because my only options were medical investments fidelity is much more broad

5

u/Telrom_1 18h ago

I’m in my late 40s and started in my early 20s! I can’t belive how well it did!

2

u/jcar49 18h ago

You willing to tell how long it took you to hit 100k?

2

u/Sharp-Tax8140 12h ago

Fidelity's a solid move got most of my guys' 401k matched there through the company plan. You'll see the difference in fees and options right away.

36

u/ChaplnGrillSgt 22h ago

Compound interest is the secret to wealth.

→ More replies (7)

15

u/dorairt 22h ago

compound interest is the closest thing to actual magic that exists in the real world

5

u/Lord_Phoenix95 19h ago

I'm planning on doing some contributing to my super. In Australia you can claim 15% on Tax.

→ More replies (1)

859

u/No_Personality535 23h ago

Sleep

227

u/erok25828 23h ago

Right answer lol. Used to do drugs and say I’ll sleep when I die. Put some
Major city miles on my body.

80

u/justbrowsing987654 23h ago

This! I sleep like a champ these days. Going to bed at 10pm is glorious. I maybe did that intentionally five times in my 20s when healthy.

32

u/erok25828 23h ago

Hundreds if not thousands of all nighters for me.

12

u/justbrowsing987654 22h ago

I rarely pulled an all nighter but the old out til 2 up at 7-8ish was pretty routine

3

u/MazeMouse 14h ago

I used to do the 2am to 8am routine and slept gloriously. Lights out when my head hit the pillow and didn't even need an alarm to wake well rested at 8am.
These days I spend an hour tossing and turning to finally fall asleep at roughly 11pm and my alarm clock wakes me up at 6am feeling like I got hit by a truck and had negative sleep.

6

u/erok25828 22h ago

Good for you. My brother slept a lot and rarely stayed up all night. He’s like 3 or 4 inches taller than me.

→ More replies (1)

11

u/zheka_1992_grishin 23h ago

sleep was unimportant till i turn 21

→ More replies (1)

616

u/Sathirel 23h ago

Doing exercises and be serious about it. Push yourself to get fit (being an athlete is not necessary).

Some things I found hard to do last year are now so easy, this is so fun to be able to climb a lot of stairs and not be sweaty and out of breath, lifting heavy bags, being able to stand long hours, stop fearing to lose balance or fall and get hurt, etc. It gives so much confidence I wouldn't go back.

29

u/MagicMoa 9h ago

Your point about being serious about it and pushing yourself is so important. 

I see so many people in the gym (or whatever your workout of choice is) going through the motions and never pushing themselves hard. You won’t get far that way. 

A big part of my own gym success has been willing to challenge myself, constantly progress, go past failure sometimesc and taking my accessory work as seriously and intensely as my main lifts. Obviously I do this within reason, learning good form and injury prevention should come first.

5

u/mtinsideout 2h ago

I'd say for anyone just starting to workout, don't push it. Do just enough so that you don't hate it, consistency is so much more important than pushing it. While pushing it from time to time is beneficial to some degree, injuring yourself or burning out doesn't do any good for long term health benefits.

→ More replies (1)

130

u/yumi1115 19h ago

Sleep.

In your 30s it’s easy to treat bad sleep like a minor inconvenience, something you can power through with caffeine and spite. Then later you realize it was quietly affecting your mood, weight, patience, memory, relationships, and basically your entire operating system.

Boring answer, but sleep debt collects interest.

36

u/Rhiis 16h ago

Reading this, at nearly 11p, when I need to be at work at 4:30 for a sixteen hour shift, has me feeling attacked.

Please cease immediately, or I will cry.

6

u/virora 12h ago

It's just that if you sleep badly but neither sleep hygiene nor OTC meds seem to help, and some rudimentary blood tests don't show any problems, you're screwed. There is no help, doctors don't care, there's absolutely nothing you can do about it except continue to sleep badly.

348

u/gemmacosta 21h ago

When you are in your 30s, many of us had parents in their 60s who were retired, healthy, and self-sufficient. It was easy to treat visits as optional and prioritize the other chaos of life. But their autonomy can degrade rapidly in the 70s. And by the time you feel like you can spend time with them, they may be less able to travel or converse on the same level as before.

77

u/kagzig 15h ago

This is the most important comment. It’s perhaps doubly true for 30-somethings with kids and healthy parents.

If you are lucky, there will be some window in which all of the most important people in your life are alive and in your life at the same time - your parents, siblings, spouse, children - and that window probably overlaps with your 30s.

If you are *also* lucky enough to have positive relationships with your parents and siblings, do absolutely everything you can to arrange your life to optimize this precious window.

17

u/Thatdudeovertheir 13h ago

I'm in this window now, thanks I needed to hear this

8

u/SpreadLost8703 17h ago

this hit me hard.,

473

u/fayyt 23h ago

Diet. I could eat anything in my 20's and be unshakable. Hitting my 30s and having to plan some meals around being balanced so i didnt feel like waking death was a revelation

120

u/rigorcorvus 22h ago

I just had fast food for the first time in a few years and I thought I was going to die after

29

u/_Football_Cream_ 21h ago

Building good habits all around. Same in my 20s I was just eating out and not working out no problem. I’m happy now at 32 I have my most consistent workout regiment since I was like in high school. And making meals at home a lot more.

But getting here did not happen overnight. It takes a decent amount of time and effort effort to learn how to grocery shop, how to have things on hand that can lead to a number of recipes, learning when and how you want to fit exercise into your routines etc.

7

u/fayyt 18h ago

Happy for you. im fat and shit myself daily.

→ More replies (1)

5

u/MazeMouse 14h ago

Get checked for pre-diabetes too in that case.

I've hit type2 fully and since I started treatment on that and balancing my diet around staying within all the healthy markers having a "cheat meal" really ruins me and isn't even worth it anymore. (High heartrate, acid reflux, diarrhea)
On the plusside, I've never felt better than when I'm sticking to my diet.

99

u/jiv4nko 21h ago

didn't think flossing mattered much until my gums started sending me hate mail every morning

452

u/pedroiodico 23h ago

Healthy, significant high school and college friendships. They've been key for me to not go down through my divorce process.

Life (marriage, kids, work) kept us apart for many years, but they showed up when I needed it most!!

I thought they were gone forever but they've saved me.

111

u/Oseirus 23h ago

As someone who is an unmitigated asshole and alienated all his friends... Cherish the people around you. Be good to them so they have an excuse to be good to you when you need it most. Don't be like me and trade friendships for basically nothing. You end up alone, bitter, sad, and tired from carrying the weight of life and no one really to vent it to.

I'm married but even that ain't really the same thing. Sometimes you just need a third party, someone who's willing to see you through an honest, objective lens that isn't clouded by the thin politeness that comes from living together.

I miss having friends and someone to just flat out bullshit with.

8

u/StarshipGoldfish 14h ago

I moved countries to live with my best friend. If they're salvageable, man, reach out!

141

u/sneakyburrito 23h ago

Unexplained back and shoulder pain. I figured the unrelenting knot in my shoulder was just part of getting older. Turns out I was developing degenerative disc disease and had a catastrophic rupture at 37. I’m now 39, fused from C5-C7 and scheduled for C4-C5 before my 40th birthday.

Please don’t ignore or wave away weird pain and tingling.

26

u/uppinthepunx 23h ago

What kind of doctor did you go to to get this checked on?

31

u/sneakyburrito 23h ago

So … ended up with orthopedics after the emergency. I had mentioned it to my primary multiple times and they weren’t concerned at all. The only way to tell if you have spinal disc issues is via MRI. Not X-ray, not CT scan. If you’re concerned about it, for sure look up cervical nerve symptoms. And find an orthopedic practice. GL, internet friend.

7

u/uppinthepunx 23h ago

I’m just thinking about general aches and pains and wondering if it’s from my physically demanding job or just being in my mid 30s. Definitely need to stretch more.

2

u/ComeAlongPond1 15h ago

Neurosurgeons also treat herniated discs. I had a lumbar disc rupture and had a terrible experience with an orthopedic surgeon and got a second opinion from a neurosurgeon (on the advice of my dad who is a doctor but with a different specialty) who was fantastic. Years later I had another herniated disc and couldn’t get in to see that neurosurgeon so I went to an orthopedic surgeon who did a spinal fellowship.

2

u/Swimming-Werewolf795 15h ago

Ortho or even physio can do lots of pain tests to give you clues. Then it's MRI! But often a slipped disc does not cause pain if it is not touching a nerve, meaning it does not need surgery. I would strat with tye pain tests.

6

u/mmmeggs05 18h ago

What kind of weird pain did you get?

3

u/Swimming-Werewolf795 15h ago

Pain like the dentist touching a nerve.

2

u/TheophrastBombast 18h ago

Shit. Thanks for the heads up

→ More replies (1)

85

u/mellifluous-magpie 23h ago

Developing a strong investment plan in my 20s, keeping it locked in, and not selling thinking things are overvalued/a crash is coming/bubble is forming.

Rather FOMO set in repeatedly, I held mostly cash, what few index funds/stocks I had I'd sell off if I thought the market was getting overvalued, etc. Could have been rich by now, but instead piss poor cash returns, taxation on interest, and inflation ate it all up.

39

u/TheRealDon1994 21h ago

Mental health 🥲

110

u/jasoncross00 22h ago

Skin care.

putting on sunscreen every time I went outside. I did NOT do that shit and 20 years later my skin sucks.

358

u/red_eyes 23h ago

Remaining 100%, at all times, debt-free on credit cards

11

u/AnonymousFairy 16h ago

If you aren't good or secure with finances - totally agree. I get it.

Do you not get long term 0% interest cards in the US? In the UK we do, and those who are savvy carry the debt for a couple of years, making money off investing / saving what they would have otherwise spent and then pay off the balance before the term is up. It is called stoozing.

5

u/km89 4h ago

Do you not get long term 0% interest cards in the US?

Long term? No, not really. Usually only for like a year, if that.

→ More replies (8)

173

u/No-Ad5163 23h ago

Daily stretching. Im 29 but like... already I understand.

→ More replies (1)

98

u/BreakfastGirl6 23h ago

Having a good partner

18

u/CapPuzz24 18h ago

it looked unimportant back then because i didnt like me, so anyone that did looked like an idiot

5

u/OutsiderEverywhere 13h ago

part of this due to luck

51

u/YesAnd_Portland 23h ago

Trying various kinds of exercise until I found some that I'd enjoy doing for all the years to come.

→ More replies (1)

22

u/EricJDMBAMD 23h ago

Getting a colonoscopy

6

u/Slink_0 23h ago

Oh God damn. Next July. Thanks for the reminder 😠

4

u/SkepsisJD 16h ago

Other than the prep, its a amazing procedure. Propofol is the greatest drug ever invented.

Just an overwhelmingly warm and peaceful sensation where you try to stay awake but there is zero chance. Out in a few seconds. And without any passage of time you are waking up in recovery after the greatest nap of your life.

There is nothing like it! Haha

→ More replies (4)

20

u/Sosimo_13 23h ago

Alcoholism

59

u/Fun-Butterscotch9942 23h ago

Farting without underpants worries.

51

u/anonymomma2 23h ago

401k and a retirement plan

14

u/StudioRemarkable7290 23h ago

Eating healthy, being more financially responsible and strength training

9

u/Ok_Salamander2304 17h ago

Literally all my goals as a mid-30s

13

u/ColdViolinist835 17h ago

keeping up with friendships. in your 20s you just kind of see people because you all go to the same places. in your 30s you have to actually try and by the time you realize nobody is texting first anymore half your friend group is just people you follow on instagram

→ More replies (1)

11

u/vincentcraigbr 16h ago

Flossing and regular dental checkups.

In your 30s you think brushing twice a day is plenty and you can skip the dentist for a few years because nothing hurts. In your 40s and 50s, fixing that neglect will cost as much as a used car and hurt twice as bad.

7

u/dripainting42 19h ago

My credit score.

13

u/Winter_Swan5104 22h ago

Tbh, all of what comes with age. I never really planned on making it to my 40s, I totally partied like I wasn’t. Now I have to hold my phone further away to read it.

5

u/lesacunninghamck 16h ago

Maintaining basic core strength and flexibility.

In your 30s you think you're doing fine because nothing actively aches yet, but you're really just coasting on residual youth. Once you hit your 40s, you find out real quick that reaching awkwardly for a dropped remote can take your lower back out of commission for an entire week.

7

u/beezuzfafoon 3h ago

If you're in your early 30's now and have poor eating habits, you really need to lock in and course correct now. It becomes so much more difficult to do down the line.

11

u/BeautyNeverRests 20h ago

Not in my 30s

But all my coworkers who are happier at work seem to have developed the habit for studying for certifications or learning something new consistently

Studying?

5

u/Missbellalu 17h ago

warming up before lifting. my knee taught me that one the hard way

5

u/Melodic-Peak-9340 17h ago

taking care of your body tbh sleep posture dental stuff all feels easy to ignore in your 30s until suddenly it really isnt

14

u/karmapolicemn 17h ago

Flossing for retirement. Every floss now is going to be 3-4 flosses in retirement. Every floss accomplished in your late fifties is just a floss.

9

u/MissdermeanerJ 23h ago

Investing.

7

u/gg_teataker 23h ago

Physical fitness. I'm still early in my 30s so I'll invest in my fitness for sure.

4

u/Consistent_Bad2957 19h ago

Investment in health and fitness and investing money for future safety

5

u/Constant-Beat9524 18h ago

Stretching is honestly underrated. I sat at a desk for years without thinking about it and my back just started falling apart in my early 30s. Ten minutes of morning stretching changed everything for me. It felt silly at first but now it is the one habit I will not skip.

4

u/TheHungJudge 18h ago

In my 30s I thought it didn’t matter much who I spent time with as long as things were fun. Later I realised the people around you either raise your standards or slowly lower them. Being selective about who gets access to you changes everything.

3

u/Status_Peach6969 13h ago

Investing. I had a suspicion of the stocks, but was too scared and lazy to do it when I was 20. Oh the wasted money

5

u/ta4ffplay 10h ago

Sleep 😣

4

u/FishingMoney2780 6h ago

stretching. i laughed at my dad for years now i cant touch my toes without wincing

12

u/RedRedVVine 23h ago

Ovarian reserve (IF you want to have kids)

3

u/DeenaL 17h ago

alcohol consumption

3

u/Me_srsly 14h ago

marrying the wrong girlfriend

3

u/Ald_Nexus 7h ago

Keeping in touch with people. You think you’ll always have time to call or meet up, then suddenly years have passed and some of those people aren’t around anymore.

3

u/mgbgtv8 4h ago

Investing for retirement

3

u/mmellok 4h ago

good posture

3

u/rpc56 3h ago

Future Retirement income

6

u/Zesty_Bug_1000 23h ago

Stretching

4

u/BetterEfficiency8260 16h ago

Deliberately staying in touch with friends. In your 30s you casually let friendships slip because you're busy with career climbs, weddings or toddlers, assuming everyone will just 'pick up where we left off' later. You wake up in your late 40s and realize your entire social circle has slowly evaporated, and making genuine friends from scratch in midlife is brutal

2

u/Lucinnda 15h ago

Taking care of my health. I used to think, "Hey, I'll worry about that later." So I can't be too annoyed that "later" has arrived. I think I believed that I wasn't going to live this long. Sober 40 years, so that helped. But I'm still stuck with some bad health choices.

2

u/watching_sam 12h ago

yes.having a keep eye for investment is important,especially at this crucial stage of life,around thirty years old,when it's time to make decisions about accumulating wealth for ourselves.

2

u/iqbalsn 9h ago

Wisdom teeth. This is when it gets unbearable for me and had to remove them.

2

u/mrpbeaar 6h ago

my blood pressure. I had a hemorrhagic stroke in my early 40s due to untreated high blood pressure. I had to learn to walk and talk again.

3

u/ColdViolinist835 17h ago

keeping up with friendships. in your 20s you just kind of see people because you all go to the same places. in your 30s you have to actually try and by the time you realize nobody is texting first anymore half your friend group is just people you follow on instagram

5

u/IntroductionWise6918 23h ago

Having a Child

8

u/Comfortable-Habit242 23h ago

What made this seem unimportant but turned out to be important?

→ More replies (10)

14

u/level99mewtwo 23h ago

… definitely not for everyone

9

u/enigT 23h ago

Either way, it matters a lot. Either positively or negatively

5

u/Jg6915 23h ago

Became a dad at 30, can’t say i regret it. I get so much love from my son and he completes me and is my everything.

→ More replies (1)

2

u/leo_of_august 20h ago

8-hour sleeps.

1

u/Swimming_Kitchen_112 23h ago

Creating a family

1

u/SpaceForceAwakens 19h ago

Lending an iPhone charger to a girl name Helena. It always starts in the weirdest ways.

1

u/lee-lee4789 17h ago

Bills damn

1

u/ketchuptheclown 15h ago

Have a plan. I started a 401K and worked a lot while taking night classes in the first half of my 30s. Then I got a house and I bought a motorcycle and road the mountains while I was still young enough to enjoy it. By the way my 20s ended, I never would have figured my 30s would be that productive. Now, I have great memories of riding, a place to live and enough money to eat.

1

u/Responsible_Wrap_254 15h ago

physical activity

1

u/Good-Transition5252 15h ago

Saving for retirement

1

u/kayykayy321 15h ago

PEACE. I didn’t realize how valuable it was until I stopped letting people disturb mine.

1

u/Familiar-Rip9535 15h ago

Sleep. I used to brag about running on 5 hours. Now my body collects that debt with interest every single day.

1

u/Late-Invite9137 14h ago

For retirement

1

u/Able_Leopard_3457 14h ago

Your posture. I genuinely thought this was something older people complained about for no reason.