Sunday, March 22, 2009

Poor Little Former Investment Bankers.

If you're me (which you are not, but go with me here), you might be amused by all the hardship stories that seem to be pretty popular on all the online news sites like cnn.com, foxnews.com, msnbc.com and so forth. These regularly have headlines like:
"Family eating on $300 a month"
"Couple goes from Malibu swank to trailer living"
"Struggling on unemployment after $100k/yr"
Or, the current lead story on cnn:
"Humbled banker parts with yuppie past"

Can I just say for all of us "experienced" unemployed people: Puhhlease! (by experienced, I mean experienced AT being unemployed, though the other interpretation works well too). Its so silly to see all these articles about rich people who are now "poor". Oh no! You lost your 100k/yr job? And now you only get a few thousand per month in unemployment? And you didn't think to save any of those hundreds of thousands of dollars? Oh the humanity! You can't eat out every night now and have to actually (gulp) "cook" your own food? Whatever shall you poor people do? You have to sell your 3rd car to pay your utilities? Seriously, are the writers at these news sites THAT out of touch that they think these stories of rich people losing their jobs is going to elicit interest or tears on the part of people who are facing, oh you know, ACTUAL hardship? And I don't even place ourselves in the actual hardship category, I mean, we eat very well (less than 200/month, but we cook gourmet dinners almost every night), we manage to scrape enough together for health insurance, and we have managed to meet our mortgage payments. We don't save much, but our house is kind of an investment (ha!). So how is it a major news story that the Johnsons have miraculously managed to cut their food budget down to $300/month?

On another note, I just read a story about how a.)the Obama's planted a vegetable garden at the white house, and b.)how many Americans are planting gardens to save money. On part a, this has to be the first thing the Obama's have done that I really approve of, heck it even makes me like the guy a little. They're doing it to set an example of eating food produced near your home- something I approve of wholeheartedly. As for part b, they've got it all wrong. As much as I love my garden, saving money is not a reason to plant one. They are for having your own fresh source of food that is 10 times better than anything you can buy at the store, and for the relaxing and aesthetic aspect. Again, stupid online content writers (though I suppose the extra 19% of Americans who started gardening this year are being silly too.)


3 comments:

Ben and Shara said...

Nick and Jen we have been thinking of you guys lately. I've been to the gardening section of Lowe's several times with you guys in mind. Which varieties of lettuce will they be planting this year? I wonder if they are using their greenhouse already with their seedlings already nestled in. . .

When can you folks come for a dinner?
Are Wednesday nights still out?

Nick said...

Wednesday nights are in- except for this wed or next wed. I've been thinking that it has been awhile since we had dinner together, like, oh, 1 or 2 years.

Last year I bought two packets of lettuce seeds that I'm using again this year. Both are variety packs, one of the loose leaf type and the other of the romaine variety. Both have green and red varieties in them.

I've been to Lowes and Home Depot and Western Garden Center several times over the past month over-eager for their seedlings to arrive. I always seem to think that its time to plant several weeks before the stores do.

Nick said...

Here is a prime example. You might need a box of tissues.

On the third page, it was almost reading like a story from the onion. I'm so glad that the anonymous donor came through for them to cover their child's 30,000/yr private school tuition.