Save more, live well, give generously
In the past, I took aim at the concept of “job creators.” This term has been manipulated and contorted into a Fox News slogan for reverse classism — pitying the 1 percent because they are somehow being threatened. Well finally, someone at CNBC — Jim Cramer, no less — is critiquing the great myth of the American job creator class. Go Jim!
What’s your take, can private equity firms like Carlyle and Blackstone create jobs? Why or why not?
About a month ago I decided to tag along with a good friend of mine to Minneapolis, Minnesota. Despite traveling through much of America, I’d never been to the land o’ lakes. It was time, and the price was right: free. My friend was going up there anyways and the passenger seat was empty.
I hemmed and hawed, thinking about my budget. In recent months I’ve become a bit mad about saving money. Heck, I’ve come undone by a mere $4 book that I avoided! But that militancy towards my budget has largely paid off. My savings has quickly ballooned.
Nonetheless, I couldn’t pass up this opportunity to join in the fun and meet some new people. The drive, about five hours from Iowa City, Iowa to Minneapolis, Minnesota, is through some of the more fertile land in America. This is truly where our food comes from. Always a suburb or city-boy at heart, I quickly displayed my naivete when I incorrectly labeled corn stalks as, “ahhh, look at that, they’re growing soybeans!” Yeah, I was out of my element.
When we finally closed in on the Minneapolis/St. Paul area, I was pumped to be in this new city. Whenever I’m out of my home cities, I feel a powerful urge to be both anxious and excited — all at once. That rush was endless, as around every corner there was something new and different about the Twin Cities. I loved it!
Along the way, my friend said, “Is there anything you want to do in particular? Is there anything you really want to see?” With a wistful, targetless attitude, I suggested that I was open to anything, but had no idea where to go next. That’s when he said, “How about we check out the Mall of America?”
Instantly, this rush of excitement filled me. Think about all of the numerous shops and stores and restaurants! The Mall of America was founded in 1992 and has about 7,900,000 square feet of space, which is spread out between a shocking number of floors and land. Walking into this place, it’s like an amusement park; in fact, there’s one built-in to the mall!
I soon turned to my friend and said the most obvious thing I could think of, “This place is just made for people to consume and buy more stuff.” Clouded and in shock, I decided to walk into a coffee shop and imbibe a small one. The two of us, propped onto some cushy couches and people watched.
There were women barely wearing anything — bursting out of their skintight clothing. There were families battling for the next choice in destination. There were young people and old.
Finally, we decided it was time to go. As we made our departure, a family asked nearby shoppers to take a picture of them. They had one child in their stroller, who was saddled with bags upon bags of new clothing. In the middle of taking another picture — curiously positioned in front of an elevator — the child fell backwards, as the weight of the bags outweighed the young one.
I turned to my friend and couldn’t help laughing aloud. Here we were in consumption central, and someone had loaded this stroller so full of products that the child was no longer safe. Somehow it spoke to me. Why are we buying like this when we know that the environment is suffering and the total U.S. consumer debt stands at a whopping $11.4 trillion? The family, curiously, just propped the kid back up in the stroller and resumed the photos — bags still weighing down the stroller. They certainly put new meaning to the cliche, “Shop till you drop.”
Now, as Minneapolis develops a light rail system to and from the airport and city, those on an airport layover needn’t see the metropolis. Instead, you can just hop on the public transportation directly to the Mall and buy endlessly. You don’t even need to see the local culture!
Like surviving a crazy amusement ride, I feel like I need a t-shirt that says, “I went to the Mall of America and all I bought was a coffee.”
“Find a penny, pick it up, and all the day you’ll have good luck.”
That’s what I grew up saying, and occasionally, I can’t help but pick up a penny. The penny — a dirty brown, copper coin — is the lowest denomination we own as Americans. With inflation, rising prices, and a changing, digital economy, the penny doesn’t seem to be necessary. It’s really more weight than it’s worth.
It’s an interesting question, though: What amount of money would you need to see to pick it up? Would you go for a penny? How about a nickel, dime, quarter? When does picking up some loose change seem like a reasonable use of time? For me, if I see a nickel or more, my rapacious little hands are quick to grab it.
I’m a man with nary a dime of net worth, finding a nickel feels like winning the lotto. Well, maybe I’m being a bit hyperbolic, but you get the picture. In my current economic state, the percentage that a nickel, dime, or quarter contains is worth my bending down to grab it. But it’s important to keep some perspective about wealth in the United States.
When you’re a billionaire like Bill Gates, reaching for that little coin may cost you more than it’s worth. Here’s the always amazing, talented, and funny, Neil deGrasse Tyson to explain:
As the upcoming academic semester approaches (now two days away), I can’t help but notice how much worse my body feels. Nervousness affects me in atypical ways — mostly subconscious and physiological. But it’s this same undercurrent of stress that can sometimes lead to outsized spending. I need to be careful during these periods.
Yesterday, I saw sweaty, dew-soaked windows of the frozen food aisle and thought, “This is a perfect reflection of my toiling stomach.” I was a young whippersnapper when I first realized I had lactose intolerance. Then there were strange “allergies,” the removal of certain food groups, and tests to see what was wrong with me.
The best answer that doctors ever gave me was that I have Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). This cantankerous medical condition wreaks havoc on my insides. I can feel food traveling through my system and doing battle with my intestines — harmony be damned. At the beginning and end of every semester, I have horrific flare-ups.
Like Drake’s recent single, life goes from 0 to 100 real quick when the semester starts. The world seems to enter hyperdrive, and I begin to notice significant changes:
This semester will be the busiest schedule of my life, and I must trek all over the city to make it happen. I’ll be on the westside to eastside to southside of the city almost every day — and all by bike. The responsibilities and hours won’t cease for the next 3.5 months.
At the beginning of every year I panic, apply to/fantasize about other jobs, and think about whether I can handle it. My insides erupt and argue with me; screaming, “not again.” Despite these physical, emotional, and psychological challenges to come, life has never been more full.
I’m lucky to have incredible friends around me. They give me a positive energy and purpose. Likewise, I have this website, which is a wonderful distraction. I love being able to write to you all, save money together, and share our successes and failures. I paid off all my debt this year, and completely revamped my financial life. The stress of debt is no longer!
Graduate school is a challenge — every day — and I wouldn’t change it for the world.
Good luck to all of you who are headed back to school!
