My Financial Decade

It’s 2010 and the start of a new decade.  Yes, I know, sticklers say the new decade starts in 2011, but who are we kidding, we started counting this century in 2000, so 10 years have passed.  Quickly!  And what a decade it was.  The world changed in great and terrifying ways, and my life changed far more subtly.  That’s the way I like it.

 2000 was a transitional year for me.  Well, the end of the year was.  What I remember most is the 3 week period where the Mets lost the World Series to the Yankees, the US election happened (over and over again), and I was laid off.  That last bit had never happened to me before, and I was terrified!  I remember leaving that publishing company holding a big box of the junk that I kept in my office.  My boss gave me a twenty so I could take a cab home, but I wanted to save the money, so I stood out on King Street West, in front of newly-opened Susur, sobbing and waiting for a streetcar.

 Unemployment turned out to be less scary that I thought.  I was earning so little in publishing that the slide down to EI from my meagre salary wasn’t all that painful.   I spent months and months looking for a decent job, bumming around the city, and exercising. Then September 11 happened.  I took the next job I was offered, which was at Williams-Sonoma.  I had applied for a part-time job there, but was offered a management position, and since it paid more than my publishing job did, I figured I’d give it a try (oh, and my EI was running out).

 Ultimately, it wasn't the right job, but (most of) the people I met there made the whole experience worth it.  I cherish the friends I made at WS; they have brought so much to my life that I could never regret that job. And I guess I should thank Williams-Sonoma for the 40% discount that enabled me to have a kitchen tricked out like a label-whore chef.

 This decade took me to, among other places, New York multiple times,  Paris, San Francisco, San Diego, Memphis, Washington D.C., Quebec City and all over Italy. I travelled with friends, my Mom, and Peter. I took trips for business and for pleasure. And I spent money like a drunken sailor either way.  (Surprisingly, all the people I travelled with are still speaking to me.)

 As the decade ends, I’m wondering if things have changed much for me financially from when it started. Yes, I earn a lot more, but my expenses are truly ridiculous.  If you had told me 10 years ago that my monthly Rogers bill would be what it is now, I would have laughed.  I lived, I think, perfectly well on my former salary, but in my case, the more I earn, the more I spend.  Ultimately, I think I now have too much stuff.  Too many sweaters, too many frying pans, too many kinds of shampoo.

 I’m going to try (yet again) to make this new year and decade about less.  I’ll still strive for quality, but not quantity.  To that end, I am conducting a purge on behalf of Goodwill.  No longer will I have 4(!) rolling pins, 20 pillow cases, and 100 cookbooks.  I’m keeping the best and the useful, and everything else must go.

 I wish a happy and prosperous New Year to the 4 people who occasionally read this blog. If you want a rolling pin, let me know :)