Lessons in Credit

When I was 19 (that's 1998, for those keeping track) I did what I thought was the responsible thing to do: I got a credit card.  $500 limit, good interest rate, every intention of using it for emergencies only.

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.  

I think I will throw myself a party tonight.  And yes, I will pay cash.

2006 was a pretty good year