Sophie (Chanko) Dare

I'm only twenty one years old. I'm still a baby!

I might feel a lot more grown up than I ever have, but I know I'm still only just beginning, and I'm going to change immensely throughout the next few years and the next few decades.

I don't know much, but I DO know some things that many people much older than me wish they had known at my age.

...

1. Don't mess around with credit cards!

For some reason, I enjoyed listening to Dave Ramsey's radio program at night when I was, like, 11 years old, and I don't know why, but I definitely have him to thank for my understanding of money.

By the time I was old enough to bring in a paycheck and spend my own cash, I had heard plenty of stories of people getting buried in consumer debt, and I knew I didn't want any part of that. I got a starter credit card at age 19, but I kept my limit low and have paid it off every paycheck. I've now got a stellar credit score and no credit card debt, which is a lot more than most twenty-somethings in America can say nowadays!

2. Saving is the name of the game.

I got my first job at Panera Bread as soon as I turned 16, and I got myself in the habit of putting away a good chunk of my paychecks and only spending a bit of it. I'm so, SO glad I made saving a priority, because even though I definitely blew a lot of my cash on food, makeup, and clothes, I wouldn't dip into my savings unless I absolutely had to (for big purchases like a new phone, furniture for my bedroom, or my first car!).

I can't tell you how nice it is to feel secure in the fact that, even if my car died tomorrow or I suddenly had to pay a large bill, I could survive on my safety cushion in my savings account.

3. Relationships are very good very hard, but so worth it for personal growth.

This is a huge thing that I consider myself extremely lucky and blessed to have learned so early in life. My boyfriend and I have been officially together for almost two years now, but we had been good friends ever since we got hired together at Panera Bread at age 16! We started dating at 19, and to say that it's been a wild ride would be a gross understatement.

Being in my first serious relationship has taught me innumerable lessons about how to work on myself, how to address problems and conflicts, how to apologize and correct behavior, how to deal with relationships between our families and friends, and everything in between. I've always said that having a partner has been like having a mirror – we spend so much time together that it's much easier to see your own behaviors and patterns reflected in what they bring up to you. We aren't afraid to be honest with each other, we can share anything, and we are committed to becoming better people as individuals and for each others' sake.

We're both only human and have plenty of past trauma, make plenty of mistakes, and misunderstand each other plenty of times. But being able to see those things more clearly in a relationship and work towards improvement has been the best thing that's happened to me.

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