Working My Way Back to Middle Class
29 Aug 2011 1 Comment
in daily trials & tribulations, moving on up Tags: middle class, reintegration
Well my term of service ended on the 20th. This means that I am no longer property of the Federal Government. Which also means that I am now allowed to work again and earn money.
I recently moved into a new apartment and was thus forced to plop down a great deal of money for things like furniture, alarm clocks, fans, mattresses, and bed frames. I may or may not have also bought some items I didn’t need, like a $99 HP Touchpad. I learned a lot this past year. Socioeconomic research and theories aside, I also learned how to live frugally. Something I very much want to carry on with me as I reintegrate back into Middle Class. So far it hasn’t worked out so well because I had to buy a few things. And as frugal as I strive to be, there is no way I am buying a mattress from a thrift store. Cockroaches and bedbugs do not interest me.
So, even though I am technically finished with my year of poverty simulation, I still plan on taking some of the things I learned with me. I still have no TV. I don’t plan on getting on, either. I do think I will be changing from my $15 a month PAYG cell phone plan to one that is unlimited and closer to $50 (thereby dropping the Magic Jack — the service isn’t very good) and of course will no longer be receiving food stamps, so I will have that increased cost. My rent went up a bit, as well. But I am still living in a modest apartment. I still buy generic, and I still am able to make in through WalMart with no impulse buys. I plan on doing up a budget once I know my net pay and hope to really crack down on some debt (CC and Student Loans) so that by December 2011 I will be one debt-free middle-class-rules-following individual. Stay tuned.
Aug 31, 2011 @ 14:23:59
Welcome back! Erm…both to blog land and to middle class. Hooray for cheeseburgers and Indian food! (and the ability to access them when and if needed.) It’s funny that budgets are often considered a need of the poor, but the fact is that those with the best fiscal know-how keep track of the expenditure of every penny. Even the very wealthy. Hmmm, odd?
(Another irony: The things that are the best in life, it turns out, are the things that cost next to nothing. Walks at sunset, quiet mornings, good books, friends…no budget required!)
It’s a good feeling to be able to identify the things that we can live without–the things that are unnecessary and cause both physical and emotional clutter.
I look forward to reading about your monetary plans… it’s good inspiration!