A few months of working at my job showed my mother that I held enough responsibility to get a credit card. I was so reluctant to having my own piece of plastic. With a million doubtful questions towards my mother I wondered my worthiness to sign up. What if I go in debt? How will I pay everything back? What if I don't trust myself with one? I was told reassuringly I don't need to use it, just to have it to build credit. I only need to use it for emergencies. It seems baffling a year ago I was so anxious about owning a credit card. It seems even more comical that I, a twenty-three year old woman with a style that is revamped based on my weekly mood that lives in the mall capital of the world thought it would be used sparingly for emergencies.

My first year with a credit card can be described as a roller coaster of a ride. There were the good times, like when I saved up and bought a pair of Gucci sliders for myself for Valentine’s day. Yet, the bad as well, including the past few months feeding my bill more than half of my paycheck, just to see the number creep up again. However, like any milestone in a person’s life, I come to you a year wiser with lessons learned.

Treat Yo’self

The first purchase made me feel like an independent queen that can conquer anything with my plastic pall in hand. After witnessing the highs and lows, I do believe with the first year of having a credit card, treat yourself. Get your nails done, buy a gym membership, take yourself out to lunch. Don't worry about picking up an uber, take a top shelf liquor shot and buy quality face creams. But remember, treat wisely. At one point I was too comfortable with my credit card and I was using every and any excuse to buy something. "Treat yourself," right? It has taken me back a few months to change and stick to a minimalist mindset, but once I realized that my gym membership is as much of a treat as my summer orange lipstick that I had to have to complete the aesthetic of that new outfit that I would wear once, I started to take a look back and see what was really considered a treat or an unnecessary splurge.

You will have unnecessary splurges

Speaking of which, I have purchased many. From $70 Kylie Jenner gym outfits, $40 jumpsuits for one day concerts, online lipsticks that never matched my skin tone, nifty kicks that were a half size too small and snap backs, I bought it all. Mind you, I have a full time job that requires a business casual dress code. With that said it raised myself to question my spending habits. How often am I going to wear this rainbow fishnet dress? I have almost fifteen lipsticks, but I go with a natural look every day except when I’m going out. I started to realize that I was treating myself with half-assed, poor quality, rarely used treats. With lessons learned and bags stuffed with designer brands for charity, I realized the root of my impulsive buys. The art of online shopping is such a thrill isn’t it? At the time, I did nothing but shop online so I could anxiously track my package then to receive said package and keep the poorly made clothing that didn’t fit as well as I thought it would so it could go into a bag with tags and all for charity or friends. Not that I don’t love to give, but needless to say once I unsubscribed to all, I repeat, all, online shopping websites, I had less to give and more to be happy with. My happiest thrill will be lowering my bill to an eighth of what it used to be. My goal is a few days away and I’m more anxious than getting an always half-priced crop top that was back-ordered.

Purpose and Necessity

While scrolling on my friend’s Netflix I came across a documentary called, “The Minimalists." Needless to say, the documentary takes us on a journey of two men who quit their six figure jobs to live a more minimalistic lifestyle. What comforted me was the fact that it was a no-pressure zone and that you can essentially pick and chose what values you held closer to you and was still able to consider yourself a minimalist. One of the men said something along the lines of, "if you don’t know if you should buy something or not, ask yourself, 'does it add purpose or value to my life?'" I watched the documentary months ago and the saying is still fresh in my head. After treating myself one times too many I realized that only the things I really wanted and saved up for held a value in my life (yes to the Gucci sliders, no to the Kylie Jenner gym outfit). It’s been a gradual process, but I have been making more of an effort to buy things that can help me better myself or feel good to buy and thus have decreased my spending.