Living Single didn't look like this.
Just like many people my age, I enjoy sports. Having long given up on the dream of playing professionally, my sports high comes from watching games rather than playing them. Here's where living the young (i.e. financially challenged) post-college life is really not letting Bryan be Bryan.
Sports are on cable. Cable is expensive. Jobs that you get shortly after college typically don't allow for much flexibility when it comes to these luxuries. So I've made several sacrifices, most of which are negatively impacting Sallie Mae more than me, in order to get my baseball, football and basketball fix. But it's still. not. enough. This season's HBO's Hard Knocks features my Atlanta Falcons and my already stretched budget can't afford the extra charge for premium channels. So while the rest of Georgia blissfully watches the birds' grunt, hit and curse their way through training camp, I'm forced to find other options for Tuesday night time killing.
Most 20-somethings are faced with giving up a pleasure because of the newly found constraints of adulthood, many of which come from just not having the disposable income we were used to in high school and college. This, on the surface, is a bad thing. However, there are always ways to turn time away from cable/ dining out/ shopping into productive activity that could change your life for the better. Here are a few good options to choose:
Exercise
This doesn't require an expensive gym membership. At 23, I trained to run my first 10k using running shoes and gym clothes already in my closet. The only money I spent came during the race registration, months after started prepping at local parks and scenic streets throughout town. By this time, I had already reached my fitness goals and was in much better shape whether I was going to run the race or not.
Read... a book!
...from the library! That big building I never wanted to visit after undergrad became broke 20-something heaven for me once I discovered all the free reading I could do. Amazon isn't necessary when you not only have your choice of books, but also movies to pick from without paying a cent.
Experiential building
This is one of those fancy phrases that the thousands of dollars I spent on college helped me come up with. It really just means "do new stuff." There are organizations that, just like you, don't have much extra money to spend. Utilize them for volunteer opportunities that can give you a great way to kill dead time, build up your resume for the job you really want and -most importantly- help others.
Cook at home
You have to eat. Do it while saving money and building skills that will impress your future spouse.
I've learned that your 20s aren't going to provide peak earning years, that doesn't mean they don't offer great value.
