My 35-year-old self writing a letter to my 22-year-old self about money.

Dear past me: The 401k match is free money. Take all of it from day one, no exceptions. If you do nothing else on this list, do this.

Open a Roth IRA this month. Put $50 in it. Buy VTI. Set up a recurring contribution of anything you can afford. In 13 years you'll be very glad you did.

The car you're about to finance for 5 years — buy something 3 years older with cash instead. The $300/month you won't be paying in car payments will quietly transform your financial trajectory.

Stop comparing your spending to your friends' spending. Most of them are financing their lifestyle in ways that will take a decade to unwind.

You don't need to understand everything before you start. Start simple. VTI in a Roth IRA. That's the whole strategy for now. Complexity can come later.