I Have No Time For Thoughtfulness

by mapgirl on July 19, 2006

“Everyone has a rationale, even if it’s not rational.” – Mapgirl

Fortunately, Nina at QueerCents has some time for thoughtfulness. I’m about to offer something wandering. I definitely think there is something going on with the rising price of gas. It’s like pulling back the curtain and finding out the Wizard of Prosperity is a fake. More alarmingly is that it’s highlighting how much less discretionary income we have than before. We’re making choices to spend our money differently than before and now our economy is going to change. Oh wait, isn’t that what discretionary means? We are choosing to spend money on gas over other things, like dining out.

Some people say we need to lessen our dependency on oil, etc. What I really think this means is we’ve got to change our living and spending habits. A 200-mile commute is insane, but I am certain there is a rationale behind it, even if it’s not rational. For instance, maybe it’s too expensive to live where the work is (true of the Bay Area and Washington DC). I know I deliberately choose to live 17 miles away from my job and reverse commute for 30-40 minutes. Or I could live 10 miles away and commute the same amount of time in a less desirable community. It’s not particularly rational of me to do this commute, but I feel like I’d rather live in dense urban housing instead of sprawling suburbs. It isn’t rational from one angle, but it is from another.

Anyhow, this is just a brief note. I’m chewing on this idea right now about where I’m choosing to spend my money these days. I made more of an effort this week to buy groceries and cook. I know I’ve already saved myself about $15-30 on dining since Friday night.

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{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }

Sharon Harvey Rosenberg The Frugal Duchess July 19, 2006 at 9:00 pm

This post has been removed by the author.

Jonathan July 20, 2006 at 2:26 am

I dunno, I’ve had my couch (which came with my college apartment) for 10 years now. Added a slipcover to it 3 years ago. Still going strong :)

The above is what you call wandering!

mapgirl July 20, 2006 at 10:58 am

Jonathan, you crack me up!

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