1.) Health insurance! Enjoy it while Mom and Dad pay for it. Because as soon as you reach that golden age, 18 if you're not in college..and 21 if you are... IN SOME CASES not all. All at once you discover that you actually have to PAY for doctors visits and medicine. And they don't come cheap. I think one of my most terrifying moments was in 2008 when Harlow was laid off and we were both without coverage for 6 months. I avoided sick people like they were lepers! AND when you do have it..you get to learn that even though you're paying upwards of 300.00 a month in our case for a family YOU still have to shell out whats called a co-pay. You get to learn ALL about 80/20's and 90/10's. And you no longer run to the doctor for sinus infections and colds. You gotsta be dying before you'll do it when you're old. THIS is why your parents rarely go to the doctor.
2.)Cars/Car payments! When I was 16 I wanted my Dad to buy me a new car. He said no and I argued that the payment couldn't be more than 300.00 a month and I would pay for it with my little part time job. I am laughing RIGHT now. What I didn't understand was interest..that my 15,000.00 car would turn into a 30,000.00 car...that my car would require full coverage insurance($$$$ for a 16 year old girl), tags, title, licensing...NOT to mention care and upkeep. Cars require maintenance...tire charges, oil changes, fluids of all sorts. Driving is NOT cheap. Take what you get for free...if your parents ARE kind enough to GIVE you a car...even if it's a clunker! And LOVE them for it.
3.)Renting/Mortgage! This was a particularly tough lesson for me. Anyway,lets say you see an apartment for rent for 200.00 a month. That seems cheap on your 18 year old salary from working part time. You start to think your parents are just cheap or tight wads. The things you do NOT know...and FYI $200.00 was an example..you are NOT going to find a place to live..at least not a place you want to live, for 200.00 a month. So, lets say rent is 200.00, and then you have your electric bill 100.00, water 15.00, garbage 15.00, cable 50.00, phone/internet 100.00. SO..now your apartment is 480.00 a month. Still..not too bad. Where you going to get furniture? Groceries? Cleaning supplies? Not even shower curtains are free my young friends. AND you still got your cell phone...your car...your car insurance...you with me yet?
4.)I will get to sleep as much as I want when i'm an adult!! HAHAHAHAHA! Sleep now....A LOT! Because when you have a job to get to instead of school....the worst that can happen is not detention. You get fired...then how are you going to pay your bills? Hm? And later on, if you have children, you will never sleep again. NEVER!
5.) I will be able to eat whatever and whenever I want!! This one is actually true. You CAN eat McDonalds EVERY day if you want. You CAN go to Huddle House at 3 am if you want. But you are no longer in sports. You're not getting 30 minutes of PE everyday. Doesn't take a genius to realize what happens when you eat garbage and you don't move your booty. Cause you're at work all day paying for your car and your apartment. :)
6.)Work will be fun! HA! Maybe...depends on what you do, where you live, how much money you wish to make, if you deal with the public, if you deal with a boss, if you are in charge of other people, if you have to be at work at all. You get it. Thats real cute too.
7.)The value of a dollar. When your parents foot the bill, and depending on how you were raised, it's hard to put a lot of value on your daily needs. Clothes are not cheap and neither are your toys. Your iphone is expensive, your ipad is expensive, your laptop is expensive, your lunch at school costs your parents 30.00 a month. You getting it? Now..what if YOU had to pay for it. You'd start valuing your belongings and the belongings of others a lot more. It's different when YOU'RE the one working like crazy to buy this stuff. A bag of KRAFT cheese costs 8.00 at Walmart. Some people in our area only make 6.50 an hour. They have to work OVER an hour to buy that bag of cheese.
These are just a few of the SHOCKING things that happen when you reach that magic number of 18. Go hug your parents. Go tell them you love them. If they provided you with just half of whats on this list, they love you and you are blessed beyond measure. Enjoy being young and dumb....*evil voice* while you can!!
No comments:
Post a Comment