I have a good job, and say this not just because my performance review is coming up next week and my esteemed boss is, to say the least, internet-savvy, but because it’s true.
There are certainly others coping with the high cost of living here who aren’t so fortunate. For example, only a short distance away, the prison guards in the county jail very likely get pelted with offal in exchange for what is essentially a chambermaid’s wage.
So, being able to pay the bills and have dignified, intellectually challenging work is a circumstance worthy of gratitude.
Still, there are times that it would be nice to have enough free cash for work on the house, which could use a roof and a paved driveway, or more for the kids.
My grandchildren think I’m rich, or at least well-off. The oldest has figured out that this seems be true because there’s only one of me and five of them, thus, I have more disposable income.
Recently, the prospect of sending said grandson to a private middle school was discussed, then dropped because of finances. Fortunately, Bob is cavalier at best on the subject of school: he figures that unless it has a curriculum in falconry, one school is the same accursed place as another.
No doubt, he comes by this honestly, based not only on personal experience but also a loathing of formal education on the part of at least two family members who believe in their souls that if a thing is worth learning, it’s better to learn it on your own.
I’m still recovering from a couple of very lean years, and perhaps as a result, have tremendously high sales resistance to almost anything with a price tag above, say, $20.
Still, it’s possible to find affordable “experiences”. Last night, I renewed my acquaintance with one of the very few places on Cape Cod where you can have an ocean view meal for under $10. Cape Cod doesn’t have boardwalks like in Orange County, CA, the Jersey shore or even Nantasket Beach up the coast. Most oceanfront is private, and if you’re within a reasonable drive of a beach, it’s just a beach, with no amenities to make it a real destination.
The prior night, though, I was in the Hyannis BJ’s, and was stopped in my tracks by a display of Bose audio equipment, “marked down” to $1,299.
I’m a music lover who has not a single piece of decent audio, and I’ve been on the lookout for years for a system that sounds better than the speakers on a computer but isn’t intimidating to assemble.
My heart yearned for that system, but on the other hand, it’s roughly 1/3 the cost of putting in a driveway. A driveway would be tremendously labor-saving for both me and Peter, enhance the value and looks of the house, and provide a place for James to play basketball.
Spend or save?
I’m not investing my annual $200 budget on plants this year. After six seasons of building, the existing gardens are in pretty decent shape, and it would probably be a waste of money to put in more.
So, as much as I would like to clean out every sale of home-growns in the county, I won’t be doing that this year.
I would like a new grill and one of those motorized awnings for the back porch. I’d like to replace the flooring with Pergo and the kitchen and bathroom counter tops with anything but vinyl.
I’d like to pay my sister’s mortgage so her husband could retire and hand out big, anonymous checks to my friends who are struggling with basic living expenses.
I’d like to buy a nice little house on Picture Lake, shop for clothes at places other than Ocean State Job Lot and hire someone to do the food shopping, cook the meals and wash the truck.
Spend or save?