She Chose Europe Over a House Deposit. Now She's Questioning Everything.

She spent almost everything she'd saved travelling around the world, came home with just $1,000 in her bank account and has $74,000 in HECS debt. Oh, and now she wants to buy a house. At 23.

You'd probably assume this week's Money Diarist has some questionable money habits. But here's where things get interesting, because she's actually doing a whole lot better than you might think.

After years of diligently saving half her income, she decided that travelling, studying in Paris and enjoying her early twenties were worth spending her savings on. And while she wouldn't trade those experiences for anything, there's still that little voice wondering whether she should have put the money towards a house deposit instead.

Now she's earning $75,000 as a law graduate, has rebuilt her savings, started investing in ETFs and has around $12,000 eligible through the First Home Super Saver Scheme. She's also about to move out of home for the first time, which means swapping the comfort of living with her parents for $320 a week in rent, bills and all the other little expenses that somehow add up to a small fortune.

And despite being pretty financially switched on, she's giving herself a C+.

We get into her early investing mistake with crypto, why she's terrified of debt, the $350 she spends on entertainment every fortnight and whether spending your savings on experiences is actually a financial mistake.

Because when you're in your twenties, it can feel like everyone expects you to save for a house, invest for retirement, pay off your HECS and somehow have the time of your life.

Preferably all at once. Which is... ambitious.

But what if spending money on the life you want now isn't necessarily holding you back from building the future you want later?

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