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Sep. 17th, 2009 12:02 pmSo my parents are both unemployed at the moment -- the only reason I don't say "retired" is that neither of them is in their sixties yet -- and for the past two years or so have been living quite comfortably with my sister on dividends from a natural gas well, a sharp investment that Dad Lucky's father made years ago and which is only now starting to pay off. Even split amongst Dad Lucky, his two siblings, and his mother, it's been enough to support my still-at-home family, pay off the car and a chunk of the mortgage, and send a little pizza money my way each month, which is much appreciated.
The gas well has, however, been floundering lately; I don't know how much, that's their business and not mine. But Mum has mentioned it and mentioned cutting back on luxuries and maybe Dad Lucky going back to work, while she works on getting her consulting business off the ground.
I grew up rather poor -- we always had a home and three meals a day, but sometimes that was about it, and sometimes I was the one providing those -- so immediately this said to me, okay, cutoff time. If they asked if I wanted something, I reverted back to the cheapest option, and I made sure that if I did get whacked with a financial, uh, "moment", I could sustain myself without their help. I considered ditching the laundry service, and decided to go through my cupboards for food about to expire so I could cook and eat it instead of buying new groceries, that kind of thing. It's just instinct, not something I thought about doing.
One of the decisions I made was to try to avoid using the GoCar -- communal car, pay-by-hour, greatly useful -- because it automatically charges Mum's bank account and I couldn't figure out how to make my own payment on it if I took it out. But I don't want to waste the membership fee, and there was stuff I did kind of want from Costco. So I emailed her asking if I could take it for just two hours, which is about $20, and if she wanted I could paypal her the money because I knew money was tight, and she texted me:
"At salon getting $120 spa thing. Take the car."
It was just so weird and all of the above hit me so suddenly, the anxiety about money I didn't even realise I'd had these past few weeks and the way I react to certain phrases or situations, I had a minor head-in-hands breakdown at my desk. Which I am over now!
But the world still feels a little surreal, you know, where "cutting back" means I can still have things I want, and I don't have to worry about having to send my parents my paycheck ever again.
I THINK I WILL BUY MYSELF A HOT LUNCH. :D
The gas well has, however, been floundering lately; I don't know how much, that's their business and not mine. But Mum has mentioned it and mentioned cutting back on luxuries and maybe Dad Lucky going back to work, while she works on getting her consulting business off the ground.
I grew up rather poor -- we always had a home and three meals a day, but sometimes that was about it, and sometimes I was the one providing those -- so immediately this said to me, okay, cutoff time. If they asked if I wanted something, I reverted back to the cheapest option, and I made sure that if I did get whacked with a financial, uh, "moment", I could sustain myself without their help. I considered ditching the laundry service, and decided to go through my cupboards for food about to expire so I could cook and eat it instead of buying new groceries, that kind of thing. It's just instinct, not something I thought about doing.
One of the decisions I made was to try to avoid using the GoCar -- communal car, pay-by-hour, greatly useful -- because it automatically charges Mum's bank account and I couldn't figure out how to make my own payment on it if I took it out. But I don't want to waste the membership fee, and there was stuff I did kind of want from Costco. So I emailed her asking if I could take it for just two hours, which is about $20, and if she wanted I could paypal her the money because I knew money was tight, and she texted me:
"At salon getting $120 spa thing. Take the car."
It was just so weird and all of the above hit me so suddenly, the anxiety about money I didn't even realise I'd had these past few weeks and the way I react to certain phrases or situations, I had a minor head-in-hands breakdown at my desk. Which I am over now!
But the world still feels a little surreal, you know, where "cutting back" means I can still have things I want, and I don't have to worry about having to send my parents my paycheck ever again.
I THINK I WILL BUY MYSELF A HOT LUNCH. :D
