Growing Up

I’ve said several times here and on my personal blog that deciding to get out of debt was about growing up for me.  I’m sure there are many mature adults who are in debt, but I was in denial about my debt. I was still waiting for someone or something to come make it all better.  So, deciding to get out was first about facing my problems and, second, about taking responsibility for them myself.

I’m realizing now that it is also about independence.  Now, I have been living independently.  If I wasn’t, then I never would have accumulated this debt.  But, I had never faced the fact that I was failing at living independently.  If I needed any proof of that fact, I think the credit card balance of $20,000 should have done it.

In my artsy/academic/liberal circle, we try to minimize money as an issue, but I can’t think of anything that is more central to living independently.  I’m realizing this more and more all the time.  I mean, my car has to this point and continues to be the biggest What If in my budget–the thing that, at any moment, could cost me hundreds of dollars that I would have no choice but to pay.  A problem with my car could cripple my independence, but the only thing required to alleviate that stress is money.

More than finally being able to afford a few nice things and maybe some travel, knowing that even if something were to happen to my car, I would be able to easily cover it, is exciting to me.  Of course money doesn’t solve every problem, but it does fix cars and a broken car stresses me out and stress hurts the quality of my life.