All The Money Or The Simple Life Honey

For almost my entire life, my grandmother on my mother's side would give each of her grandchildren "allowance money" and she always said to, "Save it for a rainy day*." We all knew that at almost every family get together if Gram asked for someone to bring her purse to her that we would be getting rainy day money. The cutest part is that she would always ask if we had a purse with us to put it in as to not lose it on the trip home. I, and the other grandkids, learned this part of the process early on so we would always be sure to have a purse or wallet with us. When my sister (who is seven years younger) was too young to remember her purse I would always assure my grandmother that I could take both of ours and the money would reach our piggy banks safely**.

Anyway, I was thinking about this because lately I have been feeling poorer than poor after some bad timing of bills. Summer grad school tuition, car payment, student loan, car insurance, effed-up Verizon bill***, and as always my 300 mile, at least, weekly diving bill. Now, people who have only known me recently probably think I am a horrible saver and just buy whatever I want, when I want. I don't. I swear. Back when my grandmother used to give us those rainy day allowances my mom would have to practically force me to spend it! Later on, once I started working she would see me pick something up in the store, set it down and move on and she would say, "Just buy it!"

During college I made all of my money for the year working at a pool during the summer. I worked insane hours and and did everything under the sun (ha, literally) to make more (mowing the lawn, swim lessons, extra shifts, etc.) Then I moved to Richmond after graduation, couldn't find a job and was so poor I would look for change on the street while walking to class**** to put in Coinstar to get gas money*****. I went for quite awhile being the most frugal person ever (shopping in my parents kitchen? oh yeah.)

When I moved back to this area I had fewer expenses and a job (I did get a job in RVA, it just took awhile, actually I had 3 jobs!) and eventually got my current job which made me feel like I was rolling in the dough. So yeah, I bought a lot of stuff but I needed it all (seriously). Laptop, CDs, camera, clothes:) I even had my savings built back up and looking nice. But then I bought a car. And then I started grad school. And then somehow I started feeling like I was working part-time at a minimum wage job just trying to make it by.

The point to all of this is that I hate HATE HATE taking money out of my savings account. It bothers me to no end to make transfers over to checking but I keep having to do it and it's hard to remind myself that it is for good reasons: car, school, etc. So, I think I am ready to look at my other options so I can quit my job and be worry free when it comes to the dinero:

1. Be a kept-woman. Marry rich and then my greatest worry will be the color of my checks and not whether or not they will clear. No, I will not get bored not working because I will fill my time doing better things like listening to Tchaikovsky, playing tennis, and baking oatmeal cookies.

2. Win the lottery. If I won the lottery I could make "wise investments" (whatever those are) to live off of while I spent my time playing in orchestras, writing screenplays, and taking pictures. I would probably also bake oatmeal cookies. I really like oatmeal cookies (no raisins!)

3. Rob banks. I look good in black so the outfit would work but I'm convinced everyone gets caught (thanks to CSI and Patricia Cornwell) and that combined with my twinge of paranoia would be bad.

4. Marry Tom Cruise to be guarenteed 25 million. I'd consider it but I would also be terrified of the brainwashing, clams and leather jackets.



*Cute story of my oldest cousin, Noelle, saying to my grandmother, "But mom doesn't take us shopping when it's raining!"
**Yes, I gave it to my sister when we got home. I wouldn't keep money from my own little sister! How dare you think such a thing.
***I'm still IRATE and not giving up!
****I took a year of "extra" classes at VCU after graduating from MWC. Long story, I'll tell it later.