You need a Kleenex?

“When I hear somebody sigh, ‘Life is hard,’ I am always tempted to ask, ‘Compared to what?’”
- Sydney J. Harris

I came across that quote this morning and it seems to encapsulate the sentiment of this post.

The economy looks to be in the toilet.

Seemingly everywhere you turn there is more bad news.

Housing prices are falling (glad I own a home), unemployment is up (at least it’s not me this time) and Starbucks is closing stores!

I am pretty sure that Starbucks closing stores is one of the 7 signs of the apocalypse, but I need to double-check Revelations.

I only half-heartedly pay attention to the talking heads on TV as they report on the worsening economy. It’s not until my life is affected that I begin to take note. (I’ve never said that I am NOT a selfish S.O.B.)

So it’s as my friends and I begin to ratchet-back spending, that I take note. Happy hour isn’t a daily occurrence anymore. After attending 15+ Mariners games last season, I’ve been to 2 this season. Most importantly, I am bringing my lunch to work, I’ve never done that…even in elementary school.

Apparently this is life in a recession. And yes, folks, we are in a recession.

I feel partially responsible for this financial quagmire, having been a part of the over-heated real estate/mortgage market that inflated housing prices which lead to the weakening of the dollar.

But I am not losing too much sleep over it, I was a small cog in a much bigger and supremely dysfunctional industry. Besides, I am too busy worrying about how I am going to make my next mortgage payment.

Somehow I am staying afloat, even though I am making less now as a working stiff, than when I was an unemployed bum. So I can sympathize with friends as they lament their current financial situations…to a point.

I am single, the last of a dying breed, among my friends. As such, I am the sole bread winner. I get to pay all bills on my own.

So when married/co-habitating friends being to whine about how hard it is to make ends-meet I say “Buck up.” You are crying to the wrong person.

Not to discredit the financial woes of anyone, but complaining to me about money when two people are putting pennies in the piggy bank, seems a little oblivious.

I feel for you to a point, but am amazed at how unaware of the audience you are.

Everyone needs a sounding board. And I’d imagine that discussing finances with a significant other can raise more issues than are resolved. So feel free to share your dilemmas, but keep my (and all single people’s) situation(s) in mind…Single folks are in the game with one had tied behind their back relative to couples. So if I seem a little hardcore or uncaring, I’m sorry.

I’ll admit, two people do still incur expenses, but the major ones: Rent/Mortgage, Utilities, Groceries, etc. are shared. As such, the are effectively halved when in a (fair) relationship. So when I look at the situation(s) from the outside it’s shocking that finances are a problem.

It’s not easy, but I have been able to make my finances work. So when I hear complaints, one question pops into my head: How can two people, two minds, two incomes have it that much harder than me?

I guess it could be that I am a financial wiz. But I doubt it.

Just had to get that off my chest.