20 great tips people wish they’d known in their 20s that would have made life easier

These bits of advice shared by people on Reddit are absolute eye-openers.

By

Zoheb Alam

Jun 6, 2024

By Zoheb Alam

June 6, 2024

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Entering your twenties is an exciting time filled with endless opportunities. Whether you’re advised to experiment and enjoy life or focus on career growth, this period is universally recognized as a time to make mistakes and learn from them. Embracing your youth with an open mind and a willingness to grow can set a strong foundation for a successful future.

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In a Reddit post, user u/Kitchen_Body_7998 asked, “What’s the one piece of advice you wish you had received at 20 that would have made your life easier?” The responses poured in, and we’ve compiled 20 of the best life-changing tips for you.

In a Reddit post by u/Kitchen_Body_7998, the user asked other fellow Redditors a simple question, “What’s the one piece of advice you wish you had received at 20 that would have made your life easier?” People have flooded the comments section with their take on the matter. We’ve compiled 20 of the best life-changing tips for you.

1. Observe what not to do

“Don’t just learn the right things from the right people; some of the best lessons in life come from observing what not to do from the wrong people.” –u/SoIdierOfGod “Cautionary tales don’t work for me, but watching somebody’s bad decisions unfold in real time was enough to spook me into being more responsible.” –u/CrabbyFatty-Babe

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2. Play to your strengths

“Being ‘smart’ does not mean you’ll thrive in scientific learning and work. Play to your strengths, not your expectations.” – u/Ilmarinen999. “I didn’t know how this screw me over. I was always the ‘smart one’ and destined for great and big things…so that screwed up my expectations big time. I’m smart, I’m owe! – my thinking. People forgot to tell me that I still had to work hard and play to my strengths. That my ‘smarts’ would maybe ease my path but it wasn’t enough to get me to my destination. It was just a piece of the bigger puzzle.”- u/Kaizen321.

3. It is all about mindset

“That there is no point in your life where you don’t have stress, problems, struggles. It’s all a matter of mindset and how you deal with it that makes it easier.”- u/RavingSquirrel11. “You have to be strong and figure it out. I know people that are confronted with a problem and say screw it and go drink a beer. They can’t hang and when the shit hits the fan one day: lose power for days, UFO invasion, or civil unrest they are the first to freak out and shut down. ( I do know that little bottle will run your life).”- u/Therex1282.

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4. Don’t be afraid to be alone

“Don’t be afraid of being alone, better than living with someone who makes you crazy.” – u/DeathToCockRoaches. “I always am reminded of that tragic quote from Robin Williams – ‘I always thought that the worst thing in life would be to end up alone, but it’s not. It’s to end up with people who make you feel like you’re alone.’”- u/NapoleonTroubadour

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5. Learn to cook

“Learn to cook a few decent meals now—instant noodles and takeout will lose their charm after the 300th time.” – u/Anxious_Garden9696. “I recently learned how to cook at 22; it brought me solace and joy after getting dumped. Psychologically, it gave me a sense of achievement and self-esteem. Plus, ladies love a man who can cook. I know one thing: my kids will go to school with lunches made with love.”- u/Ok_Address_4819.

Representative Image Source: Pexels | ivan samkov — Representative Image Source: Pexels | Ivan Samkov

6. Don’t let people dictate your happiness

“Don’t let your happiness depend solely on someone else.” – u/Angelical_Asian. “No one is responsible for it but you. Please don’t pass that responsibility onto someone else may they be family, or even kids (if you have or thinking of having any).”- u/Kaizen321.

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7. Mental health is important

“Your mental health is just as important as your physical health. If you need a mental health day…take it. Money comes back, but pushing yourself until you mentally break will catch up to you.” – u/GTOdriver04. “Learning where the line is is important though I haven’t had a day off since Good Friday and didn’t realize how bad I needed the break until I didn’t have to go to work today and slept until 7 pm (I work the night shift but still need to do the basic life stuff).”- u/Arxieos

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8. Be your own support

“Be the best wingman to your future self. Don’t want to put that shirt away now? Do it as a favor for your future self. Not interested in organizing documents? Do it because you love your future self and want him to succeed.”- u/80085rus. “I don’t think you’re thinking of a wingman… you’re kind of thinking of being the best butler to yourself, but that’s also an awesome goal.”- u/CausticSofa.

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9. Finding the right partner

“The single most important decision in your life is who you pick as a partner. Your life partner can either be the teammate who helps you succeed or the person who destroys what you spent your life building. Choose wisely and use your head and your heart.”- u/just-got-it. “Trust your instincts. If you have doubts about the person you’re with or your compatibility, listen to that voice. Better to go slow and get it right. Finding a partner is not a race.” –u/HornyVikingMN.

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10. Treat yourself well

“Don’t be too stingy and treat yourself every once in a while.”- u/Fischli01. “You got that right. There are a lot of things I want but then do I need them? Also what I do every week at work is I throw a few bills in my work locker and forget about it. I have about $700 in there and didn’t even feel that pinch but instead of buying lunch here and there I just put that money I would have spent into my locker.”- u/Therex1282.

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11. Do things on your own

“Start doing things on your own sooner you’ll enjoy it regardless of whether you go with someone or not.”- u/spikewolf123. “It took till almost my 30th birthday before I took a solo trip. Can confirm. Stop waiting for participation and buy-in.. just do the dang thing.”-u/Low_Goose_5675.

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12. Start investing

“Start investing now. Every dollar helps.”-u/merelyadoptedthedark. “Don’t spend all your money on gadgets and gizmos. Future you will desperately need that cash for rent, coffee, and the occasional adulting meltdown (real advice).”- u/MaleficentLine4081

Representative Image Source: Pexels I Photo by Andrea Piacquadio

13. Give your best look

“Always look your best! Wake up and glam up. Even if you’re just going to the post office. Most people are very superficial and it will take you far.” – u/Harbinger347. “So true! I do the same whenever I can, also just feels good and makes for a nice routine.”-u/Kitchen_Body_7998.

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14. Graduate with a degree as soon as possible

“Graduate from college ASAP (I would have been in for two years at that point) and start earning money!”- u/Squarebody7987. “That the college you graduate from matters when getting your first job and your first job more/less sets the trajectory of your career.” –u/FancySplit5459

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15. Save money

“Save and save early. Getting a paycheck is not an opportunity to buy the things you always wanted. It’s an opportunity to put as much money away as possible as a gift to future you.” – u/uninsane. “Save at least $50 from every paycheck. More if you can. Don’t buy useless stuff.” –u/Free-Industry701.

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16. Prioritize yourself

“I wish someone had told me to prioritize self-care and not to underestimate its importance amidst the hustle of early adulthood. Balancing work, relationships, and personal well-being is crucial for long-term happiness and success.” – u/your_digitalGF. “Take your health seriously now when you have the time and energy and your time now would be easier.”-u/Rollingpumpkin69

17. Sleep peacefully

“Sort out why you snore so badly–your sleep won’t improve otherwise. That fatigue you feel every goddamn day isn’t all in your head, metaphorically speaking.” – u/douglasg610.

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18. Start journaling

“If you don’t journal, start. If you ever hit a point in life where you’re wondering, ‘How’d I get here,’ those old entries become invaluable references.” – u/shimmzchanga.

19. Choose happiness over money

“Seek happiness over money, don’t get into debt if you can help it, don’t compare yourself to others, you’re on your own timeline.” – u/Jakehardy95.

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20. Rely on simple fashion

“No fads. No fad beauty routines. No fad products. No fad fast fashion. You’ll just end up with a bunch of useless shit around your apartment and most is not refundable. In other words, simplify your life/routine.” – u/Hot_Tumbleweed_5807

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Photo credit: WQAD News 8/YouTube – Lando sings.

Ideas, Voices

Young boy struggles through painful stutter until his singing videos change everything

“One kids courage to show up, speak up, and sing his voice free.”

Mark Wales

5/5/2026

A boy named Lando is gaining attention online after people started sharing and liking the two very different kinds of videos he creates. In one, he candidly speaks with a severe stutter. In the other, he sings smoothly, without the same pauses and repetitions that appear when he talks.

Perhaps it’s the dramatic contrast that has people liking and clicking. For whatever reason, as Lando shares on his website, #stutterfreelando, he’s created an awareness movement around stuttering “born from one kid’s courage to show up, speak up, and sing his voice free.”

The young entertainer is easy to like

Finding a young person navigating his speech difficulties so charismatically and confidently is admirable. He’s not wavering under the spotlight. He’s shining.

His family shares about their experience and the methods they’ve found helpful with his stutter on their website:

“This is a family journey. We’re one of millions of families around the world navigating stuttering to learn what works, what doesn’t, and figuring it out as we go. Some of what we share helps Lando. Some might not. We’re learning that every stutterer is different. No more hiding.”

Facing a severe stutter can be more complicated than practicing with a speech therapist.

“Traditional therapy hasn’t given us the breakthroughs we need. Therapists are trying. We are trying. But we refuse to sit quietly and hope it clicks. So we built this, a movement where our family shares what we’re learning out loud. Real strategies. Real techniques. Lando’s good days and the hard ones. Not a highlight reel. Not a gofund me. Real life.”

It feels good to join a winning team

After watching any of his videos, it’s clear why so many people keep coming back.

In one clip, Lando talks about reaching 50,000 followers on Instagram and an upcoming interview with a local news outlet. The message expressed with gratitude and happiness is simple, but it takes time for him to get there. That process draws people in.

“Congratulations on your followers, add one more”

“Great work buddy!”

“Ah Lando, I’m really enjoying your videos”

“That excitement is so cute! I love how supportive everyone has been!”

“Great job little man keep it going. You inspire a lot of people with the same problem.”

“thankyou for sharing, your super cool.”

Singing allows his words to come out in a continuous flow

The difference isn’t subtle. In speech, words can stall and be difficult to get out. In song, they move by the rhythm that reduces stops. These are some of the comments you can find on just one of his singing videos posted above:

“GOD BLESS YOU LANDO!!!!! YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!!!!”

“The eyebrows at the end was fire.”

“You are an inspiration”

“Brilliant buddy”

“… sounding smooth.”

“Lando with the great voice!!!”

“Now … this kid has charisma!!!”

A courageous little showman

Lando’s videos stand out not just for singing or stuttering, but because both are available, openly shared, without one being hidden or edited out of view. There’s no attempt to turn it all into a single narrative of struggle or success. Instead, what people see is a boy using his voice as it is.

There is something instinctive about the way people rally around a kid like Lando. Sharing the hard parts and the moments that come more easily gives everyone a clear way to respond. Cheering him on, leaving a positive comment, or even just watching and listening allows each of us to take a small part in that effort.

It’s less about celebrating the win and more about recognizing the work and the courage to keep going. Lando is talking and singing it out loud.

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Photo credit: Canva – Many believe cleaning the toilet properly starts by filling it with ice cubes.

Ideas, Impact

Homeowners swear by this simple ice cold hack that thoroughly makes your toilets cleaner

Cleaning the toilet starts by getting an ice cube tray.

Erik Barnes

5/4/2026

Most people welcome a new cleaning hack, especially if it involves the bathroom. Cleaning the toilet isn’t a fun task and getting it thoroughly spotless can get stinky real quick. However, there’s one hack that many homeowners say gets their toilets cleaner with less elbow grease. It involves emptying your ice tray.

There are experts who recommend putting ice cubes down the toilet whenever it is time to clean.

Toilet cleaning starts with your freezer

This understandably sounds weird. Many people might remember flushing ice cubes down the toilet as a superstitious ritual during the winter months to “summon” a snow day from school. But to clean the toilet? That sounds like just as much as a myth.

But there is a logic to it and many homemakers suggest it. First, let’s get this out of the way and say that ice cubes aren’t being flushed to replace regular toilet cleaner. It’s actually being used to help the cleaner be more effective.

So…how could ice help clean my toilet?

Ice in the toilet bowl acts as a support for the toilet cleaner. Often, toilet cleaner drips down the side of the toilet bowl into the water and down the pipe. The ice allows the cleaner to cling to the bowl and its sides for longer, penetrating filth and disinfecting it more effectively.

Here’s the gist on how it works: first, take a bowl of ice cubes and pour them into the toilet. Make sure you’re not filling it to the brim. Next, take your preferred toilet cleaning solution and pour/spray it onto the ice. Let the mixture sit for about 15 minutes to allow the cleaning solution to cling and disinfect the bowl. After that, use a toilet brush to stir and agitate the ice, ensuring that it is scraping all sides of the bowl. By this time, the ice should have melted enough to flush.

There are additional bonuses to using ice with toilet cleaner. The ice can also act as an abrasive pumice stone in addition to your toilet brush, scraping off mildew, mineral build-up, or other yucky things that could be stubbornly clinging to the bowl. The flushed ice could help clean the pipe similarly, dislodging filth and grime in conjunction with the toilet cleaner on its way down.

Another benefit is reducing odor. Ice is known to absorb smells and could make cleaning a little less smelly. It’s one of the reasons why many restaurants, clubs, and bars put ice in men’s urinals.

Many people who frequently travel and live in an RV also recommend flushing ice down their toilets. This is not just to clean the bowl, but to have the ice jostle and scrape the nasty stuff out of the black tank. While this method’s effectiveness in cleaning a black tank is put into question, critics still say that ice can help reduce smells and keep water in the black tank during hot days.

Final tips (specifically “don’ts”)

If you plan on giving this hack a try, be sure not to overflow your toilet with ice. Along with that, while most forms of ice work (cubes, crushed, or chips), putting larger blocks of ice in the toilet won’t do any good and could clog things up if they’re too big.

It’s also important to use one cleaning solution and not mix a bunch together. Mixing cleaning products together could create fumes that are dangerous to inhale. It’s best to use your preferred cleaner and choose a different one next time if you’re getting the results you want.

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Photo credit: Canva – Surrogate grandparents laughing with small child.

Ideas, Impact

Facebook group helps families without a ‘village’ find surrogate grandparents

Sometimes family is something you create.

Mark Wales

5/1/2026

Raising kids today doesn’t match the historical “it takes a village” experience many grew up with. Not because people don’t care, but because life doesn’t seem to line up that way anymore. Families are spread out across the country and sometimes the world. Few grandparents live just up the street. There’s no built-in help for childcare and no extra sets of hands when things get overwhelming.

In response to that missing piece in raising kids, some people have looked for other ways to create something similar. One path is Surrogate Grandparents – USA, a Facebook-based community that connects older adults with families.

An older man helps a boy water the plants.
Photo credit Canva

Missing out on grandparents nearby, some find new ones online

Founded in 2015, Surrogate Grandparents – USA offers a platform that works like a community bulletin board. The goal is to bring together families bereft of nearby grandparents with older adults looking to share that kind of family role.

Over 14,000 members hope to make a surrogate family connection and the possibility of building real love. They describe the opportunity on their Facebook page as follows:

“A surrogate grandparent is a volunteer or mentor who forms a supportive, grandparent-like relationship with a child or family who may not have local grandparents. These relationships can begin online or in person, often through platforms designed to connect families and older adults.”

The typical online pattern might look like a family posting on the page that their children don’t have nearby grandparents and would love a consistent older presence in their lives. Someone responds. They all start talking. Then, they meet in person.

Those introductions can turn into something steady with regular check-ins. Children receive the face-to-face guidance and experience that an older generation can offer. The surrogate grandparents gain a sense of purpose they hadn’t anticipated at this stage of their lives.

A family picnic.
Photo credit Canva

Surrogate grandparent success stories

One success story was shared in Newsweek. In 2019, Deborah Whatley, then aged 64, joined the Facebook group with her husband. Hoping to fill a need within their own lives, they connected with the Nelsons, and a beautiful relationship quickly blossomed.

The families share photos, meet in person about every month, and text regularly. “We’ve met up more times than I can count,” explained Whatley. “I just wanted to feel included. I have the time, the energy, and the desire. Discovering the surrogate grandparents group instantly brought light back into a part of my life that had turned dark,” she added.

CBS News reported that Anteres Anderson Turner and Louis Turner wished to extend their own family while raising twin boys. Janet Firestein Daw welcomed the idea of grandchildren in her life, saying, “I was getting older and I wanted to get down on the floor and play Legos and trains and read books.”

After meeting through the Facebook group, the relationship between the two families really worked. Daw continued, “It’s indescribable for me, because I haven’t had that experience before to be that grandparent, and I love it.”

Facebook closes the page

Earlier this year, the Facebook group became inaccessible. There haven’t been any publicly reported reasons from Facebook itself. However, an administrator for the page shared, “Surrogate Grandparents-USA group was unfortunately erroneously removed by Meta. We are actively working to have it reinstated.”

Thankfully, the page was reopened in time. In an Instagram post dated April 11, 2026, they said, “This morning, my Surrogate Grandparents-USA group was officially reinstated.” The post continues, “What a journey this has been—stressful, emotional, and at times incredibly disheartening. But I never stopped believing in the purpose of this community…and the power of speaking up when something isn’t right.”

An extended family at the park.
Photo credit Canva

A shift in how family works

The structures that used to hold families together aren’t as automatic as they once were. For a long time, grandparents lived nearby. Neighbors remained for decades. Communities were tighter, and lives were more interwoven. Support existed from a simple proximity.

But families move. Relationships change. Career and circumstance have stretched people farther apart. Places like Surrogate Grandparents – USA fill roles that certain families are missing. It may not work for everyone, but for many, it’s a chance to build community in a whole new way.

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