As a futures trader our first and foremost job is a risk manager.
And our second job is to survive every single day.
Your friends who have not planned for their future have no-one to blame but themselves. This career has no guarantees.
I am a futures trader at a prop firm for 2 years and have been consistently profitable. I've had consistently green months, and I never ever have any sort of ego such that I wouldn't consider putting it away in the bank or diversifying investments.
We take so much risk. So, so much risk. Every day that we make money is a blessing. You cannot do this job without a plan to put your money. Diversify in the cash, bonds, property, match the index as well, but by all means do not lavishly spend. This is a tough job and don't for a second think your career will be forever.
I have known guys at my firm who have traded for 15 years (there were two of them) who didn't make a single cent for 12 months and decided to call it quits.
I also know someone who made money for 14 months in a row, making great profits (50k to 60k) but because his strategy was so mathematical, he then lost everything he made AND some over the remaining 12 months after that streak ended.
You have to plan ahead. Good traders plan trades and plan for when sh*t goes wrong. You must have a plan A, B and C. And then a 'just in case' plan D.
This isn't a secure job. It's high-pay, with tremendously high-risk. Everyone knows it, so why not put your money to the side?