by Robert Mitchell
contributing writer May 1, 2026
Photo by Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock.com
Last time we talked about getting started. TSP, IRA, just taking that first simple step toward building a financial future. This week is a little different. This is about where all of that is supposed to lead. It is also about recognizing that we are surrounded by people who have already been through it. They have made the mistakes, learned the lessons, and if we are willing to listen, we can avoid a few of those missteps ourselves, no matter where we are in the process.
Let’s be honest. When you get to your first duty station, you are not thinking about life after the military. You are thinking about your job, your friends, maybe a car, maybe getting out of the barracks as soon as you can. You are figuring out your routine, your place, and who you spend your time with. It is a new chapter and it moves fast.
When I look back to my twenties, the last thing on my mind was being in my 40s, having kids, and wondering what retirement could actually look like.
You might read this and think I am about to tell you to stop spending, invest everything, and live like a hermit. You will not get that from me. A lot of financial advice tells you to skip the dinner, skip the trip, and not buy the car. I do not fully agree with that. I believe you should enjoy your time and spend money on things that matter to you.
Because when I look back now, what I actually remember are the experiences. Time spent with people, trying new cafés, sitting in a beer garden, traveling, and shared moments with friends and family. Those are the things that stay with you. That is money well spent.
What does not stay are most of the physical things we bought along the way. If I am honest, I cannot recall half of what I thought I had to have in my 20s. It is gone. It did not matter then as much as I thought, and it definitely does not matter now. I just think about what that money could have turned into if I had set a portion of it aside consistently.
When you look around at your peers, you will see people in very different positions. The difference usually is not income. It is decisions made early and repeated over time. If you talk to people who have been around longer, especially the ones who seem like they have things together, you will hear the same comments over and over. They wish they had started earlier. They did not need to spend as much as they did. They had opportunities they did not take.
It is easy to brush that off when you are younger. It sounds like something people just say. It is not. It is coming from people who have already seen how this plays out.
As a young adult, the goal is not to get everything perfect. It is to find a balance. Invest in yourself and your experiences, but also invest in the future version of you that will eventually leave the military.
A lot of people think they will do 20 years and be set. To be fair, a pension is a big deal. Not many careers offer that, and being able to collect a check in your late 30s or early 40s puts you in a much better position than a large portion of the population.
But look around. Most people do not fully retire at 20 years. They move on to their next job. Sometimes that is by choice, but often it is because they need the income to maintain the life they have built.
People often end up in one of two positions. They either leave the military with options, or leave needing to find something quickly. For you, that difference will likely not come from what happens at the end of your career. You can expect that it will come from what you did at the beginning.
With a few smart decisions now, you can still enjoy your time. Travel, build friendships, experience new places, and grow through it all. At the same time, you can set yourself up so that when you reach the end of your service, you have the freedom to decide what comes next.
You have to admit, it sounds easy. All you have to do is learn from our mistakes. If only we had listened when someone tried to tell us.
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Last time we talked about getting started. TSP, IRA, just taking that first simple step toward building a financial future. This week is a little different. This is about where all of that is supposed to lead. It is also about recognizing that we are surrounded by people who have already been through it. They have made the mistakes, learned the lessons, and if we are willing to listen, we can avoid a few of those missteps ourselves, no matter where we are in the process.
Let’s be honest. When you get to your first duty station, you are not thinking about life after the military. You are thinking about your job, your friends, maybe a car, maybe getting out of the barracks as soon as you can. You are figuring out your routine, your place, and who you spend your time with. It is a new chapter and it moves fast.
When I look back to my twenties, the last thing on my mind was being in my 40s, having kids, and wondering what retirement could actually look like.
You might read this and think I am about to tell you to stop spending, invest everything, and live like a hermit. You will not get that from me. A lot of financial advice tells you to skip the dinner, skip the trip, and not buy the car. I do not fully agree with that. I believe you should enjoy your time and spend money on things that matter to you.
Because when I look back now, what I actually remember are the experiences. Time spent with people, trying new cafés, sitting in a beer garden, traveling, and shared moments with friends and family. Those are the things that stay with you. That is money well spent.
What does not stay are most of the physical things we bought along the way. If I am honest, I cannot recall half of what I thought I had to have in my 20s. It is gone. It did not matter then as much as I thought, and it definitely does not matter now. I just think about what that money could have turned into if I had set a portion of it aside consistently.
When you look around at your peers, you will see people in very different positions. The difference usually is not income. It is decisions made early and repeated over time. If you talk to people who have been around longer, especially the ones who seem like they have things together, you will hear the same comments over and over. They wish they had started earlier. They did not need to spend as much as they did. They had opportunities they did not take.
It is easy to brush that off when you are younger. It sounds like something people just say. It is not. It is coming from people who have already seen how this plays out.
As a young adult, the goal is not to get everything perfect. It is to find a balance. Invest in yourself and your experiences, but also invest in the future version of you that will eventually leave the military.
A lot of people think they will do 20 years and be set. To be fair, a pension is a big deal. Not many careers offer that, and being able to collect a check in your late 30s or early 40s puts you in a much better position than a large portion of the population.
But look around. Most people do not fully retire at 20 years. They move on to their next job. Sometimes that is by choice, but often it is because they need the income to maintain the life they have built.
People often end up in one of two positions. They either leave the military with options, or leave needing to find something quickly. For you, that difference will likely not come from what happens at the end of your career. You can expect that it will come from what you did at the beginning.
With a few smart decisions now, you can still enjoy your time. Travel, build friendships, experience new places, and grow through it all. At the same time, you can set yourself up so that when you reach the end of your service, you have the freedom to decide what comes next.
You have to admit, it sounds easy. All you have to do is learn from our mistakes. If only we had listened when someone tried to tell us.