Spacely's Sprockets

Well, its not your fault that you're very attractive

And from last night I can tell that your active

In bed, but baby don't play the pockets

Cuz I can squeeze a dollar tighter than Spacely's Sprockets

Diamond D - "Red Light, Green Light"

I used to be like that miserly cartoon character from "The Jetsons." In fact, I can still be at times. But at other times, I just can’t stop spending. Which is not a good thing. Jameil calls it hemorrhaging money. I feel like that sometimes. Like I need to put a tourniquet on my wallet.  I need to get it under control.



I’m amazed at how far I can stretch a dollar sometimes. I can go to the grocery store and spend $20 and have enough food for 2 weeks. A pack of chicken breasts, some ground turkey and some peanut butter will last me all week. I don’t get really get tired of eating the same things over and over. Let’s just say I make my chicken and broccoli alfredo, I can get 4 good meals out of that. I can eat it until its gone. I don’t feel the need to have something different. Same thing if I go get fast food. I can eat a $5 footlong Tuna and have all the food I'll need for a day. It’s cheap and its good. I drive an old school car because I don't want/need a car payment. As long as I get to work everyday and to Florida to see Jameil every 2 weeks, I'm good. I don't have to have something new.  I’m amazed at how much loot I don’t spend during those times.



Other times, I feel like I can’t stop spending money to save my life. That’s when I go out to eat a lot, or buy Goose for $35 instead of Smirnoff for $20, or let people hold a dollar when I know I’m never gonna see it again. I just like doing stuff sometimes. As much as I like being in the house, I like going out to restaurants, or to the movies, or anywhere. It’s a positive respite from being in the house all the time. But sometimes I think about how much money could be saved if I didn’t buy drinks at the bar. Or if I didn’t have to tip a subpar waiter. Or if I bought ground beef instead of ground lamb. It’s something that crosses my mind from time to time, usually on the Wednesday or Thursday before payday.



It’s only a problem because of the economy. Not the economy now, but the economy at the end of last year. Yep, I still blame Bush. LOL. That’s when my company decided to make drastic changes to the incentive program. Made it harder to get, and if I do get it, it’s drastically less. I did a quick unscientific audit, and found that unless something drastically changes, I’ll be making 10 k less than last year, just from lack of bonuses. Meanwhile, rent, cable and electricity ain’t going down, so the disposable income that I had last year, is not here this year. I hate actually having to think about money.



I need to get like miserly old Mr. Spacely again. One thing I realize working in the financial services industry is that rich people stay rich by being cheap. Don’t get me wrong, they spend, but they don’t overspend. They don’t let a penny pass them, whereas I have pennies all over the living room, bedroom, dining room and car floor. I overpay for my insurance because I don’t feel like calling to get a new company. I probably don’t need HBO when I can see all the shows on Yidio. Let’s not even talk about those days I waste gas by wandering aimlessly around the city. The thing that bugs me is that I know I can do better, because sometimes I do. I just need to do it more consistently.



PS – I’m not looking for financial advice. I’m just writing for my own gratification. I’m incapable of doing what someone else tells me to do, unless I was already going to do it. Thanks…