Momentary lapse of Credit….

 As any first year teacher who is fresh out of college can attest to, the interim months leading up to your first position is anything but lucrative.  If you are like me, you were so excited about teaching you decided to take the summer, relax, live on graduation money, and prepare your classroom and curriculum.  Unfortunately, the rest of American Society is not privy to this particular arrangement, which many post college grads seem to expect out of school.  Of course, being no exception to my peers on this count, I naively thought I could continue living frugally until my first paycheck arrived (which would come at the end of August).  What I forgot to take into account was the unexpected expenses, which inevitably arise with the dawning of a degree (i.e. paint, a classroom fish, fabric for curtains, hot glue gun, laminating expenses and Starbucks coffee among other things).

 Sadly, parents as well as generous family members admittedly and somewhat intentionally forget the awkward three month lapse of income and begin accruing expenses at your bedroom door as if to say, “all right well done, but now its time to be a grown up.”  Granted, the generosity offered while in college, is and always will be appreciated and there is a sense of earnest gratitude that for many seems a life long debt that may never be repaid. 

*Note: To all those loving parents who have graciously sacrificed their wants and needs to meet their children’s financial expenses, we are all eternally grateful.

Tip: This is extremely commonsense, and many people before me have learned this the hard way.  Check your bank account regularly.  Try to use cash as much as possible, and by all means, when depositing your first paycheck to an account with approximately $36.27 please refrain from using the all inviting and non-judgmental ATM.  Swallow your pride, take a deep breath and walk into the bank, prepared to deal with the menacing figures behind the counter.  You will in turn, be rewarded by the fruits of your labor immediately being deposited into your starving account, ready for use. Brace yourself; they will diminish rapidly.

Confession: Stupidly depositing my first paycheck into the ATM (instead of walking into the bank) and being left momentarily without funds, I borrowed money from my best friend to pay for my manicure/pedicure which in fact was not a necessity.