Those Little Expenses

Those Little Expenses...

by M. Y.


It was a Saturday and the sun was gleaming into my room through the floor to ceiling windows. Though it was early in the afternoon, I could have easily stayed in bed for a few more minutes. What could have woken me up now? A subtle, yet important vibration notifying me of a message on my cell phone. The back light of the small screen hurt my sensitive and tired eyes.

"Hey bro! Movies tonight?" it read.

To be with my friends is what I had been waiting for since Monday morning.

As a young teenager, do you need money to have fun?

We were waiting in our seats in the theater. The famous movie quote quizzes were starting to replay, stirring up the anxious crowd.

"I'm thinking I want some snacks," Nicolette proposed with a bright smile on her face.

"Alright, I'll go. Weston, come with me," I said.

The girls thought we were being polite, but my real intent was to have them save the seats in the packed show.

We walked through the crowded Redwood City Century Theater. A Saturday night in a popular theater is always an experience. From the countless quarters you lost in the arcade to the ticket to cinematic adventure that was the feature film, the price of happiness was expensive. Carefully maneuvering through the groups, we reached to the glowing, powerhouse that was the concession stand. The neon lights, the flamboyant signs, and the glass cases filled with deliciousness. The structure was a staple for making money.

"I hate this," Weston said as he stared down the overwhelming menus.

"Hey, live a little," I replied to my best friend.

I saw nachos, drinks, and popcorn that were all the size of your head. At that moment I realized, "Do we need this?" Did I want this or was I a peon of the movie goer's experience. To have a good time I should do as Front Row Joe, Cinemark Theater's cartoon mouse mascot, would do.

$2.99
$4.69
$1.89

Those little expenses add up. What happens from here? I spend the money and get repaid by my parents, but is the guilt of spending worth it? Instead of the ICEE, popcorn, and nachos and I returned to the theater with a small pack of Sour Patch Kids and sat down to enjoy what I really came for: my friends.

The next day, I found myself with my best friend again. We began to walk downtown when I asked,"Hey, did you want to go out to lunch?"

"Yeah, where did you want to go?" he replied.

"The Deli, man. It's so expensive, though" I said.

"I agree, but it's the best, and it's what we do every Thursday."

"You have money, right?" I asked.

"Yes, my mom left me so much."

Our parents wiring money our bank accounts as a weekly allowance, is this a good way to grow up? A plastic card with unlimited cash. Where we developing habits that could hurt us later on in life? After the usual BBQ Chicken Sandwich, We would then to go to Palo Alto's Northface store.

"Are you actually going to buy something?" I asked.

The store was stacked with mountaineering and expedition equipment. He picked the grey and black jacket up and hovered them in front of him.

"Which one looks better?"
"The black..."
Inside I wanted to say, "They both look stupid; it's Summer."

I could imagine the conversation bound to come up when his mom returned from her trip.

"Wow, you spent all of the money I left you?" she would ask in a curious manner.

"Mom, you know I eat a lot," he would say.

Of course she knew of his other purchases, but she didn't care. He was her only son, why not spoil him a little?

The economy has failed us because the America's income is lower than our debt. The economic downfall has not affected my life in any negative ways. However, my step-father has taught me how to watch the economy and study it. My household is currently doing well because of his economic intelligence and critical decision making. He's shared with me that the fall of the economy is a tragedy that will ruin many lives. I am thankful for the work he does and am always amazed by the information he can process. One day, I would like to learn from him how to make money off the stock market and be confident with my financial situation.

As a young teenager, I am brought up to believe that I need to spend money to have fun. When people blame "The Media", it's an excuse not to do research on their own and not think for themselves. We are a generation raised on the media. We have no great war, no great depression, no reason except to work jobs we hate so we can buy things we don't need. We don't need money to have fun, we need creativity to let our lives prosper.