OneStepHigher

A friend of mine, who can sometimes be jokingly over-dramatic, is constantly pointing out his costs of living and it has brought me to this blog. What I’m about to say isn’t news to anyone, but it can be a good reminder of how much we’re really paying for our daily luxuries. For instance, a pack of cigarettes can easily run $5.00 these days. When you think about it, that’s $0.25 per cigarette! If you smoke a pack a week (I am being conservative there for serious smokers), you’re spending $20-25 a month with tax included and that rounds out to a cool $300 a year. Imagine if you smoked a pack a day! Take other items and apply the same idea - like coffee, one of America’s biggest addictions. If you spend $4.00 for a cup or more a day from Starbucks, it is really going to add up in the “cost-per-year” department. That is almost $1,500 a year, but people are willing to stand in line for 20 minutes at 6 a.m. while complaining to each other about the rising cost of gas!

How do small things like this affect our lives? My friend was half-serious and half-joking the other day when he said he’d shoot himself if he had to drive more than 25 miles per day, so he was cutting down on his driving and staying at home. Now, if you’re in an area where it isn’t absolutely necessary to drive, 25 miles may seem like a lot. If you live and work in a city like Los Angeles, racking up 50 miles in one day doesn’t seem like much at all. Now, add to that a vehicle that averages 25 mpg (street/hwy combined), and you’re paying another $4.50 a day just to get around… if you’re lucky enough to get your driving at or below 25 miles a day. Depending on how much you drive, expect to see anywhere between $140-400 per month in gas alone.

What happens when one begins to make sacrifices in order to sustain livable conditions? Would you be willing to eat generic brand foods to save a few dollars here and there? What about making a detour from your route to work in order to get that latte in the morning? Is it worth it? The American economy is slipping fast and it almost seems imperative that lifestyles and habits be changed in order to prepare for a recession. With the dollar as weak as it is, every penny counts but our impulsive habits and the strong need for instant gratification are making us (Americans) oblivious to the real costs of lavish living. Sure, it may seem like coffee, cigarettes, movies, and drives to the beach aren’t lavish at all, but once jobs are lost and gas hits $6.00 a gallon, those things are going to be entirely frivolous and are going to have to be sacrificed.

The general consensus is now focused on conserving energy and being “green.” Well, it’s time the same approach is taken toward the conservation of our own funds. Think thrifty, avoid frivolity, and purchase wisely.

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