Are We There Yet - Part 1?

It’s been a long time since I washed newspaper ink from my hands. I cannot recall the last time I sat by the radio and listened intently to the latest news flashes. And while I do still watch the local news most evenings at dinnertime, these days my preferred news sources are internet services such as MSN.com.

At least once or twice a day (sometimes more often) I scan the headlines looking for stories of interest. Some headlines earn no more than a virtual shrug, some headlines warrant further reading, and some headlines receive a muttered “You gotta be kidding me.”

Headlines like: “The salary it takes to be considered rich in every state" and “Here’s what it takes to be considered middle class" and, “The average social security check by age.“

Seriously? What’s their purpose? Are they intended to feed our ego? Are they supposed to embarrass us? Motivate us? Shame us? Are trophies awarded at the end of the story? Are there consolation prizes for close, but no cigar? Are there the obligatory ‘good job' or, ‘attaboy’ or, ‘better luck next time?’

While I am pretty sure neither dad nor mom ever proclaimed as much, I grew up in the Midwest, in a blue-collar, middle-class family. It certainly wasn’t fodder for the dinner table, and I reckon it was a truism I learned on my own much later in life.

Pretty sure it didn’t matter then. Darn sure it doesn’t matter now. After all, as a former boss once remarked: “It is what it is.” And it isn’t a board game. There is no moving your player back to the beginning and starting over. There is no ‘lose one turn’ or ‘pay the banker 200 dollars.’ And there is no calling into the Dave Ramsey or Suze Orman show for help.

When Judy and I were married, I was eighteen and Judy was nineteen, and our son (who would become our only child) was well on his way. With little money in the bank and no credit cards to our names, we quickly adopted a frugal lifestyle. If we couldn’t afford it, we didn’t need it. And, as the years rolled by, there were a lot of things we didn’t need.

We certainly didn’t party or eat out often and we definitely didn’t own luxury vehicles or houses. Our frugal lifestyle became such a habit that we seldom considered that we really could afford a tad more. It was only a few years ago (during the heart of the pandemic) that I gave myself permission to buy a vehicle with more bells and whistles than I thought I would ever own.

Now, don’t get me wrong, we are not rich – or maybe are we? After all I did not read any of those “You gotta be kidding me” stories I mentioned above. Still don’t intend to. That said we do eat out a bit more often now – though I still detest spending more than 10 – 15 dollars per person. And we do spoil ourselves with the occasional ‘I gotta have it’ purchase.

I am not sure how many gallons are left in the tank, or as my brother-in-law would say, how long before we start circling the drain. But I am sure we will continue to spend below our means though we might embrace a slightly less frugal lifestyle. And to be sure, we still won’t wonder if others look at us and say: ”You have arrived”.

To those unfamiliar with the phrase, as I was the first time I heard it, “you have arrived” means you have achieved success and/or fame. It’s a phrase most popular with the social media crowd who post pictures of everything, every day in hopes of being the “talk of the town” or at least the envy of all those addicted to social media.