Just because you get older doesn't mean you stop making mistakes, and unfortunately, some people have to learn from those errors the hard way. Recently, BuzzFeed Community members shared the mistakes in their 30s and beyond that they couldn't believe they made because they thought they would've known better — and some of these are poignant. Here are the responses that prove aging doesn't make you infallible:
1. "I racked up credit card debt — multiple times. Now, I feel like I can never get ahead. I live paycheck-to-paycheck, have nothing saved for retirement, and things keep wearing out or breaking down, which causes me to get into more debt."
2. "I got scammed out of thousands of dollars from someone I'd met online. There were so many red flags and warning signs, but when you're old and lonely, you don't want to believe that the only attention you can get is from someone who wants to steal from you. I couldn't believe it happened to me, and I wish I could say I didn't see it coming."
—Carlie, 51, UK
3. "I moved out west to 'make my own life.' I spent some of my best years alone, thousands of miles away from the people I love. I'm 41 now, and most of my family has passed away. I didn't get to spend any time with them."
4. "Having a kid was the biggest mistake I've ever made. If I could go back 34 years, I would slap the shit out of myself for even thinking about it."
5. "I wish I didn't get involved with a person in a relationship. I had the 'I'll-live-with-my-cat-and-dog-and-use-men-just-for-sex' mentality. Well, I fell in love with a man I'd known quite well — but apparently not well enough. Turns out, he'd had a girlfriend...of six years. Fast-forward: He left her, and we built our life together, but the thought of what I did will forever haunt me. I can't forgive myself, and I hope karma comes to me sooner than later. I should've known better than to get involved with someone in a relationship."
6. "Letting a 'friend' borrow money and my car. He had young kids and was tight on money, so I figured he would use the money for groceries and rent. Instead, he got pulled over in my car and arrested for drug paraphernalia. The car got impounded. I had to pay to get my car out, and my 'friend' never paid me back for any other money I'd lent him. Needless to say, we're no longer friends."
7. "Getting sucked into two multi-level marketing schemes! They were so convincing as to their ease! I went to two big conventions for the first company and met the CEOs, who were brothers and sisters. When you're a single parent with no qualifications and are sold this 'easy money-making' scheme, it's easy to dream big! However, You don't realize that you need money to buy the products you have to advertise or that you have to post on social media DAILY. And when people don't want to buy the overpriced, not-very-great products, you blame yourself because you think you're bad at selling! Ugh, joining those MLMs wrecked my self-esteem badly."
8. "I stole a purse while sitting in church. The person I'd stolen from had gotten up for a minute, leaving their purse next to me. The next thing I knew, I was walking out with it! There wasn't any money in the purse, so I got nervous and threw it away in the trash once I got home. Well, I found out later that day that the person I'd stolen the purse from was a distant relative who just happened to visit our house that same day. She saw her stolen purse in our trash inside the kitchen. Oh, my days. I was young and dumb, but I learned a lesson of a lifetime: Never, EVER, touch something that doesn't belong to you!"
—Anonymous
9. "I was barely an adult, but I got involved with a coworker friend — and the entire relationship was a sham. He'd done some prison time, and I was naturally curious about what he'd done, considering he would be part of my life. Details on the internet were scant, and he'd convinced 'young me' that his prison stay was all due to a misunderstanding. He'd also said he was divorced and living completely separate from his ex-wife. Mind you, she'd occasionally come over at night to key his car and slash his tires. It was a mess, but I was infatuated. It was only when he ghosted me a few months later that I learned from mutual friends that he'd actually gone to prison for something WAY more disgusting than what he'd told me."
10. "I'm 65. My partner of the last 18 years ended the relationship so he could go live his 'authentic life' in Palm Springs. It was the fifth time he'd ended our relationship. The first time he'd ended things was shortly after we met — when I was 47. He'd emailed me saying he was going to Chicago to live with a 'leather master.' Clearly, I should have walked away, but I was eager to meet and have someone, and we did share a number of things in common. While difficult, loneliness and living with a cat really is a much more fulfilling experience."
—David, 65, Ohio
11. "I went into business with a friend without a proper partnership agreement. We were supposedly building for the long term, so we didn't take salaries. Since my friend had 51% ownership (due to a larger investment), he decided to sell the business before talking to me, and I was never paid for the project work I did. I was out several years of work and nearly lost my house."
12. "I made the mistake of paying tens of thousands of dollars of attorney fees to keep my brother from going to jail. I hired the best lawyers money could buy. My mother had warned me that it would be a mistake — and it was. My brother never really got his life together; to this day, he remains a bitter, angry man. He also never paid me back. He told me two months ago that he never wanted to speak to or see me again! Thanks a lot, bro. Never, ever, loan money to a family member or pay their legal bills. Let them suffer the consequences of their actions!"
—Anonymous
13. "I fell in love with a woman much younger than me and did my best to assure her she had no reason not to love me and commit to the relationship. She moved into my home, where she lived for free for over a dozen years while professionally working in a corporate position. When I say she lived at my place for free, I mean she didn't contribute anything to our fixed expenses, didn't buy groceries, didn't pay when we dined out, and didn't even pay for her own clothing. Then, she'd complain about how we didn't vacation enough — as if I had money left to pay for vacations. She declined to marry me, even after she selected an engagement ring for me to purchase. She'd text me baby names but said she wouldn't have my children."
14. "Not appreciating my parents when I became an adult. They're both gone now, and I miss them so much."
—Deb, 59, Indiana
15. "NEVER LEND MONEY! At 67, I lent $9,500 to a so-called friend of 30 years. He was someone I trusted, and there was even a notarized promissory note, too. Well, the guy died a month before I was supposed to get repaid, and it turned out that he'd transferred ownership of his house to his brother two months before passing away. Because of that, there were no other assets to go after. People tell me, 'He didn't know he was going to die.' If that was the case, why did he transfer the house to his brother? The promissory note isn't worth the paper it's written on. NEVER lend money to anyone, no matter how long you've known them or how much you trust them!"
—Anonymous
16. Last but not least: "I still look back and can't believe I did this. Five years after coming out as a lesbian, I fell prey to people-pleasing and the desperate desire to earn my parents' approval. I met a man through mutual friends who asked me out. I said yes, mainly because I felt put on the spot. But I passed it off as no big deal, assuming that it would just be one evening with him. Well, what started out as one regretful date turned into a commitment to change me into the 'perfect' wife to someone I'd never found attractive and who saw me only as arm candy with an income."
I don't know about you guys, but I cannot stop picturing the woman finding her stolen purse in her distant relative's kitchen trashcan. If you're 30 and over, what's a mistake you couldn't believe you made because you should've known better? Let me know in the comments, or you can anonymously submit using this form!
Note: Some submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.