Bed of Dough

Money is the currency of the world. (Sorry. Just really wanted to write that)

Money is a tricky thing to put your finger on. (This one might be full of double meanings and puns)

There have been a lot of theories and quotes and comments and ideas about money, money being evil, money not equaling happiness, money making life easier, etc. In the recently referenced movie the Pursuit of Happyness, Will Smith tells his son to 'make as much money as you can. Everything is a lot easier with money.' Money is the driving force behind our society, money is responsible for professional sports, for government. I don't even know why I gave 'examples' of what money influences when in reality, it is pretty much everything. Whether you have it or you don't, it's on your mind. The ones that don't need to find ways to get it. The ones that do need to find things to do with it. So while it may have its 'evils' and 'happiness isn't something to be purchased, this last paragraph basically states that an absolute necessity of life is the care, maintenance, and constant effort of gaining money, right?

That's what we're supposed to do. That's what we've been planted for... like a field full of crops. Born and raised for the same goal. Go to school and get good grades? Why? To prepare yourself for high school? Why? So you can do well enough to get into a good college (assuming you can afford it). Why? The better the college, the better chance at getting a good job. Why? The better the job, the more money you will make? Why? So when you have a family of your own, you can provide from them, put food on the table and a roof over their heads. Why? So you can give them the same chances that you were given. Why? Because that's our only goal. Right? That's what the instructions on the back of the box say. That's where the dotted lines lead you.

So far I have been a model of that formula. Yay.

Fergie just came on my iPod (save the comments). The song opens with 'If you ain't got no money, take your broke-ass home.' Pretty appropriate. I love when that happens.

ANYway. Money is a funny thing. And maybe my opinion of it is jaded because to this point, I have it. Well, obviously my opinion is jaded because of that. I'm living pretty much independent of outside (parental) support and have found myself nestled in pretty decent full time employment. But who's to say what is the right thing to do with our money? Some people want to buy their own place. Some people want to travel to Bermuda. Some people want to inflate their bank account. Some people want to live dime to dime and night to night, hoping things work out.

But some people want to try and not think about it. Some people want to know they have a cushion right now. But they still want to save a little. Add on a little at a time, but don't let the scare of a price tag stop you from truly enjoying something. Sometimes you just want to live like celebrities for a night, just because it seems like a reasonable thing to do on a Thursday. Sometimes you want to walk through the aisles of the grocery store, only buying things that have 'preferred savings.' Sometimes you want to buy your best friends a round of shots because you know, eventually, it will come back to you. Sometimes you want to book a flight to a city you've never been because the experience will be more valuable to your life course than the price of the ticket. And sometimes you want to deposit an entire paycheck into an account you know you won't touch. Sometimes you'll sacrifice designer jeans for $15 jobs from Old Navy, but you won't sacrifice a car that makes you enjoy driving.

I guess the point of all this 'anonymity' is to show how much gray area there really is when it comes to maintaining your money. At the end of the day, you need to be able to sleep. If you can sleep being thousands of dollars in debt, borrowing money and continuing to spend it, then for now, you're surviving. And if you can sleep because you never go out at night, knowing you funds are continuing to pile up, then for now, you're surviving. But for everyone else that bounces between the logical, safe path and the risky, careless path, you should be able to sleep because you're worn out from everything you've done, and excited for everything else that's going to happen.