Yes, I Am Still Poor

What I am about to say will probably align me with Mother Teresa. I am morally opposed to marrying someone because of his socioeconomic status. I don’t “buy” into the thought that you both get something beneficial out of the marriage when that happens. I wouldn’t be opposed to marrying “up” (I believe that is the PC term), but that can’t be the sole reason. In fact, I don’t really think that what his monetary status is should play any role in marrying someone. With that being said, buying everything you want or need on your own is a real pain in the ass. Sorry for the language Momma T.

Let’s consider going on a trip. Recently, my roomies Tay and J brought up the idea about a Spring Break getaway. The conversation went something like this:

Tay and J-“Hey, girl! Let’s go to Vegas on Spring Break!”

Alisha-“No.”

Tay and J-“Boo, you whore.”

Besides the obvious “Mean Girls” reference, that is basically every Spring Break conversation I have ever had in my life. I would love to actually go somewhere on Spring Break, except Vegas, that’s one destination I am totally over. I went to Las Vegas when I was 14 years old for my sister’s wedding; let’s just say I hit my peak for Sin City early in life. Vegas is awful when you are of drinking age, can you imagine how bad it is when you can’t even get into an R-rated movie? The streets are either littered with trash or naked women on escort cards. The one good thing to come out of that trip, other than my sister’s wedding, was the day spent at the Hoover Dam. From the strip to the Hoover Dam takes about 45 minutes via bus, and the median age of people on said bus is 60. My parents sat next to each other, and the only open space was the middle of a three-seat bench in the back. I packed between two very large people from Arkansas, or perhaps it was Alabama. Arm to arm with two strangers; I focused on the aisle of the bus. Pretty soon, I felt sweat droplets trickling down my arm; the only problem here was that I was not the one sweating. Aside from the PTSD-worthy bus ride, the Hoover Dam is pretty incredible. I can’t describe to you how small it felt to stand next to the massive structure, so you are going to have to go and experience it for yourself. That entire vacation was bought and paid for by my parents, a two-income household.

I have one income, a very small income, and now that I am back in graduate school, an almost non-existent income. The $800-1,000 (or two months of rent) it takes me to spend 4 days and 3 nights in the city of sin puts a much larger dent in my budget, than it does the budget of a two-income household. So, the solution that most people see is, save up. Sure, save. I’ll put away $50 every month and in 2 years I can finally go on that trip, oh wait, you don’t want to go to Vegas any more?

Shocking.

It isn’t that I am pressed for money, I can generally buy things that I want: Starbucks-I am a gold card carrying customer, a new cardigan, socks; it is just that those things add up on a monthly budget. And it isn’t that my friends aren’t understanding or caring of this issue, they have all been there once before, but their compassion is like a carton of milk, soon to expire.

Speaking of milk, have you seen the price of a gallon? You would think that this stuff would cure exotic diseases at the current cost.

So even though I don’t think that you should marry for money, if you happen to fall in love with someone who has a lot of money, that’s like icing on a cake, a cake that you order at a fancy restaurant after a four-star dinner. Garson, may we have the check? And by “we,” I mean him.