We recently asked older women of the BuzzFeed Community to tell us the biggest "life mistakes" they see younger people making. They revealed their own regrets and best advice for others, and their insight is invaluable. Here are the eye-opening results:
1. "Don't fall in love with potential. I think everyone should have a sign on their forehead that says 'as is,' so we remember to ask ourselves if we could be happy with this person just as they are now, for the rest of our lives. If the answer is no, walk away."
"Don't wait too long. Stop waiting for someone to meet their potential. Your life is the most important thing to live and also the most magnetic when you do. We don't have as much time as you think. Trust your intuition; you may not know why it's going off, but it's not wrong. Being authentic is the most valuable."

2. "Don't be careless with money. In my 20s, I didn't have any financial obligations other than a car payment, car insurance, and a phone bill. I recently started investing, and I wish I started 20 years ago."
"Put money away every single paycheck, and don't touch it. Don't spend on your partner, assuming you will be together forever. Don't touch it. Don't let anyone else have access to it. No matter what. It doesn't matter if it is only $5. Put it away. If you end up working somewhere with an employer match, use that to double what you put away. I wish I had started sooner, but this wasn't a lesson I learned until I was in my 40s. How much better it would have been if I had started in my 20s. You will thank yourself later in life when you can make choices that money will bring to you: retirement, travel, housing stability, etc."
3. "I regret not making more friends and not working to keep the ones I had. I was busy with my job and raising my family. The friends I made at work, school, and the playground grew apart over time. Now I'm in my 60s and retired. Finding new friends is not as easy as I was younger. I have family, online friends, and a few friends in real life, but I'm lonely."
—Anonymous, 63, Pennsylvania
4. "If you want a baby, have a baby. If you're unsure, want to save a relationship, find direction, please someone else, or feel it's expected of you, HOLD OFF ON THAT BABY."

5. "Remember that the grass is greener where you water it. I see too many younger people just blowing or cutting people off over really small things, then complaining that they lack support. To have a village, you need to be a villager first. Put effort into your relationships, whether they are romantic, familial, or friendships, put in the effort. Make the overtures, be there for people, and help them out even if it's inconvenient. It's worth it."
—Anonymous, 35, Rhode Island
6. "Be in the photo! I have so many pictures of places, but none with ME in those places. I thought I looked bad and would hide or avoid the camera. Now, I wish I had those memories with those people or places."
—Anonymous, 51, Tennessee
7. "Never give up what would make you happy if you were alone in order to be where a man is. The odds are, it won't work out, and you're alone with nothing. I gave up the job of my dreams, the climate and area I wanted to live in, and the kind of people and size of place I wanted to live in, all to be with a man I thought was the love of my life."
"He lived in a place I hated and a climate I hated, where I could not get any job other than low-paying secretarial work. I got very sick, which I think was partly caused by unhappiness lowering my immunity, and I'm still stuck here, now unable to work at all."
"I'd never defer to my husband (or ANY man) on career choices. I gave up a dream job in research because my ex didn't want to move because it'd kill his bonsai plants!!! I was in a town where I couldn't find work for my degrees. He already had a standing job offer at the same salary in the town where we'd be moving. My company would be paying for the move!! But I let his tears over losing some damn plants affect me. Subsequently, when we divorced, I had to work as a secretary to live and support my kids, since I had advanced degrees in science. The divorce decree didn't allow me to move where I could find a job in my field. I was never able to use my advanced degrees in that town. I ended up with a salary 1/10 of what he earned. So after 25 years of marriage, I had to start like a 20-year-old and in a state with no alimony, and the amount of child support he paid for two babies we had adopted didn't even cover childcare. I was a fool!"

8. "Stop people pleasing too much. Yes, you have to be nice to get along in society. But figure out how to balance that with advocating for yourself. I don't suggest cutting EVERYONE who is 'toxic' out of your life, but learn to work around them and be polite, but still get what you need."
—Anonymous, 45, Illinois
9. "STOP SMOKING. I smoked my first cigarette at 14. My high school (which was attended only by freshmen) had a smoking area. It was the 80s, and everyone smoked. I've always been surrounded by very hardcore smokers. All of them eventually quit. Here I am, 45 years later, completely unable to give this up. Giving up my 80s cocaine habit was BRUTAL, but nothing compared to trying to quit smoking. My God. Just stop now."
—Anonymous, 60, California
10. "One of my biggest regrets is not finishing high school. I was always worrying about what this girl was saying and what people thought of me, and now, this generation has it so much worse with all the new technology. It's one thing I would change if I could go back. Don't listen to the noise, do your work, and realize it's only four years of your entire life."
—Anonymous, 36, USA

11. "Realize your self-worth. After years of emotional abuse by my family and husband, it's so easy to believe the worst about yourself. It took me years to realize otherwise. The pain still doesn't go away, even with lots of good therapy. Speaking with a lot of younger people, I hear the negativity often. My advice: Always respect yourself; if someone doesn't, run! No one deserves to be treated this way. Rather be alone than be disrespected."
—Anonymous, 66, Maine
12. "If you're financially able to, buy a house, condo, or townhouse as early as possible. Don't waste money on rent. Don't wait until you're married. Do it by yourself. Even if you sell it two years later, you'll make money. Trust me, it's worth it! There's truly nothing like your own space!"
—Anonymous, 38, Colorado
13. "I regret getting married at age 18 because I was in love. The truth was, the relationship was toxic, and I had such poor self-esteem that I thought he was the only man who could ever love me, and so I should marry him. We were separated a year later."
—Anonymous, 45, Florida

14. "I regret going into more than $50K in debt to attend undergrad at a private college out of state. I thought I would get an amazing job afterwards that would justify it, but I am working three jobs and will be paying off these loans for another decade!"
—Anonymous, 45, Florida
15. "DON'T stay in an unhappy long-term relationship. Everyone thinks I'm okay/thriving. It's so hard when it becomes over a decade with emotional abuse, so I've become numb. It's too hard to get out, so don't be stuck."
—Anonymous, 36, Minnesota
"I wish I hadn't spent years of my life in unhealthy relationships. I didn't understand how much your health later in life is impacted by the relationships you have when you're younger. The body keeps the score."
—Anonymous, 51, Texas
16. "Seriously, have those 'uncomfortable' discussions before jumping into a live-in/marriage relationship. I asked my (now-husband) for full disclosure of financials: we shared our bank statements, retirement statements, savings…Once we saw we were on the same page on how we relate to money, it created a huge trust bond, as we had both been financially burned by our previous spouses."

17. "Take care of your health. Don't let a few pounds here and there add up. It is a lot harder to lose weight than it is to maintain it! It is also much easier to lose 10–15 pounds than 50+, so if you notice a few extra pounds, try to lose them before it snowballs. I learned this the hard way after over a decade of steadily gaining. I'm almost 47 now, and I feel awful all the time. I have fatty liver disease and am suffering from various other health problems due to being entry-level obese. Losing all this weight feels impossible. I've tried and failed so many times. I wish I could go back to when I started gaining weight and lose those little extra pounds."
—Anonymous
18. "Pick a career by 35. You don't have time. You will get old, and in many cases, too old. Invest in yourself. You have to make a decision and focus on one or two things. Your lifespan is too short to do everything. I've seen this trip people up over and over."
—Anonymous, 61, Canada
19. "I regret ignoring the red flags early in the relationship in the hopes that I could change him. You can't, you shouldn't, and it's not your responsibility. Leave them where they are and find someone worthy of you. They're out there. I promise. Trust your gut."
—Anonymous, 36, New York
20. "I know now there is often advice to not marry young or to wait until you have a career or plan. And while I do agree in some situations, this is my biggest regret. I met my now husband in middle school. I loved him instantly, and we began a relationship a little ways through my freshman year and his sophomore year. We dated through college and got married when I was 26 and he was 27. I realize that's fairly young, anyway, but it wasn't young enough. Unfortunately, my husband died in a car crash when I was 39. I wish I could've had so much more time with him. I wish we could've started our family sooner, so he could've seen our three sons through college. I can't go back, but I think of him every day."
"I've never once considered remarrying, and so I encourage all of you younger people if you know they are the one — if it's not just the big things, but the little times they bring you coffee in bed; if it's not purely a romantic relationship, but they are also your best friend; and if you truly can envision them being a good spouse and parent — why wait? We only have about 75 years on this earth, and don't you want to spend every second of it with your person? I certainly wish I could've. I personally believe I'll be with him again in heaven (although I understand some of you might disagree, and that's totally okay :)), but I've missed him every day. However, I want to clarify that you should not hastily marry without being *certain* they are the one for you. And maybe marriage isn't even for you, and that's okay, too. I just encourage you all to not waste time apart from loved ones, regardless of your relationship."
—Anonymous, 87, Wisconsin
And finally...
21. "Stop living for other people: parents, partners, or friends. Decide what you want out of life, and do that; everyone else's opinion should be of no concern."
—Anonymous, 48, USA

Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.