Remember when you used to dream of being an adult when you were a kid? It turns out adulting is a lot harder than it looks.
When Reddit user u/noterwinrommel asked, "What's the sad reality of being an adult that young people should know?" a ton of people chimed in with their stories.
We've rounded up the most memorable answers to the thread. Check them out below:
1. "TV series always portray friends hanging out all the time as though their schedules always sync. In reality, you barely get to hang out together or even talk in group chats because everyone's busy with work and the ups and downs of adulthood."
2. "Start saving and investing your money now. I wish someone would have pushed me in this area more when I was younger. I could’ve already been close to retirement."
3. "As an adult, you'll find yourself wanting to be alone. Yet you'll realize you don't want to be lonely."
4. "Everything hurts. All the time. I’m only 30."
5. "If you don’t put yourself out there, you won’t have friends."
6. "You’re the person you used to look for when you needed help, and you’re never ready for that."
7. "Cheese is incredibly expensive."
8. "Watching your parents grow old is the absolute worst."
9. "No one else has time to look out for you. They're busy looking out for themselves. So save money, eat healthy, and get enough sleep. No one else is going to make sure you're doing those things."
10. "Day to day can be very boring, and more often than not, if it's not boring, you're going to wish it was!"
11. "Life and opportunity isn't nearly as long and boundless as it seems as a kid."
12. "There are actual consequences for just doing whatever you want."
13. "There is a lot more responsibility in life than you know. Enjoy the period when your parents take care of stuff for you."
14. "That you never really have free time anymore. Even when you’re not working, studying, or taking care of family, the 'free time' you have almost always needs to be used for general life maintenance."
15. "Realizing that your nieces and nephews are now the same age you were when they were born."
16. "Eventually you will prefer to go to bed early than stay up late, even if you don't have to get up for work the next day."
17. "Bills and laundry never stop."
18. "Sad reality? Being an adult doesn't exist. It's just kids that don't know the f--k they're supposed to do."
What would you add to this list? Let us know in the comments!
Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.