Things You Just Can't Understand

I think I want kids more than Magpie does to be honest. I just melt around babies. I can't help it, it's just a thing that happens.

Not particularly manly, but that's never been something that's bothered me.

I don't think having or not having kids makes you a better or worse person. It's a deeply personal decision. It's not like we need the excess population, anyway.

 

Okay, I've thought of one.

I just can't understand most of the stuff people buy and the rate at which they buy it.

When I go to malls (which is rare now that I don't work at one), I'm always amazed. It's, like, "Wow. Look at all this shit. This building is filled with all this shit." I bet I'd be okay with the way things were back in the old days, when you only had a handful of options for everything. I get overwhelmed when I'm at the grocery store too. Do we really need 10 to 20 varieties of essentially the same thing, and then three or for different brands (so...100 difference choices, basically)? I'm totally sensitive to the "paralyzed by choice" phenomenon.

And the amount of money people spend. It shocks me. I've never really had that much money, and I likely never will. When I'm out, I usually spend very little money. I'll be out all day doing whatever, and I'll have spent less than $5 or $10, but I'll more often than not spend nothing or next to it. To give you an idea of how little I spend, I was always amazed at the idea of Buy Nothing Day. Coordinating a day where you actually buy nothing? (Though I do realize it's also a day of activism.)

I buy nothing most days. The main reason why I can get by with my meagre earnings (I make about as much as a retail manager or recent college graduate) despite living in Toronto (it's kinda pricey) is because I don't feel the need to buy something that often.

I use the library. I wear my clothes until they're in tatters (I have many items that are 10 or 20 years old). I consider fast food or Starbucks a "treat," not a habit. Big ticket items are a rarity and take a great deal of consideration.

I've never owned a car.

I don't get you people.

 

70% of what I buy is groceries (see: Care and Feeding of Husbands). Clothing purchases are few and far between. I have too many clothes as is; I'm in the process of paring down my wardrobe to the essentials. I'm pretty glad we don't have a lot of stuff. Most of the things we own get used. We do have more to get rid of, though. Part of my motivation is that I never, ever, ever want to be like my MIL. My in-laws own a 2700 square foot home with 4 bedrooms and an attic (not included in the sq ft) that is the size of a second story. Their house is filled with stuff, including that enormous attic. Their "stuff" is so poorly organized that my MIL often gives up on reusing what she has and just buys what she needs, new. I just can't comprehend that. I also reuse a lot of stuff--if you get a gift from me, chances are it will be wrapped and enclosed in a bag I got from someone else, using tissue paper I was given by Macy's for a wedding gift four years ago.

My husband's birthday present? A totally functional lunch tote that he uses every day.

Ugh, and while they were up here, my MIL was so excited that if someday when we buy a house, she can buy us matching towels! And more stuff for our house! No. Just no. My mismatched towels are perfectly functional, and we already have a house worth of shit, which is why they have a bedroom filled with our extra stuff that wouldn't go from a 3-bedroom house to a 2-bedroom apartment. If anything, I need more stuff to organize the stuff I do have so I don't end up like her. Thank goodness for labelmakers.

My splurge these days is makeup, but even then, I talk myself out of buying it more often than I actually buy it.

 

Why wouldn't @Baraka_Guru drink in the park? Drinking in public is one of the joys of life.

 

I don't know. I was totally down for it. But then he says "no guys, let's go to the Granite and buy overpriced microbrewed hipster beer!"

 

The Granite does have some pretty fine ale.

 

Oh, don't get me wrong. I have nothing against overpriced hipster beer. But it's pretty undeniable that drinking in the park is cheaper. It also has that "I'm a high school student and my parents would kill me if they knew" vibe.

 

The Granite is overpriced?

And I thought I rarely get out.

Which brings up a good point. I'm going out twice within as many weeks. This makes me anxious.

About drinking in a park: Call me naive, but there's something about it that screams: I have failed at life. (Maybe that's why I secretly fear it.)

If you want to save money, we'll come to your place, @arkana . It's a cool place to hang out in.

We'll do shots!
--- merged: Jul 1, 2014 at 4:58 PM ---

It's not a free market. It requires tickets called "money." Heard of it?

 

Take a picnic. Then you're awesome at life.