Tuesday, March 27, 2007

W.W.K.M.D.?

I hate that at the semi-young age of 27, I can look around at society today and ask, “Where did the good ole days go?” It seems that in the short span of 10+ years (the time I’ve spent working for the man) America’s economic system has gotten progressively worse. Okay, my worldviews have never resided in a rose-colored bubble; I’ve always known that the divide between the rich and the average Joe/Joanne is chasm like and depressing. But in my jaded eyes, and considering that you want to own a home and start a family, our ability to breathe the refreshing air of financial freedom isn’t even a possibility if you make under $50,000 in L.A. today!

I have a decent job with okay wages, but it only ever amounts to enough…paycheck to paycheck. When I receive a raise, all of my other expenses are “coincidentally” raised as well; over a few years, my rent has went up $125 and my health care usually soaks up the 50 cent raise I get every other year. These rising costs level my fiscal playing field so that at the end of the day, my money meter points to zero or negative sums.

I should be content in the fact that I have healthcare when so many others don’t, and when I pull up past images of the Katrina relief debacle I should sleep easier, right? I do have it good, right? Why don’t I feel right?

I’m not a coin-operated machine, nor am I one who gets high off sniffing dollar bills. Money making/greed isn’t the essence of my rant. What I strive for is a comfortable quality of life. I’m happy for what God has blessed me with, but at the end of the day when I come home to endless bills, despite my thriftiness & budgeting, I have to reach for my old pal Visa to keep me moving.

Anyway, I’m getting married soon, and my fiancé proposed the idea of moving out of L.A. so that we can actually have tangible assets to look back upon; although CA has been my home since birth, that option doesn't seem so shabby. I want to own a home and have a family, but I hate that the compromise for attaining those things is moving away from my home and family. Irony sucks, eh?

Why such a divide between those who live with ease, and those who live with debt? What would bell hooks say...What would Karl Marx do? We'll see what happens I guess...

1 comment:

LAJRL said...

Moving away sounds like a great idea right now, but consider: will you be able to get better jobs where you would move? Or even a job at all?!
Can you live with being far away from your family? Sure, you can just hop a plane to visit. (Yeah. Just what I thought. I couldn't even attend my favorite cousin's funeral because the air fare was $1,100!!!!!!! So, of course, I miss birthdays, graduations, holidays, weddings, funerals.......)
We now live in a big, beautiful house on the hill in a rural area, but I had the hardest time getting a job, ESPECIALLY for the same money when I worked in LA. I was unable to get a job even with all my education and experience. I finally did get a job working in a "museum" (interpretive center), however I make $6.75/hour!!!!!!!!! I guess that beats flipping burgers, huh? Just the way I look at it.
What I'm trying to say is it's not always a good thing moving to a cheaper place and living away from your family. Could you guys move to a less expensive city near work and commute? I know there are areas in LA that are not the greatest, yet you could live there just for awhile. There is a buyers market coming soon for housing. Maybe you could take advantage of that market. You can always sell it and move up to something in a nicer area.
As far as the credit card, please, please put them away! You can get into more trouble than you can imagine! Trust me. I've been there. It's not pretty.