1 (0-12): the earliest memory I have of money is getting a 2 dollar allowance per week. My brother spent a lot of money on nachos, we both spent money on baseball cards. Mostly, I spent money on books, legos, and playmobile, or I just threw everything in a chest that I had. When I counted up my change, it was $30. Apparently for quite a bit of this time my family was pretty bad off financially. I never felt it or felt stressed about money.
2 (12-14): When we moved back to Thailand, my parents gave us (weekly) our age with a 10x multipler (12 years old meant 120 baht a week). Once again, I have no idea what I bought with my money. I went to LAN shops sometimes, bought some snacks, but I also saved a lot of my lunch/snack money. I always had money, never had to think about it.
3 (15-19): Saved even more money, but never felt like I couldnt spend. There just wasnt that much to buy. Kept buying books, fried chicken. Parents reimbursed me for gas. Took bus rides to other towns, went to movies, went to LAN shops till all hours of the night, gave money to strangers. I always had more money than all my friends, and never understood how they could be short when I felt like I wasn't careful at all but I always had money. Never bought clothes, if I did my parents paid me back.
4 (19-20): Moved to the states and got a job. Made $5-6000 in 2 months working at a JanSport warehouse. Became extremely conservative with money, especially because of college, when I barely had enough to make my spring quarter payment. Never went out to eat, rarely bought books except for school, never went out to eat, didnt go to the doctor at times I probably should have. Before this time, I never had to consider the cost of anything. Worked in the cafeteria. Over the summer, made $2500 working for a Lutheran parish that gave me free rent. Gave money to friends for things they cared about.
5 (20-21): No job, started going to coffee shops. My friends kept me in the dorms spring quarter by giving me $2000. Went out to a lot of coffee shops, sometimes out to meals.
6 (21-22): Started going to bars, eating out more, paying monthly rather than quarterly rent and food costs. Worked at the library over summer and school year, went out places a lot, bought books I wanted, went to Oxford (where my plane tickets were paid for me by strangers, $1000+ of tuition was given to me by strangers, received $7000 in scholarships I wasnt expecting and hadnt applied for). Still feel guilty every time I dont give money to those who ask for it and those in need: "Whatever you have done for the least of these..."
I generally live my life assuming that if something is good, the money will be provided. So far, that's turned out to be true, and I don't regret giving away any amount of money, no matter how ridiculous, to anyone, whatever they spent it on. I also think I've been damn lucky, or blessed, or whatever you want to call it.
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2 comments:
this pragmatic approach to life is something i've been thinking about a lot recently.
see i always figured if something works it must be good. i'm questioning that now, but i have yet to reach any conclusions.
Alex--just catching up. And this reminded me of our conversations about money a few years ago (back when neither of us spent it because we felt irresponsible).
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