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When I was younger, I wanted nothing more than to be an adult. Now that I am here being an adult, I have other feelings.
Being an adult comes with so many responsibilities. Paying bills, taking on debt to have the things you need, working your life away to pay for those things and to pay off debt, sometimes to still go without and be drowning in debt.
Growing up, I had expected being an adult to be expensive, and I slaved away at multiple jobs in my teens and very early 20s to try and save up and prepare for these expenses and things while I didn’t have a ridiculous amount of bills. The problem is, even though my savings were great because I was able to put thousands and thousands away, it wasn’t enough. When the time finally came where I needed to buy big ticket items and pay my monthly bills such as phone, insurance, and just feeding myself…the money dwindled really quickly. This was especially true when unexpected expenses happened, like my car having to be fixed seemingly every couple of months.
I found myself having to rely on a credit card just to ensure I was fed. When the debt began piling up, it started to give me anxiety, I decided it was best that I just not spend money on food. I decided something like feeding myself, which would keep me alive, was not as important as ensuring my bills were paid. I now understand why my parents were always so stressed out, especially because they were young parents with two young kids only a year apart.
Not only am trying to balance the financial aspects of being an adult, there’s also the part where you have to take care of the things you own. There’s keeping the house clean, keeping up with laundry, and making sure your car is regularly getting things like oil changes, brakes, tires, etc. I really don’t know how people can do it all without losing their minds. I know I am slightly losing my mind. Maybe it’s because on top of all of those things, I have 4 pets. Who knows.
While the bill paying and upkeep of things is awful, being an adult isn’t all bad. The one thing that you do get is the freedom to do what you want. Now that I am an adult, I do a lot of things for myself that I would have never done in the past because I felt like I would have needed permission.
I’ve started traveling. Not anything big or extravagant because I can’t afford that, but I take day trips that are within driving distance because airfare is expensive and so are hotels. Plus, I can’t afford to take giant chunks of time off from work. Being a young, broke adult is trash, but I do try to make the most of it with these trips because working my life away and not doing anything for myself is no way to live.
While adulting is definitely less fun than being a kid, it’s not all bad. Nobody really tells me what to do anymore, but the consequence of that is everything is my problem now. If you feel like you can’t wait to become an adult…I promise, you can. Soak up all the moments where bills and work aren’t consuming your life.
If the stress of being an adult is becoming too much for you to handle, it is okay to reach out for help. If you’re not sure where to get help, check out our resources page.
If you’re looking to connect with others who have been through it, join our Discord server!
TurningPointCT.org was developed by young people in Connecticut who are in recovery from mental health and substance use issues. We know what it’s like to feel alone, stressed, worried, sad, and angry. We’ve lived through the ups and downs of self-harm, drugs and alcohol, and the struggle to find help.
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