Whom do you listen to?  If it is Madison Ave, then I bet you are like most Americans who have too much debt and not enough assets.  One of our goals for you is smart consumption.  Buy on sale, defer purchases, determine wants vs. needs.  When the average American lives 78 years it means that most everyone's consumption behavior is well in excess of a million dollars. 

Health:  this is your most valuable asset.  Invest in your health and it will pay dividends throughout your life.

Value:  create it, be it to others, give it away.

Fertile:  be somewhere where opportunities for work are abundant.

Autosave:  put money from your paycheck into 401k, and savings.

Reduce costs:  buy used at a discount on Ebay, Craig's List or garage sales.

Bike:  reduce transportation costs and exercise at the same time (multitasking).

Coffee:  save money and get $1 coffee with a reusable mug instead of a $4+ latte.

You need a framework:  On my 18th birthday, I had 2 trips to make:  the post office to sign up for Selective Service and the attorney to sign my simple will paperwork.  Not the most exciting events, but a real welcome to the adult world.  Most of my friends are still without a will, yet they have kids, life insurance, and property.  Typically an inexpensive will would cover most of their needs.  I have used these services for leases and power of attorney situations and they are very efficient.