Pineapples for All
Thursday, April 2nd, 2009I’m not a financial whiz or economic genius. Mostly, when it comes to money I feel like I FAIL AT LIFE. Yeah, that about sums it up. Moving on….
Then, I read articles like this one wherein pinstriped British bankers were identified as leaning out their office windows yesterday, “taunting demonstrators and waving 10 pound notes at them.” Ten pound notes! HA! What’s that supposed to get them? A tall coffee and scone at Starbucks? At least put your money where your mouth is. Moxie indeed.
But it’s not just the British, it’s the French too. All week I’ve been listening to Morning Edition’s updates on those about-to-be-laid-off French factory workers who’ve been holding their bosses hostage- the third such instance in March alone. Gotta love the French. Storm the Bastille! Sacré bleu!
And as for us, well, we’re using coupons more (though maybe not as much as this person), we’re cutting back on our cable packages, our travel, even giving up hair and nail appointments. It’s all very vanilla and calm. Until some of us go stalking AIG executives at their Connecticut manses.*
What all of this tells me, is that the state of “things” has digressed so much that it’s like a pineapple upside down cake…all topsy-turvy and whatnot….except that someone came along and stole all the pineapples that were funding your retirement, then yachted into the sunset with Chiquita Banana. Where’s my Rec(depr)ession Shelter when I need it?
As someone who is paid in meatballs rather than real-person-dollars, someone who (let’s face it) pretty much lives paycheck to paycheck, doesn’t shop for clothes or shoes anymore, will be out of debt this year, and is saving for retirement (i.e. when I quit my “career” to work part-time to support myself); my take is that maybe the best any of us can do is live small and adequately, minimize our debt, and find a few savings options that offer multiple opportunities to offset market volatility. Did I just say that? Who am I?
See? Topsy-turvy.
*Yes, the reference to AIG is all very “last month,” but given our general “mehness” as a country, it was the most hot-headed example I could come up with. Where are our Boston Tea Parties when we need them?
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