2004-06-11 
 

living the american dream

G and I are in a massive amount of debt...and have been since we first me. We buckled down a year and a half ago and are slowly paying our way out, but it's hard. San Francisco is an expensive city to live in. It sucks to have to turn down a night at the movies because you know it's going to end up costing you so much more than waiting for the DVD. I also hate that the rare instance of eating out is always accompanied by the guilt that we could've done it so much cheaper at home.

So we sit in front of the television or computer. (About 40 bucks each per month. It's well spent, as both activities help me forget that we can't afford to do anything else.)

Self Pity, party of one? Your table's ready.

Truth is that our income puts us in the top 10% as far as world wealth is concerned. We can walk safely around our neighborhood at 2 in the morning should we choose...and that's free. We have so many clothes that certain items haven't been worn in well over a year. (Sure, my job has sort of forced us into a style that isn't 100% our own and we rarely pay retail for clothing, but there I go, whining again.) I've accumulated another thousand books since moving here...and CDs, videos and DVDs. We have a new car. (There's 200 bucks a month we shouldn't be spending, but it's the one thing I couldn't give up. I know it's tacked another year onto the eventual payoff of debt, but I feel defenseless and trapped without wheels. How American is that?) We have bread makers and microwaves and stereos and tvs and etc. Sure most of them are second hand or ancient, but we have them.

Most importantly, we have each other...and that's something that money can't buy.

* posted by me at 9:06 PM

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