Instant Gratification

For the last week I've been doing as little as possible and getting away with it, until today. I've come to realize that doing very little to nothing just doesn't agree with me all that much, it makes me fell much worse then when I keep fairly busy. So today, in an effort to get back on track with the things I need to get back on track with, I woke at 2pm (early for us night workers) and got busy. Got busy prepping the dining room to be painted, cleaning and doing some much needed maintenance to the fish tank. Not that I was really behind with the fish, I would feel too bad for them, but they were due for a water change.

As I sanded the walls, spackled the divots, and caulked the trim I got to thinking. Mainly I was thinking about time, the time it takes to paint a room. The living room took me about a week from start to finish with the prep, trim and paint. I suspect the dining room which has been at midpoint now for about a week will take another 4 or 5 solid day’s work being that there is more trim and 2 tones of paint to deal with. But all that time invested just makes me feel better about doing it actually. It's far from the instant gratification that seems to me to be pervasive in the world these days. And that's what I dwelled on for quite some time.

It seems to me that good has become a little too synonymous with instant. Unfortunately everything is being affected by this desire for instantaneousness. The polls are saying that Obama's popularity is down 19% already, did anyone really expect an instant fix to our countries problems? Come on folks, it's been like three weeks! Give the man at least three months before the whining commences.

Then there is the economic pickle we're in. Seems to me that a lot of the problem was brought on, yet again, by the need for instantness. Can’t afford that 72 inch plasma tv? CHARGE IT! Can’t afford that 8 bedroom 4 bath house? No problem will give you a 4% ARM that will be 85% in 5 years! and who cares that you don't make enough, we'll give it to you anyway! All about being instantly satisfied. Now, a couple of years down the road after the cost of a house was blown way out of proportion and everyone was issued multiple "free" credit cards and bought themselves into happiness, here we are... Unhappy.

Why? Well I think that the old adage "good things come to those who wait" we need to relearn how to hold off that desire for instant happiness and work and save for the things we want. I know I need to re-ingrain this into my noggin, because like the rest of the world I seem to have gotten myself into this big pickle too. It's hard to save and focus on paying off those things you already have. Come to think of it I bet I'm still paying off things I bought years ago on those damnedable credit cards. So I've decided to save a little less in order to save a little more, put less in the retirement plan in favor of dumping into that credit abyss, before they decide that interest rates are more acceptable to them at 99%.

And it's not easy with the good old gov now telling us that the only way to get out of debt is to spend more. Come on? Really? So you WANT me to go out and buy buy buy? Sounds a little fishy to me... Unless I get a signed letter from the Treasury stating that I am promised a federal bailout once I get in so far that it would be impossible for me to pay off what I owe, then I'm not buying it. Besides it will feel better buying it when I don't have to let visa pay for it and then I pay them twice as much as it actually cost them, for crying out loud I am betting that charleston chew I bought back in 99 cost me about 150 bucks by now!

And that’s that, now if I could gust hold back my inexplicable need to buy the inexplicable.

And after all that thought I decided to look and see where exactly I do spend all of that extra cashola. What did I learn? I was quite surprised to see that I don't actually spend all that much on stuff. I have no iphone, no 50 inch tv, no designer fancy pants (all outlet mall stuff really, in fact the shoes I'm wearing now are 13 years old!). No where I go a little too far is food, well food and wine, well food and wine and eating out (a double whammy). I need to drop the fancy wine (come on I can do better the 16$ a bottle!) drop the fancy cheeses (damn you whole foods! damn you!), drop the organic tomatoes (last seen for 3$ each... really 3$ for one tomato... and no I did NOT buy it I bought the red but yet still rock hard and covered in whatever chemical they had on hand kind). I've really stepped up the coupon clipping too, in fact I actually really enjoy clipping them on Sunday mornings with my coffee and raisin bread (good lord I need a life... No wait that’s too expensive).

So now I just need to deal with the fact that going out to the pub has to be a once or twice a month event and deal with it.

It may not stimulate the economy but I know it will alleviate my stress level, at least it will eventually just not instantly....... only a good steak and beer at the pub does that.

DAMN IT!

cheers