Free Advice, Anyone ?

I am sure you also get this a lot, some are wanted and some unwanted. Some are meaningful while some have no meaning whatsoever. People love giving, while they are not keen receivers. I get it all the time - I am like a magnet when it comes to unsolicited advice.

I admit, there are some exceptions though. There are times when I look for advice from a very select group of people - my mom tops the list, followed by my hubby and then Google. I thought Google was immune to providing unsolicited advice. However, I was proved wrong when I stumbled up on this one during one of those ego-surfing trips (okay, that's googling about yourself). I just couldn't help clicking at the link which said 'advice to the younger generation' after one of my recent posts about life's instruction manual. I know what you are thinking, it is not entirely unsolicited but there we are.

It was a research from Aviva (a large insurer) on top financial advice from retirees to the younger generation. As I was reading through the article, i started scoring myself and my views against each of them

1.     To have fewer children – I think that’s a wise advice particularly if you have a notorious one like mine (Obviously they are hinting at the phenomenal the cost of raising kids)

2.     Keep a tight lid on the cost of the big day - well, this is already done with, but one to keep an eye on if you are planning to splurge as you take the plunge

3.     Shop around with every penny – I love doing this, through thorough research (aka window shopping) before landing on that right pair of shoes at the right price.

4.     Drop designer labels – Yeah I am not fussy about the labels, as a matter of fact I love street shopping and never leave a good bargain!

5.     Don’t use credit – This is a difficult one and I would say use credit wisely (i.e. use credit cards for convenience, detest personal loans etc)

6.     Spend less on cars – I agree great value to be had from this if you think cars as a mode of transport to get you from A to B.

That's not too bad. My grand mother would have been proud. I have to confess this self assessment would have been lot worse had I answered these some 4 years back. I think starting a family forces you to think about your financial future and more pecuniary aspects of life.

You can read the full study on: http://www.aviva.com/media/news/13583/ 
Image courtesy: www.afriendlyadvice.com