McClatchy

Everyone remembers that glorious day of entering adulthood. With being an adult comes many new responsibilities.

Not only does turning eighteen mean you can buy cigarettes and adult magazines, but it also means you are lucky enough to have your name added to a database.

This is not the kind of news that you will want to jump out of your chair in excitement for.

Credit card companies see us young adults as a beautiful doe, and the target over our heads means that they are locked on for the kill. There is nothing better than getting mail from someone that wants to give you money, all you have to do is pay it back.

This is mistake number one; nobody in their right mind would just give away free money to some reckless 18-year-old. But they do, and it is hard to turn down.

I’m sure everyone has their own stories and excuses as to how and why they are in debt, but whatever reason, it is irrelevant. If you get caught in debt, then you have already lost the battle.

Once you are signed up, they will slowly start to take control of your life. Sure companies will offer you things like “no interest for the first three months!” But trust me, the second three months is not going to be pretty.

I understand how it works from falling victim to credit card companies right after high school.

It was genius; my favorite place to shop wanted to offer me $700! Well, how was I supposed to pass this up?

Instead of listening to my voice of reason, I decided to take that $700 and put it all down on one purchase. I was arrogant. I thought to myself “I have three months no interest, I’ll be untouchable until then,” but now I know just how wrong I was.

It is now three years later, after making that first $700 charge, and I am still trying to figure out a way to make my debt disappear.

I am sure I can go another three years on minimum payments, but how am I going to be affected in the long run?

Building credit is a responsibility, not an excuse to spend someone else’s money. What is difficult about building good credit is having enough self control to keep that plastic in the back of your wallet where it belongs.

Now I can’t even go to my favorite store without feeling a burning sensation in my back pocket from my credit card trying to be utilized.

I have learned a very valuable lesson from using credit. Yes, my desire was stronger than my will to restrain, but that was one mistake that I feel I had to make for myself. Once I get my credit in order, that card is going straight to the guillotine, and I will never look back.

Instead, I look forward to graduating and hopefully finding a job to pay off my $30,000 plus in student loans. It is off one credit line and onto another.

Facing credit and debt is an ongoing cycle. Yes, you may finally take care of one debt, but there will always be another set of collectors around the corner, just begging to take you under their control.