Take a survey amongst your peers and you’ll find that some of us have an amazing sense of financial control. We’ve got our retirement funds setup, we don’t worry so much about money and we have a plan to be debt free within the coming years. Some of us though are just clueless. Retirement is something 50 years away, so why worry now? We have credit card debt with no plans to pay it off, and we mismanage our cash flow and get dinged with in-sufficient funds bank fees. Based on reading and talking with friends/readers and from looking at my own life, I’ve compiled a list of the 10 habits that financially unsuccessful people do. Hopefully you’ll learn from our mistakes and better your own situation!

1) Budget?

Who needs that? Those with poor financial sense don’t keep a budget. We don’t use Mint.com; we don’t keep a spreadsheet and quickly throw out receipts. We might check our bank account every once in a while, but mainly just to make sure that it hasn’t been closed due to insufficient funds! Us unsavy folks don’t think we make enough money to warrant a budget and will figure out our finances ‘later’.

2) Retirement?

That’s my future self’s problem. We’re young professionals, emphasis on young. Retirement is at least 50 years away. As George Strait so eloquently put it, “I’m not here for a long time; I’m here for a good time.” We all could save for retirement, but there’s so much we want now. Roth IRA, 401(k), mutual funds, it’s all so confusing. How far could my measly $200 per month contribution go anyways? I’ll worry about it when I’m older. And hey, if all else fails, there is always social security, right?

3) Sign up for every credit card possible.

…and spend like there’s no tomorrow. I must be super rich or something, because I get credit card offers all the time. Like the baller I am, I sign up for them. Plastic, plastic, and more plastic. Like a champ, I spend and don’t worry about paying them off. Sometimes I forget and don’t even make the monthly payments on them. A $15 late fee isn’t a big deal to me. I don’t pay my credit cards off in full each month, and carry what I’m told is a ‘healthy balance’. Besides, it’ll only help my credit score, right?

4) Eat out for lunch most days every week.

It’s only like $5-$10 each meal, that’s not going to break my budget (if I had one!). It’s just tough to take the time to plan my lunch meals out for the week and please, who has time to wake up even earlier to pack their lunches? I enjoy getting out of the office with my co-workers and isn’t not that expensive so I enjoy doing it 5 days a week.

5) Have no real financial goals.

I have no idea what I’m saving up for. I barely save at all. Houses, paying off debt, saving for a rainy day? Nope, not me! I’m focused on the here and now. The future is such an abstract concept and I’m sure I’ll be ok; I’ve made it this far!

6) Buy a brand new car.

There’s nothing like being fresh out of college with a big fancy job with a big paycheck. That clunker we drove around in college won’t cut it anymore. We deserve to reward ourselves with a new car. Plus, interest rates on auto loans are so low, you can totally afford a couple of hundred each month in a car payment! Even better…lease it!

7) Pay for cable, gym memberships, parking and late fees.

We all love the idea of going to the gym, getting there is another issue though! That’s why we sign up for the year long contract; hey you get a cheaper deal that way! I’ll probably go at least once a week, right? Cable, gotta have it! Sure rates go up after their teaser promotions, but $100 for good entertainment for me to veg out on the couch is money well spent! Netflix and Hulu Plus is nice and all but I really enjoy cable programming, especially sports.

8) Spend money like it grows on trees.

#YOLO, our generation’s motto. Why save for tomorrow when tomorrow isn’t guaranteed? We’re all about the here and now, worry about tomorrow when (and if!) it comes. Credit cards…to the max. Student loans? They can wait. New clothes, expensive vacations, eating out at nice restaurants, yes please! I’ve got my whole life to save and be responsible with my money, what start now?

Hopefully you’ll be a little taken aback by some of these excuses. I trust my sarcasm came through and that you won’t go out and spend money #YOLO because this financial blogger guy told you to. Although they all sound crazy, a lot of us make these unwise decisions on a daily basis. Next time, hopefully you’ll catch yourself and decide to make the right decision.

Why don’t you #YOLO on over to #TWITTER and give us a follow?