Credit Card Crisis

So this is what normal people feel like with money woes.

My friends, there used to be a time when I would buy whatever the hell I wanted because, well frankly, I was living la vida good life; living with the folks, paying no bills, no rent, free food, everything went to savings. But you know, with the purchase of a freakin' big expensive house, well to be honest, things haven't changed all that much. I still buy stuff that I want. Hell, I just bought $150 worth of video games last weekend and will spend an additional $250 on Rock Band/Guitar Hero at month's end.

But besides all that, I've been feeling the crunch. I've been eating out less at work. Before, when I wasn't a homeowner, I would eat out for sushi or Persian cuisine; really expensive stuff. Take a look at me now and you'll find me getting a $2 omelet sandwich from Subway or a cheap something-er-rather from the cafeteria. It's depressing.

I no longer browse the Gold Box deals at Amazon and randomly buy things I don't need (or let alone truly want). I prevent myself from buying the latest and greatest things/games/Threadless T-shirt designs.

And yet still, my credit card bill piles on higher than Coxsmith's high school buddies at a mud wrestling party. Many of the purchases are necessities that occur continually such as my $150 train pass, $50+ gas charges, and Playstation Network points (I gots ta have my Rock Band tunes). And then most of the other spending is for food. But then there's a huge chunk that I need to curb which falls in the category of "Stuff I Likes." Can you blame me for liking stuff?

But it isn't so hard to justify spending money when you think of places where you're saving. Take for example our electric bill. By signing up for the A/C Cycling Rebate program (where they have the authority to turn off your A/C if they are facing an energy crunch), we are saving a boffo amount of moolah. Our electric bill last month was only $8 and this month is $13. That's an incredible savings considering many others pay upwards of $300 per month! It pays to keep unnecessary lights off and the A/C thermostat at 85º.

We are also saving money by not having Waste Disposal service. We accumulate our garbage until we can transport it to a trash receptacle elsewhere. Of course, this charade can't last too long, nor would I want it to. But for now, we're saving $50-sommat per month.

And lastly, I save a ton of money by not needing to repair the windshield on the car or stuff to that effect. You know, those crappy expenses that pop up unexpectedly? By not having to pay for those, I can spend that money on the "Stuff I Likes."

As our economy heads into a Depression-like era, I will continue to buy frivolous things and enjoy the hell out of them. Boo. Ya.


Spending and spending,

Mavericky