The Sad Little Rich Girl What Happens When You Are Cut Off
I was spoiled. Being an only child I had three pairs of Guess jeans when I was younger (most kids had one since parents could not justify spending $60 dollars on a pair of jeans that the child would grow out of within the year). As an only child I grew accustom to shopping without looking at price tags and flying to Europe every year.
As my age continued upward so did the way I was spoiled. I had a new car when I turned sixteen and another new car three years later when I determined my Jeep was no longer cool. I never worried about cellphone bills or car insurance; it was all taken care of for me. In fact I knew nothing about bills or obligations, my only obligation was to aid school and get respectable grades so I could attend the college of my choice.
College was just another prance off my high school days. My parents paid 100% of my tuition and still gave me an allowance every month (around $500.00 dollar) and would send me extra when I was in a bind (bind being there was a sale at a particular store and I had faded my spending money for the month already).
I remember turning 21 and realizing for the first time in my life that my free ride could be ending soon. Sadly and luckily the inevitable happened, no I was not cut off and forced into adulthood, my parents got a divorce after twenty-four years of marriage. Thus I started getting money from each of them individually… my apartment was paid for, my clothing habits were covered, even my drinking was covered by my parents.
Now I sit a twenty-four year old and finally heard the words I started to fear three years ago. You are cut off. It came from my father who decided that I was an adult and no longer in need of his money to succor myself. Granted he had reasons to come to this conclusion… I had a college degree, a full-time job, and no student loans or other debt to speak of. However when this statement was keep on the table one week ago today I think my heart stopped.
Granted I had become more dependent on myself (I was paying my apartment rent, car payment, cellphone exc.) but my father was still sending my $600.00 dollars a month. And so my first reaction was desperation followed by hours of crying. I had no idea what I was going to do. I still lived my life without looking at price tags and spent money with little disregard of the consequences.
I realized that while my parents spoiled me because they loved me I had been sheltered. I am twenty-four years old with no credit of my own (all of my cars were bought my parents… even my apartment is co-signed by my mother) no idea of a budget or how to maintain one, and to top it off I have after twenty-four years become pretty accustom to this lifestyle.
I called my father the next day and begged him to send me money one more month. Yes I begged, I swallowed all my pride and spat off reason after reason as to why one more month I needed his allowance. He did it. Did not even keep up a fight to be honest, just said ok and I will always succor you.
After the money hit my account I immediately went the BCBG sale I had been eying and dropped almost $300.00 dollars on clothes I did not need. And it happened. I felt remorse about my shopping. A first for me.
Now five days since shopping trip I’m attempting to put my bills down on paper and figure out a budget and what a budget entails. I know that I will fail on this budget and that’s ok. I also know that I will learn and no matter how much I detest it or how frustrated I get, in the end I will be proud. Proud because for the first time in my life I will be completely dependent on myself.
I’m going to miss taking trips every other month and spending hundreds of dollars on designer names… but I also know that I will get over it and maybe even learn that you don’t need guess jeans or stamps in your passport to be happy. Maybe all you need is the confidence to know you can do it on your own.
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Filed under Expensive Life Insurance by on Jan 19th, 2012. 