Tuesday, September 8, 2009

injaynesworld "The Economy" is kicking my ass

The “Time For Service” light has been on in my car now for three months. Any time, I expect to see the “Hey – I Need A Little Attention Here,” light, followed closely by an angry, flashing “I Told You So.”

My car is not the only area of my life suffering from neglect. I’ve taken to wearing hats whenever I leave the house so as not to expose the two inches of gray roots seeping from my scalp. As luck would have it, I live in a rural area where cowboy hats are considered acceptable attire everywhere. Sometimes I throw on a baseball cap just to change things up a bit. I do have to say I’m happy to see that torn jeans are considered high fashion at the moment because that’s pretty much the condition of all of mine and I fully expect to be mistaken for Cameron Diaz any day now.

Fortunately, I’ve never required an abundance of food. We have chickens on the farm where I live and they provide a steady supply of eggs. There’s a veggie garden, too, and several fruit trees. What we don’t grow here is easily pilfered from the lands of surrounding farmers, but except for the occasional splurge on a jar of Bacon Bits, meat is a thing of the past.

Being single has some financial advantages in these lean times. Nobody on Facebook cares if I shave my legs, so I save on razors. Also, the bushes growing on my limbs keep me warm in the winter when I can’t afford heat, and I’ve discovered that underarm hairs can be plucked.

Like most animal lovers, my dog’s needs come before mine. If Dixie has a hang nail I rush her to the vet. I, on the other hand, have to be scraped off the front of a truck before I’ll see a doctor. Not that I don’t have insurance. I do. But if I use it, they’ll raise my rates. Which seems reasonable. Those executive-owned mansions don’t come cheap.

I will never be able to retire. I feel sorry for all those who worked hard their whole lives and scrimped to save for their golden years only to have lost those savings in the market downturn. Now they’re just like me, only I never saved a dime. Life as a freelance writer rarely offered such an opportunity, plus I squandered a lot of it, too. I do have a job, so I’m ahead of many in that respect, but work has slowed recently while, conversely, the monthly bills only seem to know one direction -- up. Funny how that works. To those who say “money can’t buy happiness,” I say if you have money and you’re not happy, you’re just not trying.

So, how’s the economy treating you?

12 comments:

Adam said...

Money does not buy happiness, indeed. I think it leases it... On the other hand, id can't buy strength, which you seem to have plenty of!

Anyway, Dixie is just so cute!

Adam (mrelife.blogspot.com)

Best Wishes, Marie said...

how is the economy treating me? we have been lucky that we did not go into it with a second mortgage and a bunch of card debt. but i feel i have to be more creative and deliberate. we were students for a long time, so it is not a new thing. i can tell you that because our economies are so closely related, my mexican friends are really struggling. the the crime rate is up. unfortunately, they were influenced by our buy now pay later mentality, and so most of them now have debt, so instead of just being poor, they are in debt and broke... it is just really bad.

money does not buy happiness, but it is nice not to be worried about the basics.

A.Fanny said...

Have you tried rock soup lately? Get your rock and call everyone. We'll all come with something for the pot because it's beautiful up in your neck of the woods!

Contemplations of an Army Wife said...

Boy oh boy, I feel your pain! Nothing says "bad financial planning" like going to college when I'm rounding thirty. I agree completely. I feel like if you've got money and you're unhappy, you're not hanging out with your money in the right places.

Dana said...

Now that I have my grandson, the economy has just added another layer of stress. I find myself stretching everything in an effort to make it last, and our one night a week dinner out is now a sandwich in the park (which he actually likes better) Since I also "inherited" 4 cats and a bird from my daughter, I think I now spend more $$ in PetCo than Publix.

Tawnia said...

You are funny:) We are batteling the bank to keep our home, and we gave our truck back to another bank. We are in the condtruction biz so this shit has hit us hard. When you build houses for a living, and no one is buying... well, your fucked :) But I appreciate every day I am here, all the beautiful things I have, and all the friends and family that love me! I am a millionaire somewhere, just not here!

Nina Kaur said...

Wow, I thought my suburban life was quaint, you have a very witty and interesting style. The economy is kicking my ass, like yourself I am a freelance writer but looking for full time work and not finding anything. I got a kick out of this post, very funny.

nina

Chowhound said...

"Money can't buy happiness" Funny how that goes. The people who say that should give me their money and I'll let them know lol :-) My government job is currently up in the air. I have no idea if I'll still have the job by the end of October and it's freaking me out just a teeny bit, but oh well, as long as I have stuff to play with and cook in my kitchen, I'll be alright.

Jane Lively said...

We're playing it cool... in the midst of all this economic madness, my hubby and I decided that it was time for him to start his own business. So he quit his salaried, insured, safe and cozy job to freelance his own gig. Crazy, right? We decided to quit waiting for a "good time" for him to go out on his own.

marymac said...

Ah, thank God no one on Facebook (or twitter!) can see i haven't shaved my legs!! LOL
Thanks for stopping by Pajamas and Coffee- hope you'll be back. LOVE your blog so will come by here again as well! If you're on twitter, find me @marymac and thanks again!
;)

http://howtobecomeacatladywithoutthecats.blogspot.com said...

I think maybe we'll all have to come out to the farm and start a commune. Popular in the 60's and I bet there will be a resurgence in these economic times. (I could always pitch my tent out at my friend's country home.) Might be a better plan than prison! Tee Hee! Hugs back at you!

Michele Dominguez Greene said...

Hey Jayne! I really liked that script when we did it. I couldn't stand the actor why played my husband as I recall. I'm going to start adding my Live Fat In Lean Times section to my blog, with all the things I've discovered to make up for the little things we're all cutting out. First, salon hair color. An actress I know, whose hair looks great, told me she uses Perfect 10 hair color, bought at Target for $9. I bought a box, tried it and guess what? She's right. The last job I did, the hairstylist asked, "Who does your color? I love it!"
A cheap treat that makes you feel great.
onward and upward...



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