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what should my finances look like at 18?
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the golden rule is "pay yourself first." this means that you should have some form of savings plan set up, preferably a monthly automatic withdrawal that comes out the day after your pay is deposited. 10% is a reasonable number to start with. you are in a wonderful situation because you are thinking about this 10-15 years before most of us do.  use this to your advantage. you are also in a good situation if you can defer the purchase of the house (assuming prices don't rise drastically in the next few years -- which they might.)  if your home situation is acceptable, then sit down with the parents and present a plan.  something along the lines of:  i'd like to move out and start my   life.  however, it would be   advantageous to stay here for a few   years to build up a down payment and   reserve.  i'm happy to help out with   expenses, but do need a couple years   of rent-free support to get started. then go into monk mode for one year.  it's doable, and you can save a lot of cash. then you're on the road to freedom.
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