The Importance of Paying for Own Vehicle in High School
All students look forward to getting their license and being able to drive to school and get off the old yellow bus for good. It was that moment in the first quarter of my sophomore year that I looked forward to most. But I also knew what was ahead of me—getting a job and paying for my own vehicle.
As I grew up behind my two older siblings, I watched them get jobs and pay for their own vehicles as well. Now that I have turned 16, I’m following the same path. As I grow older and think more about it, paying for my own vehicle has taught me a lot of great lessons. As I watch many of my friends drive around like typical “teenage drivers” in vehicles that their parents paid for, I like to think that I tend to drive more “adult-like.” I find myself washing and cleaning my vehicle more often than my friends as well. Paying for my own vehicle has taught me to take care of my own property. As my dad has always said, “treat it with respect, and it will last.”
Getting up at 5 a.m. to go to work in the morning seems a lot easier to do when I know that I have a payment due in a few weeks. Paying for my own vehicle has taught me that responsibilities will always be there, even if I am tired and don’t want to wake up that early for work. I have learned to budget and have reduced my spending on unnecessary items. I always have to think before I purchase, “Do I really need this, or am I just buying it to spend money? Will I still be using this in a week or will I forget about it after I’ve used it twice?”
I think more parents should consider having their child or children pay for part of, if not their entire vehicle. It has taught me numerous life lessons that will no doubt prove valuable, especially once college roles around. No teacher can teach a student the responsibilities that they gain from paying for their own vehicle. I owe my parents a “thank you” for preparing me for the path that lies ahead, rather than preparing the path ahead for me.