As kids, it's a nice thought that one day we'll be adults and can do anything we want; eat dessert before dinner, always have friends over, go anywhere we want, etc. What we didn't think about is how much goes into actually doing those things. We're all just growing up until one day we're actually grown up. Being grown up comes with all the forced adulting I can and can't manage, such as:
1. Budgeting
It's one thing to make money but it's a whole other thing to realize that the majority of that money can't be spent. Seems like a pretty simple idea until you get a notification from your bank app that you're $20 over your food budget for the month and there's still two weeks left. Is this the kind of thing that gets easier with time?
2. Couponing
To aid the ambitious budgeting plan, couponing has become my new hobby. I've found myself using coupons for things I don't even need to buy but at least I get a dollar off right?
3. Speeding tickets
Somebody should've told me how much speeding tickets cost before I started doing it. Granted, it probably wouldn't have stopped me but after getting my first ticket in the four years that I've been driving, I wish I would've known. As a kid, I just thought it happened to everyone and it was no big deal, but nobody prepared me for how guilty I'd feel.
4. Student loans
Students know exactly what I'm talking about. The interest rate alone makes me want to drop out.
5. Having to schedule social time
Maybe it's just because it's nearing the end of the semester, but I feel like every time someone asks me to hang out I have to check my calendar first. And even when the calendar's clear, I'm too exhausted from everything else I've had to do that week. When did I get that old?
6. Apartment hunting
Looking for my first apartment has gone from an exciting milestone to weeks of disappointment and stress. As well as becoming really good at doing math in the head to break down rent.
7. Having (and taking care of!) a car
I don't have my own car yet but I will soon and the idea of owning something that I know virtually nothing about is filling me with dread. Am I really about to call my dad every time I think there's a problem with it? I probably won't have to; he'll be calling me every other week to tell me to get the oil changed.
8. Credit cards
I just recently got my first credit card so I can start building up some credit. I guess I didn't know as much about credit cards as I thought I did, but being able to spend money I don't have just seems dangerous.
9. Everybody is getting married, having babies, or in the military
It feels like everyone I grew up is suddenly getting married, having kids, joining the military or getting a house. Aside from the military option, I feel like I'm way far behind the rest of my peers. Every time I go on Instagram, somebody else I know has moved onto some big life chapter. I'm happy for everyone but it just seems like yesterday that we were all in high school together and our math exam was our biggest concern.
10. Making every appointment yourself
I took for granted all the times my mom called and made appointments for me. Now it's all on me to get over my irrational phone anxiety and make my doctor's appointments myself. I can't be the only one who feels like the receptionists don't take me seriously because of how young I sound.
