Have you read Nickel and Dimed? It’s a sociological case study done at the micro level. (Or is it macro? Or is it an undercover journalistic investigation?)

In it, Barbara Ehrenreich takes on the charge of (Not) Getting by in America. On minimum wage. I never signed up to be a part of the book. I did not read the entire thing. But I find myself nodding in agreement to the experiences within it.

From her site:

She was inspired in part by the rhetoric surrounding welfare reform, which promised that any job equals a better life. But how can anyone survive, let alone prosper, on $6 to $7 an hour?

And one job is not enough; you need at least two if you intend to live indoors.

Despite the uniquely saturated-ly morose tone of too much time for introspection, I am not caught in an inescapable situation or dire strait. My thinking is simply temporarily changed. After all, shouldn’t all major life changes/milestones rewire your thinking a little bit? My brain has moved out of the “for granted” box. “Money isn’t everything; not having it is,” as Kanye says. (Damn, that’s the second time I’ve quoted Kanye in this blog. Boo!)

I think of each hour as a block of dollars, as if I’m the waitress and the asshole customer has piled a small tower of coins at the edge of the table: “Here’s your tip. For every mistake you make, I take one away.”

My iCal may as well convert from time of day to number of dollars accrued. I justify my sit-down lunches, their accompanying tips, and their sometimes desserts, thinking “Sure, I could make my lunch ahead of time and bring it with me, but I was tired after work last night and my job is paying for this right now.” Those over-the-counter but almost prescription eyedrops I so depend upon every morning? One hour of work. That outdoor parking pass? Saves me from kissing away 20% of the bucks I earn from my shifts.

The niceties of life are actually more accessible this way. Their prices more tangible, their worth better understood. And evaluated.

Paying off car insurance is a lotta hours.
Gas prices are much more than they should be.
One ride on BART takes a significant chunk of my hourly paycheck.
Taking advantage of those discounts more than justifies itself when dealing with more than three irate customers in one day.

Also a payoff: working with energetic, positive people; customers who show appreciation for what you do; sending a customer out without making them spend money on unnecessary purchases. Being encouraged to be real. Getting to kick out assholes. Exciting days full of hype.

Busy-ness. It gets your mind off of the pennies hopefully making their way into your purse.

It’s my anti-drug!