Those things are expensive! I've seen these same people, biking to the store on 10 speeds from 1982, paying for cigarettes with pennies, but they can afford satellite TV? How do they do it? We can't afford satellite TV. We've been using the same rabbit ears antenna that's half broken on one end from the cat and loose on the other end so it never stays in place and barely gets us 5 channels, for nearly 5 years! Our TV needs to be jiggled at the back for the picture to come in and it had to be hooked up to computer speakers because the volume stopped working and only the remote can turn it on or off because the power button is broken and the screen is an eye squinting 12 inches. New TVs are way too expensive, even for the smallest most humble kind. Yet, I see my neighbour, who doesn't work and smokes pot all day, with a big screen TV mounted on the wall inside his place. What is the deal?
I hesitate to buy bread I like sometimes, because it's a dollar more expensive than another kind! Is it a question of priorities? We simply could not afford to buy a new TV or cable etc, because it would mean not eating or not heating our place. So how do they do it? Do they not eat or heat in lieu of watching Thai soap operas on big screen TVs?
We stood behind a man in the variety store the other day. He had a case of beer, Doritos, a 2 litre bottle of pop, scratch tickets and cigarettes. A single man's essentials? His debit card kept being declined and all he had was a 20 dollar bill, so he chose items, one by one, in order of importance from least to most, till he was left able to afford nothing but the case of beer.
I wondered at the time, why didn't he put back the case and just get a beer or 2 instead and be able to have all his other items as well? Priorities? Poor reasoning skills? It was depressing to watch.
We have to be careful with our money, and we can't watch cable TV, but we have a nice, clean, quiet home. We eat fresh food and we have enough to pay bills without going into debt. I'm grateful for that. I'm grateful also, that we don't miss the channels we don't get or the beer we don't buy...
We've had some recent fear and panic over money and the future, with the arrival of a baby very soon. Looking at the budget and facing what needs to be adjusted or eliminated to allow for new demands... Sometimes, it's overwhelming. I know we aren't unique in our situation. I know that you too, reader, are probably juggling finances in your own situations.
When I step back and look it at with a cool head though, I see that it's ok. We are OK and maybe even on the side of lucky. Things are so much worse for some people. And some people won't be able to ever get it right because they just don't know what to take out of their basket at the store.
Some people don't have family and friends either, to help out. We do and I feel grateful for that as well.
What is this maudlin mood I am in? It's all about perspective I guess. It's easy to get caught up in your own world and forget to breathe and look around.
Anyway, we made specific choices. T chose to stay in school to do his Masters, which was a good choice. I chose to quit a job that was making me unhappy, also a good choice. The consequence of our choices was low income. It's hard sometimes, but ultimately for good causes and like I said, really, it's not so bad. We have what we need.
Sometimes we even have great bonuses! Here are some of my favourite photos from the session with Sarah a few weeks ago.
Well, you can't actually see the really pregnant bits of me in the photos I've chosen, but you can imagine.
Also, I had an early birthday party last saturday with a few friends that was very fun. Lots of food and we managed to fit in a bit of craft work also, toward the end. It was nice to have some people over, seeing as how it's getting less and less feasible to haul my arse outside of the house for long these days. I think my double chin alone, is adding weight to my load. Ha ha. Seriously!
The weather is beautiful lately. Sunny and mild creamy air or crisp like a crunchy red apple....mmmm, red apples...
Apple time. Happily, apples are cheap and abundant this time of year. So dig it.
Smell ya later everyone.
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