The problem was, like most 19 year olds, I had a very loose definition of what an "emergency" was. Like, new Tori Amos cds were NECESSARY as were new Doc Martens and Sonic cheddar bites on a Friday night.
My credit card. We had some good times. And Bank of America was kind enough to automatically increase my credit limit anytime I got close to maxing it out. Before I knew it, I could charge up to $8000!! That's pretty cool for a kid, and I thought it meant that I was doing something right, because obviously they knew that I would be able to pay that much off in a short amount of time!
Things I charged on my credit card over the years:
My first wedding (yep, pretty much the whole thing)
A remote control tank
SO MANY GROCERIES
Gas when moving back from Portland
Part of my second wedding
Dinners out
Mud tires and a catalytic converter for a Jeep we sold 2 months later
All the random little things that were needed in my life that my $7 an hour job did not afford
Needless to say, I have learned a lot about credit over the years. #1 being I am not cut out to have credit card. I still have a loose definition of the word emergency. And I really like stuff. If shopping addiction can be genetically passed on, my father was kind enough to put that shit right in my DNA.
Today, I can say that my first wedding is officially paid off. Like most people in a lot of debt, it is a day that I never thought would get here. And by Christ, it feels good. Not to belabor the point, but my FIRST wedding is paid off. I have been divorced for TEN YEARS. The only memento I had from that wedding was the debt.
