The Last Plane to Kyoto | LOH #169

I'm crap with numbers, which is perhaps why I thought I'd try and have a go at this week's Ladies of Hive theme,

I annually work on my home budget every January and my recent walk through of a major shopping center reminds me how our financial goals can get undermined by the temptation to spend. What are your strategies and tactics to stay on track?

Life of uncertainty

But then, is there such a thing as certainty? It seems to me that a lot of the secure jobs and arrangements we have aren't quite so secure, after all, so what's the point? I find a land-on-your-feet attitude is far more useful than making one choice, and hoping it doesn't disappoint you somehow.

What I mean by life of uncertainty is that as long as I've been earning, which is about 5 years now (I'm 25 next week), it's been mostly unstable, as I work freelance. I like freelance, I prefer it (obviously) as it allows me far more mobility and lets me choose my own clients and hours. It also lets me step back when I need to, to focus on other things.

Over the past year or so, my earning strategy has been focused heavily on earning from stuff I want to write, as opposed to what others want me to write, which is the dream for most writers, so I thought I'd get started early.

As such, there's still no predictability, so it's quite tricky for me to sit down now, in January, and budget out the year, as I've no idea what the year will be like.

Some beautiful things are free...

What are you okay with missing?

... and what aren't you okay with?

Those are my two driving questions, when trying to figure out some sort of expense budget for the month/year. It's quite easy to get lost in the things you like, or would like to have or do. And I like a lot of things, so I resort to comparison a lot. Holding one metaphorical object/experience in either hand, and seeing which I'd rather do without.

For instance, earlier this month, I went shopping with my mum. She was buying sneakers, and wanted to know why I won't get some for myself, since January is typically a month of sales. I said I'd rather spend that money on some dance workshops. I'd rather experience those and wear my old sneakers, than stay at home with a new pair.

It might not be a very mathematical approach to budgeting, but it works for me. While out, I saw a dress that I thought would've looked lovely, but then I thought, well, it's winter now, and it's easy to start spending a bit too much, because there's sales on, and it's cold and boring outside.

But it won't be forever, and one day, that money I'd spend on a dress now might be plane tickets to somewhere fun. I'd rather have the tickets.

It's not grand, but generally, my budgeting "hack" is essentially asking how much do I want this? Do I want it enough to compromise, potentially, a future, more fun experience? Or to forego an item, something like new sneakers? I just go from there.

Why I can't do spreadsheets

I see these posts on social media along the lines of,

In your 20s, your salary should be divided like this: 50% on needs, 30% wants, and 20% savings.

That's just the first one that popped up now, but there's more detailed ones around. And on the outside, that sounds very reasonable. Probably a good, healthy practice. Except what bugs me about it is, it suggests the idea of permanence and infallibility.

Like, if you budget according to this, you'll be fine.

Except if there's one lesson to be taken from the past 5 years, it's you can't know what's gonna happen. Not in six months, let alone forty years, when I'm pension-aged, you know?

I mean, where I am right now, partly due to the heedlessness of youth, but also partly to blame on the psychotic desperados running the show, I'm thinking, sure, I could skip seeing Japan or whatever, and keep the money and do smart things with it like invest. There'll always be another plane to Kyoto...until there isn't. Maybe ten years from now, they won't let you fly to a neighboring city, let alone all the way across to Japan. And then, you'll think how sad and foolish you didn't go when you could've.

In December 2019, I skipped a trip to Milan to see a band I love, 'cause I said I'd rather have the money and be cautious. Then Covid came, and whenever I think of that trip, of missing it, I regret it tremendously. Looking back, six months on, in the midst of systematic abuse, I would've much rather taken the experience than the money.

So. That's what usually drives my decision making.

I have a very yolo attitude when it comes to experiences. I don't want to do anything about it, because unless I see some guarantee that the future's gonna be alright, I don't trust it. I'd much rather take what I can now, and trust in my resourcefulness in the future. Hasn't failed me so far.

The way we talk about money is bizarre to me. I mean, work for forty years to make sure I'm taken care of when I'm old? There's no guarantee I'm gonna be old. And to look at all the struggling pensioners right now, there's no guarantee I'm gonna be taken care of either. It all sounds like a scheme to me.

But I try to compensate, you know. I avoid buying crap I don't need like clothes and fancy shoes and shit like that. A lot of the stuff in my dresser, I've been wearing ten years and I love it. I also try to avoid other consumerist traps like fancy cafes or restaurants or expensive chocolates. I shop at Lidl, and buy house brand when I can 'cause it's cheaper (it's also, in many cases, a lot tastier than fancy, expensive crap). I'm good with that. I don't really feel the need to justify or validate my life through expensive brand names.

Experiences, though, I won't do without. I think you should try most everything once, and I'm gonna need money for that.

It's weird, we've somehow forgot that money's just an aid towards a more satisfying life. Certainly not the goal of life. If it is, woe on the living.