Money goals are important. But sometimes, they can be outright discouraging. Not everyone is buying a house before 25, especially if you’re knee-deep in student loans.
Your 20s are about figuring things out, but if you can start working towards some quality financial goals now, you can set yourself up for some real financial stability. You don’t need to be rich to get smart with your money—you just need a few realistic goals that actually fit your life right now.
In this post, we’re breaking down 10 genuinely realistic financial goals for your 20s—the kind that won’t overwhelm you, guilt you, or assume you’re already rolling in cash. Just small, steady steps toward a future you’ll actually feel good about.
And please don’t feel overwhelmed! These are just ideas for goals that you could consider working towards while in your 20s. Nobody is perfect, and you definitely don’t have to meet every goal to be “good with money”.
What are good financial goals for your 20s?
Good financial goals for your 20s include building an emergency fund, creating a budget, paying off debt, and learning how to manage money mindfully.
Is it too early to start saving in your 20s?
It is definitely not too early to start saving in your 20s—it’s the perfect time. Even small savings now can make a big difference later.
What if I’m broke in my 20s?
Being broke doesn’t mean you can’t work towards fulfilling financial goals. Start with what you have. The goal is progress, not perfection.
Do I need to invest in my 20s?
Investing as early as possible can help set you up for financial success and stability. This is because you can really benefit from compound interest the earlier you begin your investing journey. That being said, investing isn’t exactly essential, especially if you have more urgent money goals such as paying off high interest debt.
10 Realistic Financial Goals for Your 20s
Goal 1 – Establish Multiple Income Streams
Establishing multiple income streams may sound pretty daunting, but it really doesn’t have to be.
It is perfectly normal to still be working towards a long term career that would represent your main income source, and this could be apart of your money goals. This might look like finishing education, or even just figuring out what you want to do with your career.
Other than that, think about ways you could set up multiple income streams. Realistically, a lot of the passive income streams you see on social media require a bit of patience. For example a social media presence, blog, or even ecommerce. But that’s what your 20s are all about. Now is the time to post your TikToks or try digital marketing because you have the free time.
Of course there are more structured ways to earn a secondary income, like an investment property or weekend job. But it’s all about figuring out what’s going to work for you. And personally? An investment property isn’t even in the cards right now.
Goal 2 – Learn How to Budget
Tell me if I’m wrong, but I feel like learning how to budget isn’t exactly marketed very well right now. Like I consume a lot of content about money and finances, and I see way too many people brushing it off. Like I don’t know, the priority seems to be making money for a lot of creators. And I get it, I really do. You can’t save yourself into a millionaire.
But learning how to budget and effectively look after your money is such an important step regardless of your income. You need to learn how to manage your money well, because being “rich” wont save you from the unfortunate reality of poor money management.
Goal 3 – Pay Off High Interest Debt
If you have any kind of high interest debt like a personal loan or credit card debt, paying it off could be a great goal for your 20s. As an Aussie with a HECs debt (a student loan), I don’t worry about paying that off since there’s no interest on it. While it does get indexed for inflation, your money would be much better off in a high interest savings account since typically, you would earn more than you could lose.
However, high interest debt can really impact things like your credit score and your borrowing power if you were to apply for things like a home loan. As well as that, constant debt can really feel like it’s swamping you down day to day. So paying off high interest debt as soon as possible is great financial goal for your 20s.
Goal 4 – Develop Your Financial Literacy
Financial Literacy is something that gets thrown around a lot right now. But really, financial literacy is just about building your understanding of finances and money skills. This can sound a bit overwhelming, but it can be as simple as listening to a podcast.
Developing your financial literacy is so important because you need to learn about your money and the opportunities it presents you to best take care of your finances. The families that have been rich for generations stay rich because they tend to value financial literacy so much. Ensuring that each new generation is equipped with the knowledge and skills in areas like saving, investing, and business is what maintains intergenerational wealth.
And obviously we might not all be lucky enough to be born into wealth, but adopting the value of education and financial literacy is so important to set yourself up financially. So this is a great goal to work towards regardless of your age, but especially if you’re in your 20s. Because, building financial knowledge is so important.
Goal 5 – Start Investing
Investing can definitely seem like something for old people. But starting to invest as early as possible will be a great way to build financial stability. Basically, the longer you can invest, the more money you can make. Obviously there is no definite in investing, and nothing is quite a sure thing. But hey, I don’t think many people regret investing from a young age. This is because you can take advantage of compound interest, which is basically your money growing more and more over time.
And don’t get scared off, I’m not talking about things like day trading or crypto. Investing in the stock market, in things like ETFs are something I think every 20-something should at least be researching.
Starting to invest is a great goal for every person in their 20s, and you can start by prioritising paying off high interest debt or building a more stable income. Anything that might be in the way of your investing journey.
Goal 6 – Hit a Savings Goal
Having a legitimate savings goal is a great way to stay motivated and track your progress. Whether you’re saving for a house deposit, car, holiday, or even just a new phone, having a savings goal that you work towards regularly is a great financial goal for your 20s.
Of course saving for things like a house deposit can be a great way to set yourself up financially, but even the act of saving itself is a great learning process for you. Because building your savings really does require dedication and discipline.
Goal 7 – Start a Business
Of course starting a business isn’t for everyone. But if it’s something you’re interested in, starting a business is a great financial goal to try and hit while you are in your 20s.
And I don’t want to sound insensitive here, but I really do think that people can make business seem a lot harder than it has to be. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure there are a lot of really difficult parts of the process. But I just don’t want you to feel discouraged based on what other people say. Because look, a lot of people do really well in business, even if school or uni wasn’t really their thing. I think above all, business takes determination. And honestly? I don’t think a lot of the people who complain about the difficulties of business would give it up for anything.
So if you’ve ever wanted to start a business, don’t feel discouraged. You don’t necessarily have to get into debt for it either, start small and see what you can build! And your 20s is the perfect time to start working towards a business or your business goals.
Goal 8 – Figure Out What You Actually Value
This might sound weird to be in a money-focused blog post, but hear me out. We spend way too much money on things we don’t actually value. And when I look at people my age who might not be in the same financial position as me, this seems to come up a lot.
When we don’t align our money with what we value, we can waste a lot of money and feel unfulfilled. If you don’t actually like clubbing or designer brands, why are you spending your money on it? Personally, I do not like clubbing at all. But I have still spent far too much money on it. Sometimes, we need to slow ourselves down and truly prioritise ourselves.
Your personal values should reflect your money habits. For example, I love travel. But I also really value my stability. Coming from a rocky upbringing, I really want to own a house so that I can have that sense of stability and independence. So I focus a lot on growing my savings for a house deposit. That being said, I try and travel as much as possible. That does mean I don’t always have the money to buy myself expensive clothes or have the latest phone. I still drive around in my second-hand Suzuki Swift that has well over 100,000 kilometres. Because for my values, a car loan is a bad idea.
It’s all about getting to know yourself. So I think figuring out what you truly value is a great financial goal for your 20s.
Goal 9 – Understand Your Money Mistakes
Understanding your money mistakes is a way for you to reflect on your past money habits and establish a better idea of what you do and don’t want to do with your money. And this is easier said than done, I know that I’m very much the type of person to not really think about where I’ve gone wrong in the past with money. But just because you’re typically pretty disciplined doesn’t mean that you haven’t made mistakes.
One of my money mistakes was buying way too many discounted clothes. When I got my first job, I would scroll through the clearance section of fast fashion brands for hours, looking for bargains. And while I was getting everything for a cheap price, I ended up with so many clothes that I would never actually wear. Looking back I wish I had bought a few better quality pieces of clothes, even if that meant I had to pay more for them. Because in the long run, that probably would have worked out a lot cheaper than buying the entire clearance rack from Cotton On.
Obviously I don’t want you to get too caught up in it, these mistakes aren’t something that you should hold against your past self. But when we start to reflect and understand our money mistakes, we can get a better understanding of our financial values and money skills.
So if you can aim to really understand your values, and align your money habits with them, you’re setting yourself up well for financial success.
Goal 10 – Figure Out Tax Time
I genuinely think that there are so many people who just don’t quite understand tax. When I started working, so many people told me different things about tax and they all seemed to contradict each other.
Obviously, the way tax works is different based on where you are, so have a look at your own country’s guidelines.
But that being said, you might be able to save a lot of money each tax time. That’s why a lot of people hire accountants. Obviously they can file your tax for you, but they also help get you a greater tax return.
Figuring out how your tax can work for you is a great financial goal for your 20s as it will save you money in the long run, as well as improving your financial literacy.
Setting financial goals in your 20s doesn’t have to mean hitting six figures, buying property, or becoming a budgeting pro overnight. It’s about building habits that support your stability, peace of mind, and future freedom. Even small steps—like starting an emergency fund or learning to say no to overspending—can completely shift your relationship with money.
So if you’re feeling behind, overwhelmed, or unsure where to begin, just remember: you’re not late, you’re not failing—you’re learning. These realistic money goals are here to help you build a solid foundation, one choice at a time.
Start where you are. Stay consistent. And give yourself credit—because showing up for your finances is already a powerful act of self-care.
Let me know if you have any specific money goals!
Disclaimer: The information in this blog is for educational purposes only. I am not a financial advisor.
