h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Here it is... another fantastic Journal entry from the one, the only Misteeeeerrrrr Dreadfuuuuuuul!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/4306226.stm

Oh look, a vague link between two statistics.
Do you know what, the number of cars in the UK is increasing as well... shall we blame binge drinking on that as well?

no, just drunk drivers.

But he does have a point. People in their 20s see homeownership as unattainable, so what's the point in saving money? Now, that doesn't necessarily correlate to binge drinking. But excessive spending? Sure.

I used to think that being responsible and planning for the future was the way to go. I'm changing my mind. Why do without things you would enjoy in order to leave money or other property behind for someone else to use? The way I figure, you can scrimp and save and plan and organize and worry and feel self-righteous for being so sensible and congratulate yourself for having done all the right things. Or you can say to hell with it and max out your credit cards on a cruise or whatever it is you really want to do and enjoy yourself. Because you know what? In the end, you're going to be just as dead either way. And after you're dead, no one is going to care if you owned a house with 4000 square feet or lived in a small rented flat.

And I figure that the people who identify themselves and everyone else by their possessions are so shallow and self-serving that I don't give a rats ass if they approve of me or not. And it makes me feel good to know they're going to wind up just as dead as a wino sitting on the curb drinking Ripple and singing very bad opera.

Life is short. Take whatever pleasure from it that you can, whenever you can. Don't keep putting off the things you want to do until it's too late.

Hypatia, good point. I think there is something to be said for living with less "stuff" so you can actually LIVE more. I'm all about that.

It's when the money is such that even the roof over your head is in doubt, flinging caution to the wind doesn't make much sense. And while that wino may be okay being homeless, I'm not. I'd like to be in a place in my life where I don't worry about every single bill, or every single mishap (like needing new shoes because I blew out the bottom of the old ones, or D's cello rental cost).

Yes, having enough is definitely a good thing. As long as we recognize when it is enough.

It's actually pretty close to enough now, if I would just remember to pay the damned bills.

Excellently put, Hypatia. There are no pockets in a shroud - party on!