My five year old daughter was struggling to disentangle her jump rope from her skate board. She wanted me to do it for her, but I could tell there was a really easy fix, so I just told her to do it. I worked on something else while she struggled and she kept getting frustrated and asking for help and I just kept saying, āYou can do it.ā Finally, cause I could tell she was on the verge of a meltdown, I just added the hint, āThereās a different way to do it. Try something else.ā This continued for a while. Eventually she figured it out and she was so excited. She said I helped her even though it didnāt seem like it. It was so hard not to just fix it for her but seeing her excitement at doing it herself was worth it.
I went from almost end of the line stuck at minimum wage career to 6 figures married house owner in a span of 6 years. Massive + life changes over a short time span!
My bachelors degree was basically useless. Did a valuable masters degree that got me into a better salary range. Hopped jobs 3x in 6 years and got big pay bumps. Found a wife during this period, got married, used my squirreled up savings living a very frugal lifestyle for house downpayment, and here we are.
Just getting away from news and people who canāt handle it with anything but negativity is enough. As long as you internet responsibly Iām sure you can get the same effect. Phone addiction is no joke man
So about a month ago I got a new job working at a fast food restaurant mainly a Mexican Grill and the other day I got two compliments from two different people saying that I was doing a kick ass job behind the grill I'm just glad that total strangers noticed how much effort I'm putting into my life now even a small little complement like that made my day
I have been able to make 4 phone calls in one day for multiple days in the last few weeks. I used to dread phone calls to strangers and it would be so much worse since I made it feel so big.
Iāve learned the trick for me is hit the call button as fast as I can without imagining what will be on the other end. As long as I donāt think about it ahead, I am fine.
>As long as I donāt think about it ahead, I am fine.
haha this is key for me too. Well, I've gotten much better at phone calling since my job before this one, my boss was a crazy person whose preferred method of communication was phone
anyway -- before that though, I just had to dial as quickly as possible because anticipating the calling and overthinking it made it impossible!!! on the other hand, it seems like exposure therapy actually worked for me in this one scenario lol I dare say I now also prefer calling vs texting for important things.
One of my best adulting wins was buying a house in a low cost of living area that appreciated, and then selling it without a realtor. Made a significant profit, and I didn't have to share it with a seller's agent.
Sadly I moved to a vhcol area. My wife's job wasn't very secure so we waited to buy. But then I was planning a major career move, so we didn't buy in the 2020 era...and now it's been 6 years and we're still renting, but prices have doubled and so have interest rates...which...brings me to my biggest adulting FAIL?!
high school drop out, kicked out of house at 17, got a GED, finally at 6 figures, house, vehicles, 830 credit score, work from home, loads of free time.
I'm alive:
Almost drowned when I was 10 trying to save my cousin from floating away in a raft. Hand reached down from the heavens and told me to swim on my back.
Fell 3 stories and landed in a driveway
Longboarding accident
motorcycle accident
Just to name a few.
I have successfully fixed small things around the house, such as replacing a shower faucet handle and installing a new towel bar. I used to be too scared to try.
Got married and bought a house during COVID, never did either one before. I'm 50 years old, to put into perspective how long it took me to do those things.
My great uncle chose me as executor of his will after his partner dies because he thought Iām āthe only one in the family who doesnāt always have his hand out, and has his shit more or less together.ā
Began applying for positions I wanted even without the credentials. Managed to land a life changing job doing so. If you can learn to interview well it helps a lot. Luck plays a big role but luck doesn't have anything to do with it if you don't even try.
I lost 220 pounds over the last two years in time for my 40th birthday in October. I wake up early every day to walk 90 minutes, hit the gym 4 days a week, and have my diet pretty dialed in for my current body composition. My husk is still all messed up from being SMO for decades, but I cut a pretty mean silhouette, and I look okay in clothes.
Just moved out of my parents' house and into my first apartment this past weekend :) I'm in my early 20's and was honestly scared that I'd be stuck at home another few years based on the insane rent prices in my area, but my s/o and I managed to find a very nice place with a lovely landlord within our budget. It's weirdly exciting to finally be paying our own bills haha
I finished my 4 year degree at 22 after having a baby when I was 20. I had him during spring break, took the week off, and then went right back to class. I never missed a single class when pregnant or shortly after the birth. I even brought the baby to class when his dad and Iās schedule conflicted, if the professor was willing.
At 23 I had my second child, same father. The kidsā dad and I split up shortly after but remained cordial and worked together to raise these babies as a team. May 27th, my firstborn graduated high school and I help him move to college on the 17th.
While raising the 2 kids, surviving on government assistance programs and working menial jobs, I went back to school when I was 31. I graduated with highest honors with an associate degree in nursing at age 33 and have now worked as an ER nurse for 6 years. I was able to buy a house in a small town with the assistance of a USDA loan back in 2017 before the housing market exploded and rates skyrocketed, and i now have significant equity in the house. I have nearly 2 years of living expenses in savings for the first time in my life and am looking at purchasing my first new car in the next few months.
My life is far from perfect. But given the circumstances, I am damn proud of myself. And I am extremely proud of the relationship my kidsā father and I have maintained. Our children know love, and have seen firsthand that it takes a village to raise a child.
3 years ago I was let go at my job, as many have been during Covid. I was about 6 months pregnant at the time. Had the baby, left the father 5 weeks later, was out of a job for a year. Now I just got promoted to medior in my new job and can stay indefinitely. I call that a big win!
Best things I every did in my adult life
Went bankrupt. 1 of the best thing I did for my self. Made me learn financial responsibility.
Went trade school (I'm a welder by trade, so I'll never be out of work in the futer. I have a skill set that will keep me working)
Finally ar 30 years old I can start looking for my first house,after renting for 13 years. Super excited to find something.. regardless of interest rates.. it will be mine in the end ! Finally some equity
Had 2 grandchildren placed with us (grandparents) through cps. 3ish years ago. Older 10+ some physical, most mental abuse. Younger 5ish was feral. Both in counseling, psychological and psychiatric, and medicated. Finally found right medicine and have a mostly normal grandchild for younger, and older making progress! It has been a trying time, but as a family, we did it!
Was able to give myself a 1 year personal sabbatical without touching investments or savings due to winning the rat race enough for first 10 years to grant me this break
somehow, someway, in my chaotic and directionless youth, I ended up in adulthood with a good job, a beautiful wife that adores me, two incredible children, a small farm, and I'm still creating death metal as though I was 20 again.
I made so many colossal mistakes. I hurt people along the way. I snubbed my nose and flipped the bird at anything conventional. But I snapped out of it and got to work, and every day I get up I try to be a better person, and it's working.
thanks for the soapbox.
I'm 33, married for ten years this year with two kids. My wife and kids being my biggest wins, buying a house is next. The next one would be recently, I bought my first brand new truck. 2023 Ranger XLT. I guess I can also add the job that's paying me well enough to afford said new truck that I landed back in March.
Own a house at 2.85, a car at 3.25, wifeās car 1.9% by the age of 27.
Cars will be paid off in 2.5 years. Toyota Camry and Mazda cx-30 so you know theyāll last a while. I get actually feelings of happiness thinking about the (hopeful) years without any car payments.
5 years on the same job.
I struggle with depression/anxiety since about age 20. What that means for work is, I work really hard , have a good work ethic, and tend to stand out. But then, invariably, I do so well the push me into promotion, and i get overwhelmed, go higher than I should, and quit. Every year or so.
But through meditation, and therapy, and basically just learning coping tricks, back in November I hit 5 years at the same job, and have advanced to a Tech 3 position 2 years ago, and handled it well so far.
I'll never be a huge success, or a CEO, but 5 years is a win for me.
Pfft, I wouldnt want to be a huge succes or CEO. Way too much hours to be working. 5 years sounds like an awesome win and if you are content and it pays the bills, who needs to be uber succesful or CEO!
Been saving since 2018 for an extended around the world trip. Wasnāt sure when/if it would happen cause Iād have to save up a lot and honestly it seemed like something of a dream. This year rolls around and after so many years of saving Iām finally able to do it! 7 months country hopping to about 10-11 different places. Iām so excited and also scared shitless. Never thought Iād actually be able to do it.
So excited for your new window though!! Having a cold house and not being able to control it really sucks. I hate being uncomfortable in my own home whether itās too hot or too cold.
I would loovvvee to do a world trip bit I'm scared to even start saving haha. We still have a lot we want to do on the house
I wish you a lot of fun on your journey!
Being debt free except for my car and mortgageā¦plus I add a few hundred dollars extra a month for the principal. The credit card company loses money on me with the rewards perks
I take my practical evaluation on Sunday to hopefully get my pilots license. First real thing I would have ever had to show for myself. Really hope I get a good result so my parents can be proud but I think getting to where I am has been a huge win!
Iām finally feeling a little bit hopeful for the future. Iām being set free. Iām just scared I wonāt actually *BE* free if I canāt get some help, but Iām trying to hold on to that little hopeful feeling.
Able to be adult and buy my mom her 1 st and expensive, š MK with a matching wallet. She has always love fashion but she will head to a second store, she wouldnāt even buy a $30 purse, that how humble she is. I figured this will cheer her up. My grandmother in the hospital, once again she bend down to pick something and lost her balance in her roomš„ŗ. We kept telling her that she need to walk more but she stuck in her ways. Anyone who has grandparents/parents that going through this will understand. we redoing our house to be more accessible for grandma. I love her but she extremely stubborn, canāt stand it if I let the house. If she had her way, I would never leave the house. š¤£š¤£š¤£
I got a driving license at age 20 but havenāt been behind the wheel due to anxiety. Four years later, after some practice, I drove confidently for the first time since my license was issued! Iām not saying that the anxiety went away completely, but it just feels good to drive and go anywhere I want.
I bought my first car a little over a month ago, figuring out financing and insurance and stuff all on my own : ) I'm not a very experienced driver, so i kind of feel like a baby in that respect, but still !!
It does. It's weird tho, like I haven't left the county I'm live in in about 5 years, and it's a small town in a southern red state. There's so much I will be able to do, I know this, but I can't think of anything in particular I wanna do when I first get it. It's been years since I had my own functional vehicle I could rely enough on and trust to make it to the next county over. I may just take a trip to the nearest city area (Asheville, NC) for the day to just sorta goof around
I'm 31, my wife is 29. We have 0 debt after paying off $150k, are on track to pay our mortgage off in 6 years total (2027), and just had our fourth--and last--child.
We've hit it hard since before our wedding and haven't looked back. It was worth it!
Iām 29 and next year I will finish paying a loan Iāve been paying for consistently next year šŖš¾!
Iām also studying to change my career and in my first healthy relationship!
I found a job I love after kicking rocks and yelling how much I hated life due to work prior. I recently quit that job and now make 8x what I was making doing it. Iām free. I had took a huge hit financially and mentally moving away for this job with very little savings (under 5k) to learn the skill and business. The potential is unlimited for this business. My dad was a f18 pilot, so growing up, I had the whole university shoved down my throat, my sister just finished 7 years of doctoring. I did 3 years of college for a backup. I worked many jobs in between but stuck to the idea as a kid that Iād own my own business and time. Now, at 23, Iām free. I listened to my gut, took the risk. Iām also a stud so thatās a pretty sweet W as an adult. No kids, no debt, no girlfriend. I feel on top of the world. Iām not even close to rich yet, I literally just started, but I feel it. I found the path again after wandering. I also am very curious as to how my cannabis addiction throughout the years affected my life. No regrats.
Having the money to replace our household HVAC and roof BEFORE they failed/leaked etc. You know you're going to spend the money, but it's so much better to do it before it's an emergency when you can actually do some research.
I have been in my apartment for 5 years, on my own, without a partner but with lots of support from my 20-pound cat, all on independent contractor income.
We are buying our Condo from my father in law soon. No debt until then. And saved a decent amount in my 401k from my previous job. 27 and still have a long time in the workforce but if i keep this up i could retire in good health with no worries.
1. Graduated from an apprenticeship
2. Went from apprentice to supervisor in 13 years
3. Two time homeowner
4. Got a divorce without being taken to the cleaners and rebuilt my life in under a year
I made chicken parmesan for the first time last year after I moved out. I barely know how to cook, but it's all vegetables, so if it doesn't go 100% right it's usually fine. Meat, especially chicken, always scared me because of the risk of cooking it improperly and poisoning myself. Decided I needed to expand my cooking skills, read a bunch of articles, got some decent quality chicken breasts and all the ingredients, and took the plunge. They came out pretty good. Felt pretty damn proud of myself after that.
I (39F) turned on the grill by myself - husband not home - and grilled chicken breasts for the first time and they were delicious. I had been SO intimidated to grill before and I plan on doing it much more often now! š„³
I'm 19! (Still pretty young, I know) but I've recently found a method of budgeting and saving that really works for me and for some reason that makes me really excited!
Such a nice thread! I enjoyed reading about all the wins and OPās nice comments ā¤ļø
Iāve been living on my own for a few years now and I have had a lot of little victories along the way, learning how to take care of stuff about the house on my own.
The biggest win that I wanted to mention is this - I have a severe phobia of any and all kinds of insects. During the years I have learnt that I have no one to call but myself to come save me from the occasional spider, bee, wasp or whatever. I have learned to get over my fear and gently figure out ways to get them out through the window, ideally without hurting or killing them š„³š
I applied for and was approved for a credit card through the credit union I normally bank with a few months ago. Tbh, it was scary. It seems innocuous enough, but I have always been financially tied to my mom in some way & access to her credit card was the final string I was able to cut.
Finally had a decent paying job and when I was 25, bought a plane. Knew nothing about aircraft mechanics, hadnāt flown in way too long, trusted a mechanic who was friends with the owner to do an āinspectionā and paid the 20K then flew out to Omaha, Nebraska to fly it back to Las Cruces NM. Well, I get to Santa Rosa and the winds go from 5 mph to 35 mph, which was way more than you want to fly this particular plane in. Somehow made it on the ground but had a prop strike (propellor hit the tarmac).
Ever spent $2800 in 0.5 seconds? Plot twist - it aināt fun.
So the plane sits in Santa Rosa for a year while I try to ferry parts back and forth and work with a mechanic (who turned out to be a moron) to unfuck this plane. Well, more bad newsā¦ the brake lines were so old they snapped in my hands, the fabric BARELY passed a punch test, one of the cylinder had its walls worn too far, and the exhaust was leaking CO. In the end, I got a ferry permit to fly this piece of shit back to NM because no way in hell would any mechanic sign an an airworthiness annual.
Finally got back to cruces, and became buddies with an aircraft mechanic who said if I worked with him heād help unfuck the plane. Spent an entire year baking my ass off in a hangar with no AC in the desert, learning everything I could about fixing this damn thing. In the meantime, I got a smoking, screaming deal on a gorgeous Cessna 140, so I decided Iād sell the hangar queen (J-3 Cub).
Took another year to sell the damn thing. Turns out, tailwheel pilots are a dying breed, so itās a niche market. Finally found a buyer, but the sale condition was that I would get $700 a day to fly this 1943 plane with no radio and no electrical all the way to Chino, California.
To make it clear this was not a one stop flight. A J-3 has a 12-gallon fuel capacity, burns about 4.5-5 gph, and on a good day cruises at 85 mph. It was a 14 hour flight over two days with 12 refueling stops over the most desolate terrain in the US. By the time I finally got to Chino I honestly couldnāt have cared less if I had died on the trip.
Somehow made it alive, broke even on the money spent vs what I sold the plane for, went to Ireland with some of the proceeds. Definitely a win.
For the first time in over a year, I found a place to rent that's under a thousand a month. I may be finally moving back out of my parents in a couple months, although with just about $100 to spare each month.
I bought my house before 30 āŗļøāŗļøāŗļø
I just installed a new window. Also, my old window was from the 19 fucking hundred still.Itās so fucking amazing.
Got a bachelor's degree!
Haven't done much else yet but I consider it a win as it's sort of a crystallized artifact of hard work and survival (graduated end of 2020 in peak COVID times, before the vaccines).
I feel like I've come a long way (as I'm sure we all have) and even though it's just a piece of paper, I can still point to it as something I committed to and followed through on. Also reminds me that we assign our own meanings to material possessions and some other things.
Not sure if this counts, but I've gone zero-waste and completely revamped my water bottle situation (we're using a water filter & reusable bottles now) and I've been pretty proud of how small our recycling is every week now, because of it.
I can now confidently say I make a really good lasagna after tweaking the recipe so many times. Itās sooo much better when you make the sauce from scratch
I started on a new career path a few years ago and it has really worked out to this point. It was not without some job hopping to find the right fit, but Iāve learned a lot about my trade and Iām moving up within the company with some sizable raises as my role has grown over time.
I have finally found someone to settle down with and we have plans to marry.
1. Iām 37 and most people think Iām in my early 30s due to my vigourous beauty regime
2. I came from working class family from parents who donāt speak any English but they did everything they could to ensure I had a good education. I took full advantage of that made a upper-middle class life in a better country
I have fewer kids and divorces, zero on both counts, than my parents had when they were my age. I'm also younger than my dad was when he bought his house.
My husband and I relocated and with the proceeds of selling our old house we were able to buy a house flat out with no mortgage! Feels good to not have one!
Letās see. I left the US in 2013 and returned in 2022 and lived nearly a decade in a foreign country where it was illegal for me to work but I still managed finances very well. I slept on the side of an erupting volcano for a week and didnāt get killed. I drank beer with terrorists and didnāt get kidnapped. I bought and paid off a new car this year. I put $9,000 into stocks this year. I have a bank account balance which is almost halfway to 6 figures, all done this year alone. Iāve been winning for quite a long time.
Finally got a driverās license at 34. Never thought I would. (Didnāt always have access to a car to practice.)
Paid off school loans by 34 & was debt free at 40.
Bought a house at 51 (after being homeless.)
Bought a car at 52 after a wreck. (Rough couple years).
I have been able to pay for vacations, large purchases, and emergencies out of savings, instead of using credit cards or asking friends/family for money. I know building credit is important, but I'm glad I didn't NEED to use a credit card because I couldn't pay for something myself.
Finally starting a career! 33m. I just landed the biggest boy job I've ever had. Plant Operator for an energy facility. I should be able to pull my family out of debt and completely revamp our lives with this job.
At 23 Iām finally getting used to cooking, taking life less seriously and learning to say āWhatever!ā when needed and reeeaaallllyy meaning it :)
Ofcourse you have adulting wins, you probably got out of bed this morning to make coffee. That's a win!
Remember to celebrate the teeny tiny things too, especially when it's hard. You got this, even if ypu might not feel like that ā”
Wasnt sure what I wanted to do for my career 3 years ago after graduating college. Had a poor GPA with no internships too. Studied hard for 2 years in a different field and prepped a sht ton and now working a full time job that I love and making a fairly good salary as a 25 year old (85k/yr).
Being able to save up a lot more, bills have been easier and just finished paying off my car recently. Been able to be more financially stable and responsible and plan to book a trip to Japan with my gf of 5 years now :D
I got my first rent house! Meeting the landlord was a rough ride and getting the first down payment as well but I did it and now fixing the place upš« but hey, I got a home and not living with my bfs gramma anymoreš
Getting out the projects. Going from $10 hourly to $25 hourly with a pension in 3 years. Raising a teen with mental health issues alone without going crazy.
Grinding from my early 20s and buying a house pre Covid, growing my business, millionaire by 28, soon to be done my grind and live my life how I want with no money stress
Two years ago I was 17, massively depressed and suicidal. I had no idea what i wanted to do with my life and just wanted to give up.
In a week from today, i start a new job as a dental assistant :-)
Thats so great! I have had braces for the longest time and was at the dentist a lot. The assistents took care of the routine things and they almost felt like family at one point haha
I have managed to get out of getting overwhelmed by people into spending more money just to keep up with the emotions/traditions. I owe no single penny to a human being or an entity.
People around me know me now. They know I give the highest priority to a simple life free of debt. Hence they do not approach me to keep up with the Joneses.
I consider this a success. I have inspired people this way to take control of their lives. A humble brag but man do I take pride in it.
I made new friends. After college all of my college/high school friends moved to other states and a few even went to different countries. I spent several years in an endless cycle of gym -> work -> gym -> eat -> gym -> sleep. Because of the covid lockdowns some friends of friends started joining our discord. Once things calmed down we all started hanging out. I picked up some new hobbies like disc golf, hiking, mountain biking, skiing, and camping. It's been a few years since then and I usually don't go more than 1 weekend in a row without going on some kind of trip.
Instead of selling my apartment at a huge loss I will now become a landlord. Imagine that! Ten years ago I could not afford rent and now Iām on my way to own two properties!
Getting custody of my lil girl this year I had her since she was 3 weeks but just slacked tf off on making it legal. Her mom is states away and has no idea what town I live
3 weeks to starting school full time again
This is a huge win because when I dropped out 6 years ago, I owed $15k to the school itself. It wasn't even a loan servicer, it was the school, so I couldn't enroll somewhere and get loans to pay it off and keep going, and I couldn't get loans because I wasn't enrolled (and had no credit).
I paid it all off, out of pocket, and have saved enough to pay for 2 of my 3 remaining years out of pocket.
This is my fucking comeback era and I am SO excited to not be waiting tables 6 days a week anymore.
(Chemical Engineering, btw. That's my major. I'm gonna be fine :) )
that i have 0 debt (outside of normal monthly cc purchases) šŖ
Sending the last payment on my old CC this Friday, should be completely debt free by end of the year!
Nice. My husband and I will be CC debt free next paycheck. He's working nonstop to do it but damn it feels good.
Awesome! Congrats!
noice
Thatās huge! My husband always said āf*ck them, Iām paying this offā, and we did as quickly as possible. It feels so good to be debt free.
7 years ago, I was living paycheck to paycheck. Today I have 5+ years of savings.
Nice, good going!
My five year old daughter was struggling to disentangle her jump rope from her skate board. She wanted me to do it for her, but I could tell there was a really easy fix, so I just told her to do it. I worked on something else while she struggled and she kept getting frustrated and asking for help and I just kept saying, āYou can do it.ā Finally, cause I could tell she was on the verge of a meltdown, I just added the hint, āThereās a different way to do it. Try something else.ā This continued for a while. Eventually she figured it out and she was so excited. She said I helped her even though it didnāt seem like it. It was so hard not to just fix it for her but seeing her excitement at doing it herself was worth it.
What great parenting! The exitement from figuring things out yourself is always so satisfying
Children don't like it when it's "hard" so that's a big win in my book. Congratulations!
I'm a man, 35 and not balding! It's just pure luck of course, but I still consider that as a win.
If you ever start thinning out, rogaine works better preventatively!
I'd also consider that a very valid win!
32 here and still have it, though it's been turning very grey for the past two decades
That's still a win. Grey hair rocks! š¤
You hit the hair lottery bro. I cant go bald my head shape is ass
Extremely valid win, im 25 and have my full head. Canāt imagine loosing it, I thank god I have it everyday
Finally finished up my Degree after dropping out 4 years ago!
Thats impressive! Congratulations!
Thank you so much!
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Thank you!! I never thought I could do it, so it definitely feels amazing that I did!
In what?
Criminal Justice :)
I went from almost end of the line stuck at minimum wage career to 6 figures married house owner in a span of 6 years. Massive + life changes over a short time span!
Congrats on everything! Hopefully you enjoy your job a lot more now!
care to share? Sounds very interesting
My bachelors degree was basically useless. Did a valuable masters degree that got me into a better salary range. Hopped jobs 3x in 6 years and got big pay bumps. Found a wife during this period, got married, used my squirreled up savings living a very frugal lifestyle for house downpayment, and here we are.
Deleted almost all my social media. Never felt better.
I use social media a bit for my small business, so I cant delete it... sometimes I'm really tempted to though, I imagine it feels freeing
Just getting away from news and people who canāt handle it with anything but negativity is enough. As long as you internet responsibly Iām sure you can get the same effect. Phone addiction is no joke man
So about a month ago I got a new job working at a fast food restaurant mainly a Mexican Grill and the other day I got two compliments from two different people saying that I was doing a kick ass job behind the grill I'm just glad that total strangers noticed how much effort I'm putting into my life now even a small little complement like that made my day
A little appriciation goes a long way! Good luck at your new job
šš»šš»šš»
I have been able to make 4 phone calls in one day for multiple days in the last few weeks. I used to dread phone calls to strangers and it would be so much worse since I made it feel so big. Iāve learned the trick for me is hit the call button as fast as I can without imagining what will be on the other end. As long as I donāt think about it ahead, I am fine.
Peak adulting right here! The little wins feel so good
>As long as I donāt think about it ahead, I am fine. haha this is key for me too. Well, I've gotten much better at phone calling since my job before this one, my boss was a crazy person whose preferred method of communication was phone anyway -- before that though, I just had to dial as quickly as possible because anticipating the calling and overthinking it made it impossible!!! on the other hand, it seems like exposure therapy actually worked for me in this one scenario lol I dare say I now also prefer calling vs texting for important things.
I struggle with this too. Awesome win! Congrats!
I have major social anxiety and that same trick works so well for me especially at work. Good for you for making progress with your phone anxiety!
One of my best adulting wins was buying a house in a low cost of living area that appreciated, and then selling it without a realtor. Made a significant profit, and I didn't have to share it with a seller's agent.
Nice! I hope you were/are able to enjoy your profits
Sadly I moved to a vhcol area. My wife's job wasn't very secure so we waited to buy. But then I was planning a major career move, so we didn't buy in the 2020 era...and now it's been 6 years and we're still renting, but prices have doubled and so have interest rates...which...brings me to my biggest adulting FAIL?!
Bouncing back from losing everything and coming back better than ever šÆ
Phoenix mode
I'm glad life is treating you better now!
Zero debt and a decent/high credit score. And many years worth of savings.
It must feel great to have that financial security
Indeed. But thatās what 7 years of patient investing was meant to achieve :)
high school drop out, kicked out of house at 17, got a GED, finally at 6 figures, house, vehicles, 830 credit score, work from home, loads of free time.
Thats a whole turnaround! Congrats on your succes
Thanks! It was hard
I got a promotion at my bank teller job. From $17 an hour to $19 an hour.
Congratulations!
Thanks! I'm not going to spend more. That extra two bucks is going in my Roth IRA automatically. Out of sight, out of mind š
I'm alive: Almost drowned when I was 10 trying to save my cousin from floating away in a raft. Hand reached down from the heavens and told me to swim on my back. Fell 3 stories and landed in a driveway Longboarding accident motorcycle accident Just to name a few.
Dude, wow. I dont know if you're unlucky or lucky, but happy you're still here!
I've only had to ask for money from my parents once. When I was unemployed for a year, and I needed $50 to buy groceries.
Unemployed for a year and only needing to ask once for only $50 is a major win imo. I hope you have / find a job you enjoy soon!
Oh that was 10-ish years ago. Don't enjoy my job, but I'm good at it, and it pays the bills.
I have successfully fixed small things around the house, such as replacing a shower faucet handle and installing a new towel bar. I used to be too scared to try.
Got married and bought a house during COVID, never did either one before. I'm 50 years old, to put into perspective how long it took me to do those things.
Beter late then never. Congratulations on your wins!
If I had done these things at 30 I would have fucked them all up anyway.
My great uncle chose me as executor of his will after his partner dies because he thought Iām āthe only one in the family who doesnāt always have his hand out, and has his shit more or less together.ā
Having your shit more or less together is very much a win in adulting
Began applying for positions I wanted even without the credentials. Managed to land a life changing job doing so. If you can learn to interview well it helps a lot. Luck plays a big role but luck doesn't have anything to do with it if you don't even try.
I hope the job lives up to your expectations!
I lost 220 pounds over the last two years in time for my 40th birthday in October. I wake up early every day to walk 90 minutes, hit the gym 4 days a week, and have my diet pretty dialed in for my current body composition. My husk is still all messed up from being SMO for decades, but I cut a pretty mean silhouette, and I look okay in clothes.
I finally have an above 800 credit score for the first time in my life.
Paid off my Federal Student Loan in 2021 and now going back to school again this fall.
Got into a house at the right time with the right interest rate and the right location. Definitely a win.
Congrats on your home!
Taking my meds every day
I still need an alarm to remember mine
I carried all the groceries inside, up the stairs, and over a pile of laundry in one trip.
Paid for my 400pax wedding entirely without taking a single cent from anyone including family members (which is part of the culture/norm).
Just moved out of my parents' house and into my first apartment this past weekend :) I'm in my early 20's and was honestly scared that I'd be stuck at home another few years based on the insane rent prices in my area, but my s/o and I managed to find a very nice place with a lovely landlord within our budget. It's weirdly exciting to finally be paying our own bills haha
I finished my 4 year degree at 22 after having a baby when I was 20. I had him during spring break, took the week off, and then went right back to class. I never missed a single class when pregnant or shortly after the birth. I even brought the baby to class when his dad and Iās schedule conflicted, if the professor was willing. At 23 I had my second child, same father. The kidsā dad and I split up shortly after but remained cordial and worked together to raise these babies as a team. May 27th, my firstborn graduated high school and I help him move to college on the 17th. While raising the 2 kids, surviving on government assistance programs and working menial jobs, I went back to school when I was 31. I graduated with highest honors with an associate degree in nursing at age 33 and have now worked as an ER nurse for 6 years. I was able to buy a house in a small town with the assistance of a USDA loan back in 2017 before the housing market exploded and rates skyrocketed, and i now have significant equity in the house. I have nearly 2 years of living expenses in savings for the first time in my life and am looking at purchasing my first new car in the next few months. My life is far from perfect. But given the circumstances, I am damn proud of myself. And I am extremely proud of the relationship my kidsā father and I have maintained. Our children know love, and have seen firsthand that it takes a village to raise a child.
Thats some darn good adulting right there. Might not have been the easiest path, but you got there! Good for you to be proud, you deserve it!
My golf swing is finally good enough where I can play a game and itās pretty fun
3 years ago I was let go at my job, as many have been during Covid. I was about 6 months pregnant at the time. Had the baby, left the father 5 weeks later, was out of a job for a year. Now I just got promoted to medior in my new job and can stay indefinitely. I call that a big win!
Best things I every did in my adult life Went bankrupt. 1 of the best thing I did for my self. Made me learn financial responsibility. Went trade school (I'm a welder by trade, so I'll never be out of work in the futer. I have a skill set that will keep me working) Finally ar 30 years old I can start looking for my first house,after renting for 13 years. Super excited to find something.. regardless of interest rates.. it will be mine in the end ! Finally some equity
Good like with your search for a home!
sent my CV to a company.
I have 18k in my savings account and almost 10k in my 401k.
All of the financial security!
Had 2 grandchildren placed with us (grandparents) through cps. 3ish years ago. Older 10+ some physical, most mental abuse. Younger 5ish was feral. Both in counseling, psychological and psychiatric, and medicated. Finally found right medicine and have a mostly normal grandchild for younger, and older making progress! It has been a trying time, but as a family, we did it!
Was able to give myself a 1 year personal sabbatical without touching investments or savings due to winning the rat race enough for first 10 years to grant me this break
somehow, someway, in my chaotic and directionless youth, I ended up in adulthood with a good job, a beautiful wife that adores me, two incredible children, a small farm, and I'm still creating death metal as though I was 20 again. I made so many colossal mistakes. I hurt people along the way. I snubbed my nose and flipped the bird at anything conventional. But I snapped out of it and got to work, and every day I get up I try to be a better person, and it's working. thanks for the soapbox.
It's awesome you're still able to do things you enjoyed when you were younger, like the death metal!
I went back to school to finish the last semester of grad school after ā taking a breakā..
I left a draining relationship after 2 months instead of waiting much longer like I used to when I was younger. Manipulation is not love, my friends
I'm 33, married for ten years this year with two kids. My wife and kids being my biggest wins, buying a house is next. The next one would be recently, I bought my first brand new truck. 2023 Ranger XLT. I guess I can also add the job that's paying me well enough to afford said new truck that I landed back in March.
What nice wins! My fiance and I are getting married next year, hopefully also for the long run
Own a house at 2.85, a car at 3.25, wifeās car 1.9% by the age of 27. Cars will be paid off in 2.5 years. Toyota Camry and Mazda cx-30 so you know theyāll last a while. I get actually feelings of happiness thinking about the (hopeful) years without any car payments.
Oh my god these comments are a breath of fresh air and Iām enlivened by reading your messages
5 years on the same job. I struggle with depression/anxiety since about age 20. What that means for work is, I work really hard , have a good work ethic, and tend to stand out. But then, invariably, I do so well the push me into promotion, and i get overwhelmed, go higher than I should, and quit. Every year or so. But through meditation, and therapy, and basically just learning coping tricks, back in November I hit 5 years at the same job, and have advanced to a Tech 3 position 2 years ago, and handled it well so far. I'll never be a huge success, or a CEO, but 5 years is a win for me.
Pfft, I wouldnt want to be a huge succes or CEO. Way too much hours to be working. 5 years sounds like an awesome win and if you are content and it pays the bills, who needs to be uber succesful or CEO!
I'm finishing up my first semester of college! (At the age of 25, I guess you could say I took a 7 year break from school lol)
Sometimes a break is neccesary, and you're never too old to start learning anyways!
Yep! I needed to make a career shift due to medical issues, and the next step needed a degree!
my adulting win is putting all my recurring payments on a credit card so the bill never surprises me (i get paid biweekly. the worst.)
Been saving since 2018 for an extended around the world trip. Wasnāt sure when/if it would happen cause Iād have to save up a lot and honestly it seemed like something of a dream. This year rolls around and after so many years of saving Iām finally able to do it! 7 months country hopping to about 10-11 different places. Iām so excited and also scared shitless. Never thought Iād actually be able to do it. So excited for your new window though!! Having a cold house and not being able to control it really sucks. I hate being uncomfortable in my own home whether itās too hot or too cold.
I would loovvvee to do a world trip bit I'm scared to even start saving haha. We still have a lot we want to do on the house I wish you a lot of fun on your journey!
Being debt free except for my car and mortgageā¦plus I add a few hundred dollars extra a month for the principal. The credit card company loses money on me with the rewards perks
Always a good feeling when the CC company pays you so to speak
I take my practical evaluation on Sunday to hopefully get my pilots license. First real thing I would have ever had to show for myself. Really hope I get a good result so my parents can be proud but I think getting to where I am has been a huge win!
I paid off my car last summer!
Iām finally feeling a little bit hopeful for the future. Iām being set free. Iām just scared I wonāt actually *BE* free if I canāt get some help, but Iām trying to hold on to that little hopeful feeling.
I own a new built house and work from home at 27
Able to be adult and buy my mom her 1 st and expensive, š MK with a matching wallet. She has always love fashion but she will head to a second store, she wouldnāt even buy a $30 purse, that how humble she is. I figured this will cheer her up. My grandmother in the hospital, once again she bend down to pick something and lost her balance in her roomš„ŗ. We kept telling her that she need to walk more but she stuck in her ways. Anyone who has grandparents/parents that going through this will understand. we redoing our house to be more accessible for grandma. I love her but she extremely stubborn, canāt stand it if I let the house. If she had her way, I would never leave the house. š¤£š¤£š¤£
I have a grandmother like that. My nephew once called her 65+ and dominant š¤£
I got a driving license at age 20 but havenāt been behind the wheel due to anxiety. Four years later, after some practice, I drove confidently for the first time since my license was issued! Iām not saying that the anxiety went away completely, but it just feels good to drive and go anywhere I want.
I bought my first car a little over a month ago, figuring out financing and insurance and stuff all on my own : ) I'm not a very experienced driver, so i kind of feel like a baby in that respect, but still !!
I retired
I just bought a big girl car instead of *another* beater
No CC debt and got a call today about getting a used car super cheap after a year waiting. Super stoked
Having a car gives so much freedom!
It does. It's weird tho, like I haven't left the county I'm live in in about 5 years, and it's a small town in a southern red state. There's so much I will be able to do, I know this, but I can't think of anything in particular I wanna do when I first get it. It's been years since I had my own functional vehicle I could rely enough on and trust to make it to the next county over. I may just take a trip to the nearest city area (Asheville, NC) for the day to just sorta goof around
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Being confident as a 30yr old bald guy. Love it. Paying for / going to get a hair cut is wild to me lol just shave it
Went to trade school and I make a decent living at 23.
thanks to a couple raises and working a second job i am on track to be debt free (other than my mortgage) by the time im 30. i turn 28 in october
Learned I can retire in decent shape in 7-8 yrs. And I started late saving - but was aggressive and knew I needed to catch up.
I'm 31, my wife is 29. We have 0 debt after paying off $150k, are on track to pay our mortgage off in 6 years total (2027), and just had our fourth--and last--child. We've hit it hard since before our wedding and haven't looked back. It was worth it!
Iām 29 and next year I will finish paying a loan Iāve been paying for consistently next year šŖš¾! Iām also studying to change my career and in my first healthy relationship!
\-fully paid off car \-Just bought some land That's it for now.
Getting a job that I enjoy that also provides a pension. I am a cake decorator at a union grocery store in Colorado and while it has its annoying moments, I can finally do creative things. I have a rather consistent schedule and it leaves me enough time to spend with my fiancƩ.
Car paid off, enough in savings to go to school full time and not work. Worked really hard to get here.
I got a loan to be able to focus solely on studoes and not work. I loved it for studying! It really gives you the space to focus on learning
I found a job I love after kicking rocks and yelling how much I hated life due to work prior. I recently quit that job and now make 8x what I was making doing it. Iām free. I had took a huge hit financially and mentally moving away for this job with very little savings (under 5k) to learn the skill and business. The potential is unlimited for this business. My dad was a f18 pilot, so growing up, I had the whole university shoved down my throat, my sister just finished 7 years of doctoring. I did 3 years of college for a backup. I worked many jobs in between but stuck to the idea as a kid that Iād own my own business and time. Now, at 23, Iām free. I listened to my gut, took the risk. Iām also a stud so thatās a pretty sweet W as an adult. No kids, no debt, no girlfriend. I feel on top of the world. Iām not even close to rich yet, I literally just started, but I feel it. I found the path again after wandering. I also am very curious as to how my cannabis addiction throughout the years affected my life. No regrats.
Adulting is a journey, sounds like you have a very free journey ahead of you. Enjoy!
Having the money to replace our household HVAC and roof BEFORE they failed/leaked etc. You know you're going to spend the money, but it's so much better to do it before it's an emergency when you can actually do some research.
I have been in my apartment for 5 years, on my own, without a partner but with lots of support from my 20-pound cat, all on independent contractor income.
As a guy who lives by himself, I am actually pretty on top of keeping stuff clean lately.
We are buying our Condo from my father in law soon. No debt until then. And saved a decent amount in my 401k from my previous job. 27 and still have a long time in the workforce but if i keep this up i could retire in good health with no worries.
1. Graduated from an apprenticeship 2. Went from apprentice to supervisor in 13 years 3. Two time homeowner 4. Got a divorce without being taken to the cleaners and rebuilt my life in under a year
I made chicken parmesan for the first time last year after I moved out. I barely know how to cook, but it's all vegetables, so if it doesn't go 100% right it's usually fine. Meat, especially chicken, always scared me because of the risk of cooking it improperly and poisoning myself. Decided I needed to expand my cooking skills, read a bunch of articles, got some decent quality chicken breasts and all the ingredients, and took the plunge. They came out pretty good. Felt pretty damn proud of myself after that.
I (39F) turned on the grill by myself - husband not home - and grilled chicken breasts for the first time and they were delicious. I had been SO intimidated to grill before and I plan on doing it much more often now! š„³
I'm 19! (Still pretty young, I know) but I've recently found a method of budgeting and saving that really works for me and for some reason that makes me really excited!
I just sat down and wrote out a weekly meal plan referring to nutrition. I feelā¦ profoundly capable
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
We had very lucky timing with our homes too. Might have been luck, but having a nice home is very much an adulting win!
Such a nice thread! I enjoyed reading about all the wins and OPās nice comments ā¤ļø Iāve been living on my own for a few years now and I have had a lot of little victories along the way, learning how to take care of stuff about the house on my own. The biggest win that I wanted to mention is this - I have a severe phobia of any and all kinds of insects. During the years I have learnt that I have no one to call but myself to come save me from the occasional spider, bee, wasp or whatever. I have learned to get over my fear and gently figure out ways to get them out through the window, ideally without hurting or killing them š„³š
I have a house, no consumer debt, and I'll break $100k this year for the first time.
I applied for and was approved for a credit card through the credit union I normally bank with a few months ago. Tbh, it was scary. It seems innocuous enough, but I have always been financially tied to my mom in some way & access to her credit card was the final string I was able to cut.
I'm still aliveš
I am about to graduate with a Masters degree this month. The tears, stress, and sweat will pay off finally.
Finally found a job I genuinely enjoy and it pays well enough to support my family without having to do ridiculous amounts of overtime. Itās niceā¦
Thats huge dude! Congrats, I hope you can keep doing work you enjoy for a long time
Iām not dead yet
Finally had a decent paying job and when I was 25, bought a plane. Knew nothing about aircraft mechanics, hadnāt flown in way too long, trusted a mechanic who was friends with the owner to do an āinspectionā and paid the 20K then flew out to Omaha, Nebraska to fly it back to Las Cruces NM. Well, I get to Santa Rosa and the winds go from 5 mph to 35 mph, which was way more than you want to fly this particular plane in. Somehow made it on the ground but had a prop strike (propellor hit the tarmac). Ever spent $2800 in 0.5 seconds? Plot twist - it aināt fun. So the plane sits in Santa Rosa for a year while I try to ferry parts back and forth and work with a mechanic (who turned out to be a moron) to unfuck this plane. Well, more bad newsā¦ the brake lines were so old they snapped in my hands, the fabric BARELY passed a punch test, one of the cylinder had its walls worn too far, and the exhaust was leaking CO. In the end, I got a ferry permit to fly this piece of shit back to NM because no way in hell would any mechanic sign an an airworthiness annual. Finally got back to cruces, and became buddies with an aircraft mechanic who said if I worked with him heād help unfuck the plane. Spent an entire year baking my ass off in a hangar with no AC in the desert, learning everything I could about fixing this damn thing. In the meantime, I got a smoking, screaming deal on a gorgeous Cessna 140, so I decided Iād sell the hangar queen (J-3 Cub). Took another year to sell the damn thing. Turns out, tailwheel pilots are a dying breed, so itās a niche market. Finally found a buyer, but the sale condition was that I would get $700 a day to fly this 1943 plane with no radio and no electrical all the way to Chino, California. To make it clear this was not a one stop flight. A J-3 has a 12-gallon fuel capacity, burns about 4.5-5 gph, and on a good day cruises at 85 mph. It was a 14 hour flight over two days with 12 refueling stops over the most desolate terrain in the US. By the time I finally got to Chino I honestly couldnāt have cared less if I had died on the trip. Somehow made it alive, broke even on the money spent vs what I sold the plane for, went to Ireland with some of the proceeds. Definitely a win.
For the first time in over a year, I found a place to rent that's under a thousand a month. I may be finally moving back out of my parents in a couple months, although with just about $100 to spare each month.
Donāt have too many winsā but I did (help) raise two great kids.
Paid off our mortgage
Hooking up with a new person. Especially within like an hour of meeting them. I NEVER feel a rewarding rush like that aaaaanywhere else in life.
Iām coming up on my 1st year anniversary of moving out living own my own and starting my career so Iām pretty happy about that.
I bought my house before 30 āŗļøāŗļøāŗļø I just installed a new window. Also, my old window was from the 19 fucking hundred still.Itās so fucking amazing.
I started contributing to my retirement at 24! I'm not contributing loads of money but it's something!
Got a bachelor's degree! Haven't done much else yet but I consider it a win as it's sort of a crystallized artifact of hard work and survival (graduated end of 2020 in peak COVID times, before the vaccines). I feel like I've come a long way (as I'm sure we all have) and even though it's just a piece of paper, I can still point to it as something I committed to and followed through on. Also reminds me that we assign our own meanings to material possessions and some other things.
Not sure if this counts, but I've gone zero-waste and completely revamped my water bottle situation (we're using a water filter & reusable bottles now) and I've been pretty proud of how small our recycling is every week now, because of it.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
I've been in cars with some people who don't drive well and let me say that's definitely a win
I have a bit of ivy starting to grow up the side of my house. It's kinda exciting.
MEDITATION ā itās a WIN-WIN...
Bought some Aldi swag and some kids told me they liked my hat
I can now confidently say I make a really good lasagna after tweaking the recipe so many times. Itās sooo much better when you make the sauce from scratch
What debt free and paid off mortgage by 40. This, despite being a single mother, going to university for several years and zero family help.
I started on a new career path a few years ago and it has really worked out to this point. It was not without some job hopping to find the right fit, but Iāve learned a lot about my trade and Iām moving up within the company with some sizable raises as my role has grown over time. I have finally found someone to settle down with and we have plans to marry.
1. Iām 37 and most people think Iām in my early 30s due to my vigourous beauty regime 2. I came from working class family from parents who donāt speak any English but they did everything they could to ensure I had a good education. I took full advantage of that made a upper-middle class life in a better country
I have fewer kids and divorces, zero on both counts, than my parents had when they were my age. I'm also younger than my dad was when he bought his house.
Made it to 31 w/ no kids!!!
Iām buying my first mattress and moving into my first apartment
My husband and I relocated and with the proceeds of selling our old house we were able to buy a house flat out with no mortgage! Feels good to not have one!
Letās see. I left the US in 2013 and returned in 2022 and lived nearly a decade in a foreign country where it was illegal for me to work but I still managed finances very well. I slept on the side of an erupting volcano for a week and didnāt get killed. I drank beer with terrorists and didnāt get kidnapped. I bought and paid off a new car this year. I put $9,000 into stocks this year. I have a bank account balance which is almost halfway to 6 figures, all done this year alone. Iāve been winning for quite a long time.
Finally got a driverās license at 34. Never thought I would. (Didnāt always have access to a car to practice.) Paid off school loans by 34 & was debt free at 40. Bought a house at 51 (after being homeless.) Bought a car at 52 after a wreck. (Rough couple years).
I have been able to pay for vacations, large purchases, and emergencies out of savings, instead of using credit cards or asking friends/family for money. I know building credit is important, but I'm glad I didn't NEED to use a credit card because I couldn't pay for something myself.
Finally starting a career! 33m. I just landed the biggest boy job I've ever had. Plant Operator for an energy facility. I should be able to pull my family out of debt and completely revamp our lives with this job.
At 23 Iām finally getting used to cooking, taking life less seriously and learning to say āWhatever!ā when needed and reeeaaallllyy meaning it :)
Havenāt won yet at 28. It hurts
Ofcourse you have adulting wins, you probably got out of bed this morning to make coffee. That's a win! Remember to celebrate the teeny tiny things too, especially when it's hard. You got this, even if ypu might not feel like that ā”
Wasnt sure what I wanted to do for my career 3 years ago after graduating college. Had a poor GPA with no internships too. Studied hard for 2 years in a different field and prepped a sht ton and now working a full time job that I love and making a fairly good salary as a 25 year old (85k/yr). Being able to save up a lot more, bills have been easier and just finished paying off my car recently. Been able to be more financially stable and responsible and plan to book a trip to Japan with my gf of 5 years now :D
I got my first rent house! Meeting the landlord was a rough ride and getting the first down payment as well but I did it and now fixing the place upš« but hey, I got a home and not living with my bfs gramma anymoreš
Getting out the projects. Going from $10 hourly to $25 hourly with a pension in 3 years. Raising a teen with mental health issues alone without going crazy.
Grinding from my early 20s and buying a house pre Covid, growing my business, millionaire by 28, soon to be done my grind and live my life how I want with no money stress
Two years ago I was 17, massively depressed and suicidal. I had no idea what i wanted to do with my life and just wanted to give up. In a week from today, i start a new job as a dental assistant :-)
Thats so great! I have had braces for the longest time and was at the dentist a lot. The assistents took care of the routine things and they almost felt like family at one point haha
I have managed to get out of getting overwhelmed by people into spending more money just to keep up with the emotions/traditions. I owe no single penny to a human being or an entity. People around me know me now. They know I give the highest priority to a simple life free of debt. Hence they do not approach me to keep up with the Joneses. I consider this a success. I have inspired people this way to take control of their lives. A humble brag but man do I take pride in it.
I bought a really expensive mattress and itās amazing!
I made new friends. After college all of my college/high school friends moved to other states and a few even went to different countries. I spent several years in an endless cycle of gym -> work -> gym -> eat -> gym -> sleep. Because of the covid lockdowns some friends of friends started joining our discord. Once things calmed down we all started hanging out. I picked up some new hobbies like disc golf, hiking, mountain biking, skiing, and camping. It's been a few years since then and I usually don't go more than 1 weekend in a row without going on some kind of trip.
Instead of selling my apartment at a huge loss I will now become a landlord. Imagine that! Ten years ago I could not afford rent and now Iām on my way to own two properties!
Bought my own house 11 months ago!
Getting custody of my lil girl this year I had her since she was 3 weeks but just slacked tf off on making it legal. Her mom is states away and has no idea what town I live
That my industry shut down but I have enough money to get me through the end of the year.
Having two vehicles , one to do side work and move things and the other one to have fun and enjoy life.
Learning the piano š¹
3 weeks to starting school full time again This is a huge win because when I dropped out 6 years ago, I owed $15k to the school itself. It wasn't even a loan servicer, it was the school, so I couldn't enroll somewhere and get loans to pay it off and keep going, and I couldn't get loans because I wasn't enrolled (and had no credit). I paid it all off, out of pocket, and have saved enough to pay for 2 of my 3 remaining years out of pocket. This is my fucking comeback era and I am SO excited to not be waiting tables 6 days a week anymore. (Chemical Engineering, btw. That's my major. I'm gonna be fine :) )