There are a lot of conflicting opinions about what the "right" way to spend your twenties is.

Some people argue that it's a decade solely for you, meant to be spent exploring, having fun, and enjoying being young and alive. Others argue that it is the most defining decade of your adult life and it should be spent heavily investing in your future. If you don't work hard and plan ahead in your twenties, you could be headed down a dark road in your thirties and beyond. However, if all you do is work, you might feel like your youth was wasted.

Where is the balance? How can we all live our care-free Kardashian lives of leisure while also setting up a 401K, having health insurance, finding a stable partner, and possibly building a family?

While hindsight is 20/20, older people love to give twenty-somethings advice. Remember though, most of the typical "twenty-something" advice is based on the mistakes whoever is giving the advice made in their twenties. If someone tells you to just relax and have fun, it's probably because they spent their twenties chained to a drab cubicle while their friends backpacked Europe. If someone tells you to save money and get your act together, they probably took one too many backpacking trips. Take all advice with a grain of salt (and tequila!) of course, and remember it's never too late to completely change your life.

When a recent Reddit user asked, "Redditors over 30, what's the most significant thing individuals should do in their 20s?' the internet was ready to share their most profound and impactful words of wisdom. Financial tips seem to take the lead here, but don't forget to wear sunscreen too!

1. Yup, "_fiddle-sticks_"

Look after your body. Eat a balanced diet and exercise regularly. You will appreciate it when you're older.

2. Aw man, "mysisterbetougholms."

smoking cigarettes and alcohol = wrinkles

3. Wear sunscreen! "HankMoodyMaddafakaaa."

I was on a small «cruise boat» in Croatia where we met two asian female tourists who always used sunblock all over their body. We thought they were like 35 years old, turns out they were like 55-60. No fucking wrinkles

4. Work to live don't live to work! "Nolsoth."

Add in quit smoking and enjoy your 20s, don't spend them working 80 hour weeks. Learn to say no, and tell your partner's what you want out of your relationships, be honest with yourself and don't be afraid to fuck up its how you learn.

5. But saving is hard! "SharkOnGames."

Also, save/invest all of your money and stop spending on stupid shit.

You can do plenty of stupid spending in your 30's after you've first got a little nest egg growing for yourself.

Don't worry, you are fully capable of partying/gaming/traveling well into your 30's and beyond. And it'll be way easier to do if you've already got money in the bank, investments setup for retirement, money to pay off your vehicle, large down payment for a house to lower your mortgage payment, etc. All things you can prepare for in your 20's that are much harder to do in your 30's (at least for me, I got my family and house first, then the career/money/investments and I'm always chasing the retirement fund).

Also, brush and floss your teeth every day.

6. I have to cook? "crispysardine."

Stop worrying about finding a life-long career. You might have an interest you want to pursue now. It's ok to switch paths later in life, and the sooner you realize this the less stress and pressure you'll feel.

Learn how to cook. Even a few staple dishes that you can cook for yourself and a few others will take you far.

Take care of yourself, but also recognize that exercising once a week is better than exercising 0 times per week.

Save something. Anything! Have options for a 401k at work?? Do it!! Have $10, $20, $30, $100 dollars you can set aside every month to build up an emergency fund? Do it!! You will be so thankful.

7. Is 30 the new 40? "nahbroski."

Nothing will fuck up your 20’s more than thinking you’re supposed to have your shit together !!!!

Remember this one guys .

8. Shed what is useless! "ReplicatedPenguin."

Take your carefully crafted self-image, and ram your forehead into it until it breaks.

You're not the person you think you are as a teen, and despite feeling smug about figuring that out, you're also not the person you think you are as a twenty-something. The earlier you learn that you will keep changing as a person, the better.

Get your pride hurt, ask yourself questions, shed what is useless, and emerge stronger and more confident.

9. Stretch! "DarMoclan."

Along with all the other good financial advice,

Stretch every day. When you’re sitting watching tv, stretch. Every. Day.

Losing flexibility means losing range of motion and balance. I was super flexible when I was in my teens and twenties. But I didn’t stay on top of things. It gradually creeps in until you finally notice that your balance is shot and it’s hard to reach your toes. Then you break your foot taking the garbage to the curb because your balance is shot.

Stretch. It’s relaxing. It’s meditative. It will improve your future life.

10. 100%, "SamuraiWisdom."

Spend time with your older family members and loved ones. Not only could they be gone really any time, but even if they get old, they'll start to decline and be less capable of engaging with you. It's easy in your 20s to think that you'll have a long time to spend with your family members.

11. Solid, "adjust_the_sails."

Save for retirement.

Always use a condom.

Neither are fun, but both of those things are in your long term interest.

12. Booze IS expensive, "Maximiliaaan."

Don't spend all your money and time on booze. Also, buy things used. Saving money in your 20s helps keep you from getting behind in your 30s.

13. Dental health is key, "RodeoBob."

Habits you form in your 20's will stick around for a while, so get good habits...

Take care of your teeth! Brush. Floss. Use mouthwash. Get regular cleanings. If something hurts, go see the dentist right away. Tooth problems never get better or cheaper on their own, and fixing stuff early is always better than fixing it late.

Take care of your ears. Yeah, I know, earplugs at concerts look lame. Use the soft foam ones. You'll still have a blast, and you'll be able to go to a lot more concerts, a lot longer.

A lot of this stuff falls under the heading of "be nice to Future You", so I guess I'll add: learn to think of "Future You" as a real person that you can be nice to, or be mean to, and practice being nice to Future You.

14. Damn, "sonia72quebec."

Have some fun! I was way too serious in my 20's. I bought a house, did renovations and got in a serious relationship before my 25th birthday. Between a mortgage and car payments I didn't have a lot left for other things.

I wish I had taken time to travel, tried lots of different jobs and had a lot more sex when I was at my physical peak. I didn't realize how gorgeous I was back then.

Now I'm still cute but as an overweight (working on it!) single 46F I feel invisible.

15. SLEEP, "hellsangel31."

Sleep! It’s so vital to our well-being, physically and emotionally, and it rarely seems to be a priority.

16. Cherish your boob years! "Shorse_rider."

prioritise fun and don't waste your best boob years on a guy that doesn't deserve you/them

17. Never look better? Ever again? "Elly_higgenbottom."

Your 20's are for you. You'll never look better or have more energy. Enjoy them to the fullest! If you want kids, wait until your 30's.

18. Too real, "polyscifail."

If you spend your 20s backpacking around world, staying in hostels, and sleeping with random people, you'll probably have a ton of fun. But odds are, you'll also spend your 30s, 40s, and 50s paying off student loans, dealing with a crippling mortgage, and desperately saving for your retirement and kid's college. A typical American life.

If you work your ass off in your 20s, build your career fast, settle down, and save money. You might feel like you wasted your 20s. But, you'll spend your 30s, 40s, and 50s, traveling the world, sleeping in luxury hotels, and doing it with the people you love. Do it right and you'll be on easy street for the rest of your life.

The take away is that your 20s aren't your only time to live, love, or travel. But, they are the time you have the most energy and opportunity to impact your future. But, if you just coast though your 20s, and don't build your career, don't developer yourself, don't travel, and don't do anything of note, then you'll end up with the worst of both worlds. You'll wake up in your 30s with a lot of catching up to do, but w/o anything to show for it.

18 people over 30 give life-saving advice to people in their 20s. Don't have kids.