Honestly, above 30 people don't take me seriously. They are like "Dude, you are still a full time student, what would you know about money and stuff". Just attempt to discuss things is enough to get that sort of a reaction.
Over the years, I have learnt that people usually think they are making the smartest money moves by themselves and don't need any exchange of thoughts to refine those moves. Leads to some kind of a box-type attitude.
I quit trying to talk to any older, "wiser" people in my life when I was in college. I was talking to my mom about my huge debt load and how little income I ended up with. Her suggestion was to "just double my car payment." At that moment, I realized I was on my own.
Well, I'm over 30, and I'm with your sister: You go, girl!
Being wise with your money means that you end up living quite differently than most people today, because most people don't live wisely when it comes to their money. It's encouraging that you learned to be money-wise somewhere...it's too bad that your parents just don't seem to understand, because you are on the right track.
I was recently heartened by the fact that my 19 y.o. daughter said she was planning to open a Roth IRA and make regular contributions to it, even while in college. She knows how I view saving money (I even worry sometimes she thinks I'm too darn cheap) and we've had talks about it, but I can't recall telling her specifically to open a Roth. Like you, she learned it somewhere...
I'm over 40 
Most of the PF Bloggers seem to be on the right track. Sometimes I wonder whether those that aren't in huge debt are a bit too worried or concerned about their finances and trying to save too hard rather than enjoy life while they're young. I didn't hit a positive net worth or really start saving till I was over 30 and earning surplus income above my living expenses. If I'd been too worried about building net worth I wouldn't have gone to grad school - or gone to some more lucrative field - i.e MBA, accounting etc.. Or travelled. I don't regret the path I took. I have a very high savings rate now though - if I had children this might not be possible.
I am over 30 and I have to admit that I envy the people in their 20's who really have their finances in order and have a solid game plan. Even though I can't complain about my own situation, I would be much better off if I had your discipline at such a young age.
And I would just ignore the noise from the "non-believers". They won't understand what you're doing until they realize that their finances will never allow them to retire comfortably. Hence, another Walmart greeter will be born...
My in-laws are a subversive anchor on our plans. They say that any sort of investing is too risky, and that we "can't go wrong with CDs." They think our MMSA is a "risky" place to keep money. They imply that my husband will be receiving a huge inheritance (HA!) and that we're being foolish to save at this point.
My parents are our cheerleaders, almost pessimistically so. They say "save now, because when you have kids, you can forget it." A little unpleasant, maybe, but better to have too much than too little where retirement's concerned, no?
Great post! I think you nailed it when you talked about your friend in her 40's. I'm 31, but I find that people who belong to previous generations have a very skewed perspective on finance simply because they inherited a different reality around money. My parents can see that the mentality they had as young adults is no longer appropriate given changes in Social Security, etc. In a sense, the challenges our generation faces are helping us to think outside the box. We don't see it as "being screwed" because we can't afford to see it that way. We have to keep looking forward and getting smarter. You really got me thinking with this post!
Thanks, Erek
I love how you equate "geeking out" with talking about personal finance.
That's so true in my case. Up here in Canada, whenever I start talking about my RRSP (our government-sponsored retirements savings plan) I can literally see my friends eyes' gloss over. I maybe know two or three people who know anything about it, and I can talk with them incessantly. I talk about which dividend stock to buy the way computer nerds talk about processor speed -- with lust in their eyes.
I love this idea for a carnival, by the way. I find the Carnival of personal finance has gotten too big and unwieldy for my liking, so I'm glad there's one out there with rigid rules to make sure it's tailored to exactly my interests. I'm sure I'll be a frequent contributor and regular reader.
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