Full-Fledged Independence

Boy, does independence feel liberating.

Couple weeks before I leave for Union City and it's time to cut all financial ties. Closing the joint checking account to open my own. My own car insurance plan and gas card. Leaving the Verizon family plan for a single line plan. Paying for my own rent. And of course, making my own income. And it feels great.

I look on how I was raised, and though I think I've come out fine (I hope), I don't know if I would raise my own kid the same way. I guess you can say I lived a privileged life. I got a brand new car when I was 16. Never had to work a single day. In fact, I was told by my parents not to work and to focus on school both in high school and in college. That was until I realized I needed to get an internship to boost up my resume. Everything was paid for: rent, gas, phone, food, clothes, luxuries. But it's not like I went on ridiculous shopping sprees or frivolously spent money wherever I went. When it comes down to it though, money was never a problem.

But I dont' know if that's the mentality I want my kids to have. But I do want my kids to understand what sacrifice means, what privilege means, the concept of financial responsibility, and hardworking character. Maybe my parents were lucky; they didn't necessarily have a problem child on their hands because I took the initiative to understand the above for myself despite not enduring a struggling lifestyle. But then again, maybe they taught me those values in other ways of which I cannot think at the top of my head.

Parenting is such a complex, I must say, art. It is always a question how much control do we have over a child's development from their infancy to adulthood.

Anyway, back to the original topic. I'm excited to be financially independent. I think I should acquaint myself with all this finance language, especially in dealing with my future like 401k's and all that good stuff. I'm going to make myself a rich man. Through what career, you might not have asked. Well, that's still up in the air. I'll save that for another post.