—

Life Sucks and It’s Society’s Fault by Russell Bishop

This is exactly what I needed to read on a day like today. As one-half of a recently married couple living in one of the most expensive cities in the nation and both working at entry-level jobs, we have seen our share of difficulties.

Mind you, we live very frugally. We rarely go out, we don’t buy expensive “toys” and we haven’t vacationed at all since our honeymoon in March. But, sometimes we get down, just as anyone would. It becomes easy to fall into the pit of more, more, more, when we really have everything we could need (need, need).

We all have our Achilles heels: mine is fashion, Brandon’s is DVDs. Our mutual “heel” is eating out so I don’t have to cook and clean. We have successfully forsaken all three of those things quite well over the past several months, with the occasional treat here and there. But it’s hard, of course. I lament the fact that I can’t afford to purchase a new winter coat, although when I look in the closet, I see dozens hanging there. Brandon wishes he had that new Blu-Ray, but he also owns dozens already. Sometimes we’d love to go out for a relaxing meal, but honestly—I can cook just as well as some of the restaurants nearby.

It’s easy to think that your problems will go away once money is plentiful, but in my experience—seeing family and friends come into ample funds—it just ratchets up the playing field. Instead of wanting to go out to restaurants for dinner, it becomes an issue of which restaurant is good enough to serve you. And suddenly, mid-level designers aren’t good enough. It’s Chanel or nothing! I find it hilarious when people begin categorizing department stores, i.e., “I’d never shop at Nordstrom! So low-class!”

What I’m trying to say is that staying away from the more is more trap may be hard, but is worth it. If you always have what you want, what else is there to strive for?