Debt

14 People You See When You Ride the Bus

Posted on by Double Debt Single Woman

Buses

First let me say that I greatly appreciate having access to a bus to get to work and around town.  However, with a 45 minute bus commute between home and work, when I’m too tired to be productive, I have some time to observe my fellow passengers.

Here are 14 people that I have identified on my bus ride. These labels are not mutually exclusive, so one person may embody several of them simultaneously. Now that’s something to see. Here we go.

#1 – The Talker – That person who sits or stands at the front of the bus and talks the driver to death and distraction. ‘Hey driver! You missed my stop!’

#2 – The Ashtray – Sorry smokers, but you guys really don’t know what you smell like. I’ll tell you. You smell like an ashtray.  ‘Damn. Why did this person sit next to me? Cough, cough. Let’s see. 45 minute bus ride. Packed bus with no other available seats. [Tries to hold breath.] Cough cough. Sigh.’

#3 – The Petri Dish – The sick person who gets into a sealed compartment full of people and insists on coughing and sneezing on everybody and everything. This person somehow thinks that the ‘stay-at-home-when-sick’ etiquette applies to everyone except her. ‘Nice. Yeah, don’t bother covering your mouth. We all want to share your virus.’

#4 – The Eco Professional – This person usually works in a creative or high tech field like web design, makes good money and owns a car, but takes the bus to spare the environment. In some cities with good public transit, it’s hip to take the bus when you don’t have to.

#5 – The College Student – The backpacks and mentions of ‘Professor’ are usually the giveaway.

#6 – The Mentally Ill / Homeless / Drug Addict – The person who is having a much harder time at life than you are, and it shows.

#7 – The Drama King / Queen – This person talks way too loudly or is always having an argument with another passenger or with their phone.

bus fight

#8 – The Rich Person -This is the random high powered professional who is  well-dressed and obviously well-off, likely owns multiple cars, and has absolutely no business on a public bus.  You might overhear them talking about their law practice or patients.

#9 – The Annoying PDA Couple – I think they purposefully target the most single looking person on the bus to sit in front of.  ‘OMG! Get a room already. Really?! Sigh.’

#10 – The Face Starer – This person refuses to sit facing the way that the seat is meant for him to face. He proceeds to stare at the people sitting behind or across from him depending on how  he has positioned himself.  ‘Why?’

#11 – The Couch Sitter  (often also the Face Starer, but not always) – The Couch Sitter sits lengthwise on the row of seats with his legs propped up, apparently without regard for the fact that this is called PUBLIC transit and that others might want a place to sit. ‘Go ahead. Put your feet up. Make yourself at home. That pregnant woman and her elderly grandma standing next to you enjoy exercising their calves during long bus rides.’

#12 – The Diner – The Diner pulls out a meal, complete with fork, and proceeds to enjoy dinner in the middle of a crowded bus. Listen, after a long day at work I’m tired and hungry too, but this is not an Amtrak dining car, so either eat before you get on the bus or hold out until you get home. We don’t want to smell your garlic spaghetti on an airtight bus.

#13 – The Backdoor Blocker – This person will get on the bus and stand in next to the back exit door when there are other empty seats available. Is he planning to jump off at the next stop? No. He just plans to stand there and force people to maneuver around him when they need to get off the bus.

#14 – Broke Debt Slaves and Other Poor People – We are the ones on our way to work or coming back from work. We often have long commutes and set up camp with a book or headphones. Otherwise we stare out of the window with a resigned look of quiet desperation in our eyes.

There you have it.  These are 14 types of people you’ll see on the bus.  Now sing along everybody! “The wheels on the bus go ’round and ’round, all through the town.”

Hey, you bus surfers out there, did I forget anyone? Who would you add?

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“Debtor’s prison is real, and opportunity cost is a bitch.” (DDSW)

And here comes the real world…

Posted on by Double Debt Single Woman

I’ve moved into my new digs – a 10ft X 10ft room in an older home out in the boondocks. It’s a big change from living in the heart of downtown, but I don’t miss the fancy apartment nearly as much as I thought I would. There is a bus stop right across the street from my new place which takes me to town and to my workplace. (I have no car, so this is awesome). Even though very few people my age would be willing to do what I’m doing and live how I’m living, I wake up every morning thinking of how much money I’m saving each month and it makes it all worthwhile.

My family, of course, thinks I’ve gone off the deep end.  Giving up a great apartment, selling everything. They talk to me with concern in their voices. They know that I have debt, but they have no idea how much. And I’d like to keep it that way for the time being.

So far my Citibank credit card balance is down from $30,340.oo to $28, 469.02. Not bad, but not on target. Why?

And here comes the real world…

Reason 1:  Expiration of Social Security tax cuts. I now have $100 less in each paycheck. That is, my monthly pay is now $200 less. I have lost $2,400.00 a year just like that. So, that’s is almost one month’s payment to Citibank that the government is taking back.

Reason 2: I’m experimenting with starting a side business (a third job)  that may be another stream of income, but it will take time and upfront investment. Not a huge investment, but one or two Citibank payments worth. If it works, it will pay for itself and generate a small profit over time.

Good News

The good news is that my second job started last week. We have a training / orientation stage for the next few weeks and then we are on our own.

I also got another student loan forbearance approved for the next six months. My goal is too get a big chunk of this credit card down before the student loans kick in. I cannot wait for this credit card debt to die. I will have a little celebration when that balance is finally zero. If the card weren’t full of toxic chemicals I would toss it into the first bonfire I come across and then dance like a madwoman. The people already there may call the cops, but hey, it would be worth it. Hmmm, on second thought, I will likely just cut it up and treat myself to a nice dinner.

The Not So Good

One thing that I am already experiencing is a lack of time. Yeah, surprising huh? Who knew that three jobs makes you crazy busy.  I will have to pace myself to avoid burnout.

Another thing that I am experiencing is lack of focus. It is difficult for me to stay focused at my first (primary full-time office) job or my second job (part-time) because I can’t stop thinking about my side venture (3rd job).

Working for myself and making my own money excites me. As I get older, I’m starting to dislike taking orders from and working for others. I’m no longer interested in advancing someone else’s agenda. I want to advance my own agenda. In the distant future, when I am financially more secure, I would like to work entirely for myself.

Keeping Perspective and Holding On

I keep these goals in my mind as I wait in the dark and freezing cold after work for my bus, which is chronically late during the afternoon rush hour commute home. Not 10 minutes late.  About 25 – 45 minutes late. If the bus is already full, as it often is during rush hour, it doesn’t stop to pick up anyone else so I must wait for the next bus. Even when I’m standing there with my fingers and toes frozen and  hurting from early stage frostbite, and feeling poor and pissed off, I have to cope with the situation. I keep the big picture in mind. Not only my personal debt freedom, but that in the grand scheme of things, my temporary discomfort is nothing compared to what others are going through around the world.

As I get ready for another week of work times three, I have to keep in mind how important it is to have a clear picture of what you want and the reasons why it matters to you. For me, I want freedom and control. I want to be in total control over how I spend what’s left of the limited time that we all have on this earth.

What do you want in life? Are you ready for the real world? I say, bring it on!

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“Debtor’s prison is real, and opportunity cost is a bitch.” (DDSW)

The 3 Types of Extreme Savers

Posted on by Double Debt Single Woman

There are many types of savers, but I want to talk about three broad categories of extreme savers.

They are:

1. Those who extreme save for the sake of saving

Image

Cue Extreme Cheapskates theme music here. These are people who practice extreme frugality as a lifestyle. They oftentimes, (but not always), have some type of neurosis caused by a traumatic event in their past. Kate Hashimoto, (pictured above), began extreme saving / cheap-skating after being laid off from her job some years ago. Nowadays, although she is fully employed as a very well-paid accountant, she refuses to spend money on anything and often takes risks with her health to save a buck. This type of extreme saver gets the headlines and television shows. Depictions of this group in the media often turn the general public away from frugality altogether.

The second two types of extreme savers do not approach frugality as a way of life.

2. Those who extreme save to catch up financially

People in this group approach saving as a means to an end. They practice extreme frugality to get out of debt and/or to shore up investments to ensure a comfortable retirement. These savers are in it for the long haul as it usually takes several years to reverse years of bad financial decisions.

3. Those who extreme save to bide time

People in this group view frugality as a temporary condition to be tolerated until conditions improve. Generally this person is someone who is medical or law school etc., or be someone who lost a high paying job. They are cutting expenses for a few months or years until graduation or the next job comes along at which time their income will explode. It is uncertain whether frugal principles will remain with them or whether they will return to their old ways.

Also Read: Is Extreme Frugality for You?

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“Debtor’s prison is real, and opportunity cost is a bitch.” (DDSW)