A small amount of my financial education comes from classrooms, but the whole of it really comes from my financial experiences. As a child, my life was spent living in a car with my mother, my father, and my three younger siblings. Hospital bills and drugs had taken the money that we could have used for a home, or even a simple apartment. However, we couldn't afford the luxuries that most kids in our grade saw—such as the wubble bubble ball, or the snackees, or pillow pets. I remember that most of my childhood was spent living in a car, or living with family members who couldn't care less about our financial situation. After three years, we were living with my grandmother. Two years after her, we could finally afford a small house, and were living as a family. Then my mother's mom came back into our lives, and the drugs came with it. My mother and father both fell into a rabbit hole, spending all their time and money on drugs or finding a way to afford more drugs. Shortly after that, we were back to living in a car on the side of whatever road we could park on. When we finally were able to move into a trailer park, we couldn't afford necessities. Clothes that actually fit us, shoes to go on our bare feet, or even schooling and doctors' visits, checkups, and the dentist. But it was a step in the right direction. My father spent countless days and nights away from home, always working and coming back in the morning. Shortly after, we found ourselves living in Salem, able to afford a house. We had gotten away from my grandmother, but then she had found us again, and with her, the drugs came back. We were dropped off to live with our aunt and uncle, who already had three children and were struggling financially as it was. This led to more problems, and seeing how everything went from terrible to okay was strange. Now, in my last year of High School, I have a better financial understanding. I know to stay away from drugs and my grandmother. I know how to set up an emergency bank account, depositing 10% of my paychecks every paycheck I get in case of an emergency. I know how to budget, do taxes, be able to afford bills and food alike, and even a delicacy of my own now and again. I plan on using what I've learned about financial issues to help me in the future. I don't want my future children or husband to grow up in the same environment that I learned how to thrive in. I want them to have a good education, a good childhood, and good lives. I want them to think back to their childhood and KNOW they had it good. I want them to be happy and healthy, and to never have to worry about not having a dime to pay off a bill, and it turning into $2,000.00 in the near future. My personal experience helped shape who I am. I'm more lenient with money, and I still struggle. My aunt and uncle have 7 kids (including me) to care for, so they struggle financially as well. I try my best to help out with bills or with taxes as much as I can. My father came to his senses, so I try my best to help him with his car as much as I can. I want to get a good job and use my money correctly, wisely, and responsibly.