One of the good things about this quarantine is that it’s harder to spend money frivolously. I mean I guess I could still do it on food – I always have. But I think if none of this coronavirus stuff would have happened, as soon as I got my tax return, I would have taken a trip somewhere. Even if I stayed here in California and went to like Santa Barbara or Carlsbad, I would have done it. I would have booked a nice hotel, allowed myself a couple of more-than-I-would-normally-pay-for meals, found a place that sells overpriced ice cream, overpriced cupcakes – oh and ordered highway robbery room service. And honestly, the way my life was going, I don’t know if that would have been a waste.
But I can’t do that because the coronavirus is here, so I’ve been paying down debt instead – namely credit card debt. Boy, I tell ya, that credit card debt and this one private student loan debt I have are the most ruthless creditors out there. I’ve never owned a home, so I could be wrong. Maybe it’s worse with a mortgage lender where there’s much more money involved. And I paid my car off three years ago, because I figured in times like these car loan people wouldn’t give a fuck. So that’s one less worry there.
Speaking of cars, I got my breaks fixed today. It was quite expensive at $288 – or at least that’s expensive to me, I don’t know. I was trying to negotiate down, but nothing doing. I did at least get the amount financed at 0% interest for 12 months. I’ll probably pay it down much sooner, but I’m glad I have the option. I still kinda mad I didn’t get it cheaper. I should have fought a bit harder.
Now I’m contemplating getting a cellphone. Yes, shocker, I don’t have one. I haven’t had one for 2 years and 1 month now. Well I have a cell phone, it just doesn’t have any phone service. I cut the service during a previous bout of unemployment. It was my only bill that wasn’t debt. My only bill that I could stop paying without consequence. And since we have a landline and my mom lets me use her phone, I thought: Hey, might as well do this.
Since then, it seems like the way you buy phones has changed. They’re now leasing phones, and barely giving discounts, even on old phones, which is what I always get. The monthly bill has also gone up. I was paying like $50 a month back then, now the cheapest I can find is $70 and that’s before they heap on all the taxes and fees.
Basically what I’m trying to say is my hesitancy is because it scares me. Seventy dollars a month will be more like $80 a month after they tack on taxes and fees, which comes out to $960 a year. Whew, that’s a lot of money. I could be getting rid of some credit card debt with that dough.
And that’s my dilemma.
Which is more important to me: to reinsert myself into the modern-age, like actually getting to see what Instagram stories is about (my old phone is an iphone 4s, and the operating system is so old, it doesn’t even recognize stories) and just being able to connect with people, or getting rid of the headache that is my debt? There’s a price for everything.
Which one I should go with often fluctuates. If I pay down my debt, I still have an alternative for a phone: I have a landline and I can use my moms, and it’s not like I get a lot of calls anyway. On the other hand, it would be nice to have my own phone instead of asking for my mom’s, or going without one, though that is exactly what I did up until the age of 24. Not to mention, while that $960 will put a nice dent in my debt, it’s not going to get rid of it. Then there’s the fact that I would have to enter into a 2 year contract, and what if something happens, say a year from now and I can no longer pay? Been there before, don’t want to go back no more (cue Teena Marie).
Okay, no cell phone.
Or, maybe that’s the wrong attitude. Maybe I should be thinking, I’m going to work my ass off to be able to pay this phone bill and so much more.
I guess the real question I’m asking is do I want to play it safe or take a risk?
Hmmmmm…
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