Stop Whining About Money, Hypocrite!
In these tough economic times, a lot of people are feeling the forced tightening of purse strings. Even the wealthiest people are having to give up their private jets due to the lagging economy. It's unfortunate but true, some people can't even afford the basic necessities of life any more. And yet those same people go out and spend $200 getting their hair done, while complaining at the salon about how they don't have any money. I think you know where I'm going with this.
I've done my very best to avoid doing any straight "Public Service Announcement" style writing on this site, but I'm afraid I just can't help it any more. People have gotten so used to frittering away their money on shit they don't need while ignoring things they actually can't live without, that for some reason the common sense budget cuts just don't seem to occur to them. Allow me to tell you a few things you really don't need, regardless of what you've managed to convince yourself of.
Things you need:
- Food
- Clothing
- Shelter
- Employment
- Transportation
Things you don't need:
- A truck
- Makeup
- A new wardrobe every season
- That many shoes
- More clothes
- Any piece of clothing over $20
- Jewelry
- Hair colouring
- Any trip to the salon
- That much food, you fat asshole
- Eating out every meal
- Going to a movie theatre
- Going to the bar
- Anything involving a plane
- Anything involving a boat
- Brand name items
- A non-CRT TV
- HD-anything
- Any new DVDs
- A cell phone
You do not need a truck
Trucks are expensive to purchase, expensive to maintain, and they burn through gasoline at a faster rate than smaller vehicles do. So why, when money is tight, are you continuing to drive a vehicle that gets 8 miles/gallon when there are other cars just as good, that are smaller and less expensive to maintain (and to insure?), that get 20 miles/gallon? And that's not even counting hybrids or pure electric vehicles (which are available in some places but not all). Money is tight, and you can either spend $20,000/year on your truck or $10,000/year on a smaller car. Get rid of the truck! Don't worry, your ego will recover.
You do not need to drive everywhere
There are people out there who literally drive to the end of the block to pick up milk from the convenience store. Then there are people like me, who can go almost the entire summer and fall without so much as starting their car because everything is within a 2 mile radius. Unless you are transporting large amounts of stuff or the weather is really poor, you don't need to drive if you can walk there in less than half an hour.
Let me give you a real life example of this: I take the train to work (more on that later). The train station is about a 5-10 minute drive away depending on traffic, or I can walk there in about 20-25 minutes depending on the traffic lights. It's about a mile and a half distance. That's 3 miles a day there and back, 5 days a week, for about 25 weeks that I've been walking instead of driving, is 375 miles saved from my car. That translates to less gas, less stress, more exercise, more fresh air, and more time between trips to the mechanic for maintenance.
Now, about taking the train to work: it costs me about $45/wk to get to work, with a 20 minute walk on either end of the commute. if I were to drive to work, it would cost about $80 in gas and $40 in parking every week, and I'd have to send my car in for maintenance a whole lot more frequently as the miles got added on, not to mention all the stress of rush hour traffic. When you add in the maintenance costs, I'm only paying about a quarter of the cost to drive by taking the train instead. Public transit isn't a possibility for everyone, but if it's a possibility for you, fucking use it! Would you rather get up 20 minutes later, or save $150 a week?
Some less obvious money-saving ideas
- In the shower, turn the water off when you're not using it to rinse
- When wiping, fold the toilet paper over and use it again
- Set the thermostat for less use during times you're not in the house
- Clean all snow off your car, rather than just from the windows
- Reseal all your window- and door-frames
Set some fucking priorities
In this world, there are things you need in order to survive (necessities), and things you don't need but like having (luxuries). When money is tight, it's the luxuries that have to go. You can go to the movies, or you can pay your car insurance. You can go to the spa, or you can buy food for the month. Why is it so hard for people to figure this out?
My problem here isn't actually with people who can't prioritize; some people just can't give up their luxuries for some reason, and although that makes them spoiled brats, who am I to complain. My problem is people who can't prioritize, while bitching and moaning about how they never have any money. The reason you have no money is that you waste it all on shit you don't need. You don't need a $500 manicure, you don't need ten pairs of shoes, and you don't need to spend $2000 on a suit.
If those are your priorities and you have the gall to complain about not having any money, you brought your problem on yourself and will receive absolutely no pity from anyone with a working brain, because you are completely transparent to everybody, not just to me. Going to the bar costs about $100. Going away for vacation can cost as much as $4000. You don't need these things! Stop being a prima donna, and learn how to set priorities, or shut the fuck up already.