Thursday, February 12, 2009
Even now, as my keyboard clacks against each tick of the clock, I can feel the flu crouched at the gates, its congested, days-long payload looming large. I thought I had escaped the bug, a particularly virulent strain that’s incited a local cacoughphony, simply by force of will. And by force of delusion, clearly, because I certainly feel its onset–the warm, achy haze that’s just south of reality and not altogether unpleasant. The plan is to retreat to bed in a last-ditch effort to fend off the sickness, so time is short. We’ve got to adjourn before I start chaining three verbs in a row, followed by a string of Rs.
When I logged into my 401(k) today, I was relieved to find performance had not only held, but improved as well, despite the grim market dip from earlier this week. It’s also the last time I’m going to sign in this quarter, because at a certain point you can fret too much over this stuff and, through one too many changes, shoot yourself in the face. Figuratively speaking. Now I’m turning to expenses and taking a cold, critical look at them, in what may be the most difficult part of this financial revamp yet.
Apparently more than half of my January expenses was lavished on entertainment, specifically the pursuit of purchased media. Half. This is absurd, whether you view it within or without a recession, and it’s a habit nourished by a few things. I remember distinctly disliking the rental process as a kid, especially the rush to finish things and the subsequent return of materials, and likely this figures into the equation. There’s also the issue of momentum, where I’ve already bought too much and I’m in too deep. Part of me also appreciates the ceremony: cracking open the cellophane to get to the latest DVD, for instance. It’s probably one of the more ethnic experiences for me, considering the disc was manufactured in Mexico.
Naturally I hunt for the best prices, but the aggregate remains substantial, and the truth is media tends to be consumed only once, making Netflix the economical way to go. To shift myself to this mindset, I’ve committed to skipping the new generation of Blu-ray. I will not buy a single disc. Oh, I’ve seen the in-store demos, to be sure, but I’m not really incented to watch Touched by an Angel in 3060p with lossless sound, you know? I’m content with what I have, which is Touched by an Angel in 480p on mute, framed with naught but the sound of my own soft weeping.
And when Blu-ray runs its course in a decade or so, paving the way for flicks to be beamed directly into our skulls, I hope to have shored up enough financial grit to make the wiser choices. Frugality is in my genetic makeup. I know it. I just need to listen to it. You’d better believe Finances.doc is open right now and that this system will endure. It’s low-tech or no tech, and should circumstances ever necessitate the latter, I will track my finances via Etch A Sketch. Give it a fair shake, one might say.