Do you find yourself wishing you started earlier? If so, here are some tips for you. 

Introduction

Welcome to my first article :) I am a college student majoring in economics and minoring in philosophy. I love learning about crypto technology and also enjoy the financial aspects of investing in it. I plan to put up articles once a week if not more. 

First off, if you couldn't tell, the purpose of this article is to say: You are not too late to the game. Recently I've noticed a lot of people expressing sentiments of concern that they'd wish they got into crypto and investing in crypto earlier, especially around 2016-18 when prices were low. "Oh how I would've made a killing," they always say. If you find yourself thinking this way, you are not alone! This retrospective FOMO affects so many people, and I'm here to tell you that it's ok. 

And here's why.

Think of it This Way:

The crypto train may have left the station, but it makes stops along the way! Put another way, as the Chinese Proverb says, “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.”

This goes for investing, but is also a great mantra to live your life by, whether it be weight loss, quitting smoking, or any other goal you may have. If you never start the journey, the only person who loses is future you. Imagine yourself in a decade, a year, or even just a few months, thanking you for investing, learning, and starting the crypto journey. 

A Thought Experiment:

Here is a thought experiment I came up with that helped me come to terms with this situation myself.

Think about 5-10 of your favorite places to spend money. If this is hard, think about places you spend money recently. It can be online shopping sites, restaurants, that local hardware store, or maybe the patreon of a youtuber you enjoy.

Here are the places I picked:

1. A local Italian restaurant my family enjoys
2. A fiction writer online who I enjoy reading content from
3. An online clothing store
4. The Chik-Fil-A drive through
5. My local garden center
6. Best Buy
7. Amazon
8. Starbucks

Now, how many of them would let you pay (or tip) with crypto?

Chances are, at the time this article is being written (May, 2021) I would wager less than half of them would, if not less.

Out of the 8 places I picked, 0 of them would allow me to pay or tip with cryptocurrencies. Only fiat. 

What does this mean?

This goes to show, that even with all of the bullish news articles on the use cases of cryptocurrencies, real-world use and widespread adoption is not yet a reality! What that means, is even though you may not have been an initial investor in cryptocurrency, you aren't "too late". 

Thank you for reading, and if you found this useful, please feel free to leave a comment and let me know!

Disclaimer:

I am not a financial advisor, I don't claim to be one, I don't even play one on TV. PLEASE do your own research and don't invest more than you are willing to lose. Be smart and use common sense— never give out your wallet keys. You are responsible for your own trades and investments!