The joys of the working poor.

I think I need to borrow money from my parents. shit. What a way to start the new year. I don't HAVE to. I am cutting it so incredible close, but I'm not totally sunk yet. I think I will wait until I absolutely have to. My school loans will be here on the 18th. I mean, 16 fucking days from now and I'm fine. I think I can hold off the masses until then if I must. I have $400 of it coming on or around the 12th, and really, THAT is when I'll be sunk, if that doesn't come in. But hey, if on the 12th, I need to borrow $50 well that is ok. Borrowing money from my parents would just be insurance really. But I don't have to do it. I don't want to do it. They do a lot for me, but really it leaves me open for SO much hassle. 30 minutes of lecture about things I already know.

My parents HAVE money, and they do not remember what it's like NOT to have money. Don't get me wrong, I'm not pissy about it. I respect my stepdad's financial sense and that he worked very hard for it- I just don't like the way that 'support' comes with disdain. When I have been in dire need, I have listened to it before. I will take my beating when there is no other option. I have other options though, so I think I will not do it this time. If I REALLY have to later, I guess I can. But I'd rather bounce a few checks and pay extra fees than have to listen to the diatribe from Mr. Highfalute. I could go straight to my mom, but she doesn't work so she feels that it's up to him, so she makes me ask him.

I absolutely have to have better money sense this year. I have the tools, I just don't have the discipline. I always take a small amount of these loans and do something nice for the family. Most of it gets blown on food. I get lazy and not want to cook so we have take out too many nights a week. I get lazy and forget to bring lunch so I eat in the cafeteria too many afternoons. It's wasteful and I need to just be smarter than that so I don't run out. These loans have been my second income for a few years now, you'd think that I would learn how to work with them. However, this is a problem to more than just me. My friends are the same way. Maybe it's just because we all manage our money poorly. Maybe it's because even the extra 10 grand a year doesn't really provide enough income to support a family. Maybe. Maybe I need to more of my own cooking and depend less on my pals Ronald McDonald and Carl Kartcher. Junior.

Here's a new years resolution- More home cooked meals, less take out.

Remember the straw wrappers that used to say "Enjoy life. Eat out more often." hee hee. Did you know McDonald's whole slogan "You deserve a break today" was geared to mom's??

“Probably the best food marketing I’ve seen in all my years was the [1970-74] tagline, ‘You Deserve a Break Today,’” says Rosemont, Ill.-based NPD Group Vice President Harry Balzer. “It captured what was going on in societal changes in the country. When you hear it you think that ‘you’ means ‘me,’ but it doesn’t. The success of that campaign was that ‘you’ meant mom. Mom was going through big changes: She had to be a super-mom, working and raising the family, and the task of feeding the family still fell on her shoulders. ‘You deserve a break today’ changed marketing; the business is about taking care of mom.” - Restaurants and Institutions Magazine

Just a little fun fact.