Money money money oh so funny .....
Let me begin by first acquainting you with my 'saver self'. I am a saver and when I say that it means that no matter how much or how little my pocket money and now my salary is , a substantial part of it needs to be saved. And this has been the case from as long as I can remember. Through school, through college even through post grad hostel days. No not that I really anticipate rainy days (touch wood/ TT) and even if there were some - don't know how far my 28 years of savings could really take me, but I just save- the only rational explanation that comes to mind is that in mom's book its a virtue
And so essentially I have never really been broke- at times have created artificial scarcity to feel broke but whatever.
However festival money (diwali, rakhi, teej etc), birthday money and visiting people money all form part of the splurging-without-thinking package.
The other day was just thinking about how this splurging money would always be defined in my head not by its absolute no. (in which case it would just get added to my savings) but by what it could buy .
So when I was eight the twenty rupees that I got on visiting nani's house would be registered in terms of the number of Dairy Milk's it could buy me.
When I was eleven the fifty rupees that grand dad would give me would be represented by the three Archies I could buy from Midland or the sticks of choco bar that could be bought.
Somewhere in the teens the money would represent the no. of books that could be bought. That was the time when I wanted to possess all the books I read- the logic of it I don't get now.
Then the no. of CD's that I could buy. CD's were so damn expensive then. And I wanted this collection going to the ceiling.
And then the no. of Benetton T ShirtsI could buy (my mom thought of this as a real waste of money- shirts ok, but t-shirts- round neck no way)
And now this year I have been thinking and thinking but there is nothing I can think of as a scale. Money seems to have lost its sheen. I can't think of what to splurge on.
No, its not that I have everything. But what I don't have is either what I don't want or too expensive to want. So have decided not to want it. I am not the type who can save and save and save for a platinum watch- not worth the while.
And so in a crazy way I feel sad. About not having something that excites me in the way Dairy Milk's and Archie's and Books' and CD's could. About not having something to spend my Diwali money on.
posted by lemontree @ 5:46 PM
10 Comments:
i just can't save. whatever comes in, goes too soon. but if i had some money to spare, i'd probably invest in a laptop. BUt that can't be bought with diwali money. hell, nobody even gives me money during diwali. Sometimes, I get dry fruits, which i like, or those horrid sweets
I'm like this black hole when it comes to money...I have absolutely where it goes...My all time scale is what books the money i get can buy...and these days its how many beers I can buy! Cheers! :)
hey lemon,
here's an idea. a really expensive gift and a speed-post to bombay!
love,
nm
Join the club! I cant save either! And its called a virtue by my mum too. So i do have some saved, but not where i can see it! Bonds and other such ghastly things! But i splurge on good shoes and bags etc. And a few good clothes. So even when one is broke, one can still step out in style :p
lemon, i hear you!!
i remember the first time we got a VCR and how excited i was. and now dvd players come & go and get upraded and no one gives a shit. i too miss that feeling of really looking forward to something... i wasn't even that excited when bought my own car.
what's happened to us? :-(
It's weird with money; I used to be so good and save. I just had my job take money out of my check. Now I'm putting my son through private school, because public school here is a joke and there goes my savings. Money can be so psychological. I spent all summer watching every cent, and then this fall I decided to buy all of the 16th Horsepower CDs, used of course. I felt like I had bought myself a trip to Tahita. So money feels better when we aren't used to it, even though I would do anything to be used to it.
Good post, friend.
lemontree
I must say that the dog-pic that you have is amazing. One of the best ones that I Have seen.
As for your main theme, I wish I were as lucky! I have the opposite problem and whatever comes into my hands just flows through. Don't even come to kow where it goes with nothing substantial to show.
Especially with credit cards around, things have become even worse.
Yu are lucky to have this habit. But yes after a certain age and time, money does start to lose its charm. The simpler things in life are not as pleasurable...
keep saving as believe me its better than keep spending!
Desrt-ed
velvetgunther: true you can't buy a laptop with diwali money and while i am trying, just can't resist offering this little advice - why don't you take a personal laon and pay for it over 12 months/ 24 months- and you would own something worthwhile
wishfulthinker: sticks with the books. empty bottles don't make for a useful collection ;)
nm: thinking about it ;) be good to me
vijayeta: must confess- am clothes obsessed myself- its a four year old disease- since i finally started fitting into clothes which could be bought of the shelf ;)
pink: thanks ! for getting the drift of the post completely. u rock girl
cv: yup. money feels great after you are broke and u suddenly win the lottery. winning the lottery and having nothing to splurge on is sad
anonymous (a): i dont think its that the simpler things are not as pleasurable but just that the simple things are just not bought by money anymore- like having your full family around for Diwali, being there for your best friend's brithday, having a fixed date on feb the fourteenth, and deserted obliging lemon and reading her daily (thanks)
and all the rest that you could read off a mastercard ad
Ah, that is a very unique problem you face - not knowing where to spend the money on?! :)
But ya, there was a relatively simpler charm about life then...
Anyway, I have been reading your Blog for a bit now - am mostly the lurker sorts! :)
thanks primal
for reading me
:)
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