Why Getting Married at 22 Was the Best Decision We Made

From 20 to 55 and every age in between, no matter how old you are when you get married, there will always be pros and cons. My husband and I got married at 22 in an age where people are waiting longer and longer to get married. Both paths are great but bring their own opportunities for learning, growth, and challenges. By the time we said, "I do" we had been together for seven years. We experienced the awkward teenage years, and the growing pains of adjusting from naive high school students to naive college graduates. We held hands through the ups and downs of applying for jobs, launching our careers, finding who we really were and living together. But here's why getting married at 22 was the best decision for us.

The Simple Life Life as a recent college graduate is simple. You own a car, you pay rent, you do whatever you want after 5 p.m., and you try to keep your basil plants alive. The older you get, the more complex life can seem to be. You own more things, you're more established in society and you have greater responsibilities. At 22, you're just diving into that aspect of life and it was fun to experience with my other half as newlyweds. No Money No Problem No matter when you get married, you're tight on money after the wedding. We spent a substantial amount of money on our wedding but once it was over, we didn't notice a huge adjustment in our spending habits because we were still living like broke college students. We weren't 30-year-olds who had experienced years of selfish saving and spending only to be startled by the newlywed budget. Broke college student budget translates pretty easily to newlywed budget. Baby Steps At 22, we watched our young adult life unfold together. We experienced job interviews, new careers, waving goodbye to our broke college student budget, and establishing our habits, activities, and hobbies as a married couple. When you're older, you have a system for how you fold the towels, you have a spending habit, you buy the same groceries every Sunday, and you have a weekly happy hour night with friends. That's all great but once you get married, those aspects to your personal life have to adjust. It can be a confusing time because before you were able to do whatever you wanted whenever you wanted and now you have to compromise with your spouse. At 22, you don't have those habits and set lifestyle because you're new to the world as a young adult. Young or old, there are pros and cons to each life stage you decide to get married in. I wouldn't change a thing about my story and our experience, but I'm grateful for the lessons it's taught me along the way. Style Me Pretty Contributor - Kylie Thompson is a freelance writer, blogger and marketing professional from Grand Rapids Michigan, where she resides with her husband. When she isn't working, you will find her exploring Grand Rapids' newest culinary establishments with her husband, or traveling up and down Lake Michigan's coast.