I’ve been spending a lot of time working with my economy.
My wife found an excellent place to shop - called Aldis.
The savings are fantastic. I sat down and compared the food bill to a similar bill from Whole Foods. I went through line by line with a fine tooth comb to see what it would cost. I noticed that I would have spent $127 more at Whole Foods.
The massive savings came with a small price. For one thing, one of the ways they save money is not to waste human resources on hiring people to pack your bags. You have to pack your bags. You have to bring your bags as well. You also have to make sure you have a quarter.
You see, people steal shopping carts. Locking the shopping carts saves on overhead. The release to unlock the carts is triggered by inserting a quarter into the slot. I have a special dish on my desk for my Aldi quarter.
All these little annoyances haven't dissuaded me. However, I have to admit not having the best experience. I hate to sound bougie, but I work hard. I'm constantly expanding my skill set. I learned new hacks to be efficient and productive. I'm exhausted. I don’t want to pack my grocery bags. Sometimes I want to pay extra just for that.
I realized the one major issue about savings that never really occurred to me.
Yes, things are more expensive than they used to be. I know that inflation and taxes are a nightmare. I know that we Americans are huge consumers. Yes, I should be willing to give up lattes, use one-ply toilet paper, spend all day couponing, drive across town to save 5 cents, and be happy that I got a 10-cent discount.
Nobody seems to mention how difficult the world makes it for you to save money.
Businesses make your life unpleasant just enough. They create tremendous uncomfortability to manipulate you to pay the extra subscription price for convenience. If you complain about it, people tell you to grow some danglers and ignore it.
You get used to it, and you save. You have to regardless.
Don't feel ashamed if you have a hard time saving.
Nothing is wrong with you.
The system is designed to take your money and make you work like hell for every dime you earn. Then you wonder why you have to become damn near Batman to do it. You have to scrimp and save. Don’t ever spend any money at all. Pull yourself up by the bootstraps.
Save money on your streaming services by watching them with commercials every 8 minutes. Wash all of your plastic storage bags. Use one-ply toilet paper. Fuck that, I'm not doing it.
Some people just shrug and say it’s capitalism. They guilt you into thinking that Americans can’t save. They convince you that to save money you have to be miserable, not enjoying even the mid-fine things in life to keep that dollar.
One thing you always have to be is grateful. Grateful if you saved $.32 on your grocery bill. Grateful if you got a tiny ass raise.
In my early 20s, I worked at a local coffee shop earning 8 dollars an hour. I supplemented my income by donating plasma. I worked hard every day. After about six months, they pulled me into their offices beaming with pride. The manager was pleased with my performance. They gave me a .25 raise and a firm handshake to reward my work. "You should be proud of your success!"
Back in the day, even when you interviewed for a bullshit job you had to play the game and act like this job is your life's calling. When asked why you wanted to work there, you couldn’t say ‘I like to keep the lights on’.
You aren’t even supposed to focus on money. You are supposed to be focusing on your passion.
We are inundated with mixed messages about money. We value people who make a ton of money, then turn around and say money is not important. Money is the root of all evil, and you should follow your heart even when you're digging through the trash for food.
You are supposed to constantly develop money habits.
You are supposed to make decisions faster. I saw an interview where a woman said she could tell how much money someone had in the bank by how fast they make decisions waiting in line at Starbucks.
You have to wake up at 5 am. Make up your bed. Drink smoothies and plan the night before. Read 500 pages every day. That's what all millionaires do.
All of this is fine as habits.
However, these all are pre-earning habits. It's similar to preparing for a party, getting dressed, and never going out.
Your mindset can only take you so far without providing value. You have to buy assets. You have to have some way to generate income, invest, and provide value. All the people who tell you to visualize and manifest have an ebook, a podcast, a course, or several books.
The only thing you can do is maximize your time and your earnings.
No wonder it’s tough saving money. It’s not you simply being bad with money. The real conspiracy is that the world is conspiring against your finances.
