TORONTO, ON—24-year-old Austin Culler left his financial planner's office this morning satisfied that he has made an important first step to securing his financial future. Starting next week, Culler will begin contributing to his RRSP a full 18% of the experience that his internship pays him — the maximum amount allowed.

Culler is optimistic that sound financial discipline will pay off in the long run. "I have to think of my future," he explains. "With the right investments, this experience can grow and then one day I might use all that experience to buy a little farmhouse."

Culler's financial planner made sure that his experience portfolio was well diversified. Given Toronto's housing market, Culler hopes to be able to afford a home in his late 80s, so he was set up with a longer-term portfolio.

This portfolio might lose some experience value in the short-term, but over the decades Culler can expect significant gains, thanks to the power of compound experience.

However, not everyone is impressed with Culler's forward thinking. Culler's father, a high school graduate who could afford a house at 23 working a manual labour job, can't seem to understand why his son isn't in the same financial position. "Parents today give the kids trophies for doing nothing," says the senior Culler.

"It was me who did that, sure, but I blame the idea of it more than I blame myself."

Despite the senior Culler's comments, Austin says that his dad taught him a lot of important life lessons. "My dad always used to say experience doesn't grow on trees," he says.

"You have to earn it by working hard in exchange for that experience, as opposed to a form of currency that will help you sustain your basic living requirements."

Culler says he's prepared to live frugally for the next few years while he gets his feet on the ground. He's budgeted 20% of his weekly take-home experience to paying off his student debt, another 10% to his rainy-day fund, and 5% for his travel fund.

He says he hopes to travel to Costa Rica next year using a combination of his savings and experience points.

Because he worked overtime during the Christmas holidays, Culler adds that he's looking forward to his next payday when he gets experience-and-a-half.