Lauren Vs. The Dollar Bill

I feel like this topic could not have been picked at a more appropriate time. 

Every time I walk into the kitchen at the commune, someone is freaking out about how they have no job/no money/no means of paying rent.  Some of us are worse off than others, but money is definitely a concern for all of us starving artists.  The reality that money doesn't grow on trees becomes a little scarier every time somebody talks about it. 

I'm doing better than the guy that got his bicycle stolen in the rain and has $40 to his name, but I can't live off of savings forever and it's beginning to make me a bit paranoid.  I keep myself busy with my writing and music all the time, but since I'm not making any money off of it I probably look like a lazy, idealistic, hipster freak to the untrained eye.  I need to start making money off of my creative pursuits (which would involve learning how to market myself) or get a real job.

Unfortunately, I can't just go out and get a real job.  Trust me, I have tried.  The economy is horrible. 

This is all really depressing.  I apologize.  I agree with Tom and Allison that a world without money would be a really nice place.  Money is one of those things that I try to avoid thinking about.  Maybe that's why it took me so long to write this post.  I kept putting it off all week.  I set aside time to write it yesterday but I ended up having car problems and spent too much of my evening dealing with a tow truck driver.  I then went to go dancing with some friends (because no matter how broke I am, I can always afford the cover charge at 80's night) but the boy that was going to come with me totally ditched.

My friend Old Hippy Poet summed it up nicely this morning:  "No wonder you're kind of down today.  The rent is due, your car broke down, and the cute boy didn't want to go dancing with you.  Sometimes, everything just happens at once."  He then spent an hour under the hood of my car and fixed it, which was exciting.  But I digress.

Fortunately, my rent is cheaper than usual this month because of all the days I went without hot water.  And hopefully I can pull the "look, I have no job" card and get my student loans delayed some more. 

I only wish that money could solve silly boy problems, but the world doesn't work like that. 

Anyway, that's all I've got.  I feel like this post is less interesting and more dismal than usual.  I apologize.  I think I will go back to bed at this time. 

Love you guys!

- Lauren a.k.a:  The Yank

My bandmate and I on the one night we got paid for our music

Going Loonie in The Great White North

I'm rich!

So we’re back to typing and writing - no vlogging this week, so I hope you enjoyed it last week - it may be awhile before any of us agree to do that again!

For our January posts we’ve been keeping them light and fun for the most part, but we all know that being a 20-something isn’t always fun. In the past we have tackled difficult subjects such as relationships, future ambitions and getting older. This week we are tackling the subject of money.

Yikes!

Here are some quick things about me and money:

• I work at a cafe and make minimum wage. My pay cheques - even though I work five days a week - are not enough to survive on my own. This sucks.

• I am currently paying back a hefty student loan. This also sucks, but I am responsible and diligent when it comes to making loan payments.

• I wish I could live without a lot of money - I just want to be happy and not care about money. But I also want a lot of freedom, and freedom costs a lot.

• I love to shop. I realize that it’s silly to buy things I don’t NEED, but my argument here is that these things make me happy (for the most part).

• For someone with very little, I am actually really good with my money. I have good credit and always pay bills early or on time. I also have RRSPs - so I’m also investing in my future.

• Greed makes me angry. I hate seeing people my age with so much, and yet they want more. I have nothing and would be happy with just a bit more - I am not cut out for capitalist society.

I wish I could do what I love and get paid for it. Is that too much to ask? A lot of people tell me that I should just do something - something that pays - and that it shouldn’t matter if I hate it because EVERYONE hates their job and that’s just how life is! I say NO! Why should I do something I hate just for money? If I’m miserable at work - and I’m at work most of the week - then what am I gaining? Money to save for when I’m too old to do anything? Yes I work at a cafe now - and it’s not ideal, and most days I hate it - but right now it’s what works for me. Yes, it’s stupid, but yeah, I’m holding out for better opportunities. At the end of the day I’ve made some awesome friends and have a few bucks in my pocket.

One thing I’d love to do is travel more - make that “perfect day” a reality (maybe split into four separate vacations though). Right now travel isn’t very realistic, unless I’m willing to go into a bit more debt for it. Everything I do puts me in a bit more debt, and then I recover, but I’m back to square one. I’m really debating that trip to the UK I mentioned before (in my what I want for 2011 post) - but what’s really halting me is lack of funds. Just say I’m still a barista when I decide to go - I’d have to book the time off - unpaid, obviously. I’d have to put the flight on my credit card, that would take months to pay back. I’d also need some spending money, and after converting Canadian dollars to Pounds Sterling, well I’d be left with a pitiful amount. What keeps me dreaming about this trip is that no one would be able to take that experience away from me - I’d always have the memories and I wouldn’t regret it. But money seems to always win. I feel like I’m too old to be reckless with the few bucks I do have. Should I stay or should I go? Should I be responsible or fun? Can’t I be both?

I do the same thing when buying unnecessary items - such as concert tickets, books, DVDs, music. While these items don’t really put me into debt, they also take away potential savings. When I get my tax money back or any government reimbursement cheque my first instinct is to spend it one something fun - because it’s like free money. But then I feel like I’m just acting like a kid with birthday money and that I need to be more grown-up and responsible. Getting older sucks sometimes!

Basically, when it comes to the little money I do have I am constantly playing tug-of-war with myself. Neither side is right or wrong, just a different approach to life. Some days my head is in the clouds and I feel myself wanting to click “Buy” on those plane tickets. Other days I close the window and try to forget about it.

I wish money didn’t always have the final say in my life. Lauren, maybe I should move to Portland, where young people go to retire.

See ya Wednesday Tom, ‘cause money can’t buy me love :)

P.S. A Loonie is a dollar coin in Canadian currency. We also have a two dollar coin known as a Toonie.

I (heart) Maple Syrup! - A TASG Production

Okay guys - welcome to the most EMBARRASSING THING I HAVE EVER DONE ON THIS BLOG. So, we decided to make Vlogs this week about our national stereotypes. As you can see from our header, and our "About Us" section - the three of us are from three different countries. I'm known as The Canuck because I live in Canada. So yeah, I made a video and it's really cheesy.

1) I used Garage Band and iMovie to make it, and my new Canon digital camera. The music at the beginning is from Garage Band...it's so cheesy, but I kind of love it.

2) I suck at talking to cameras...so please don't mock the way I speak...I think I say "Candinadian" at one point.

3) I may never do this again.

I still have an embarrassing photo- because that's a tradition, so here that is...

Nothing to do with this post, but I just wanted to show off my
new T-shirt. It says "I <3 Jake Ryan."

Also, I blog a lot about Canada on my main blog My Quarter-life Crisis, here are some examples:

Toronto on the Big Screen

101 before 1001: Let's Toronto it Up

Canada is Cooler than You (Ontario Edition)

Oh! Canada! My Favourite Canadians!

The Day I ate Croissants with Rugby Playing Polar Bears in Tokyo

Tom suggested the topic this week and it’s pretty fun. It’s nice to be creative sometimes. This time of year can be so dreary for those of us in the Northern parts of the world! So, the premise is that we have to breakdown a day into four parts: morning, afternoon, evening, and night. Each portion of the day will be “spent” in a different dream place - a place we’d want to be at that time of day, so in our minds we travel the world - escape our realities.

Welcome to my Perfect Day!

Morning: I’m in Paris, France - sitting on the patio of a tiny café enjoying a latte and a croissant. The Eiffel tower can be seen in the distance. I might have a book with me. It’s sunny and warm - jacket weather. My fantasy boyfriend François is sipping his espresso while reading the newspaper. He is wearing a cabbie/golf style hat and a scarf.

Paris

Afternoon: I’m in Churchill, Manitoba on a Polar Bear Expedition. I’m in a parka and it’s bloody cold, but I don’t care. I get to see polar bears in the wild and can die happy. Here, I meet a functioning alcoholic named Jim, originally from Winnipeg. He’ll try to get me to eat seal meat and I’ll refuse. He calls me a city slicker, but we’ll still take shots of whisky at the bar.

Churchill

Evening: I’m in Dublin, Ireland at a pub. It’s cozy and filled with spirited locals. They know I’m a tourist and mock me for it - but it’s all in good fun. I eat a hearty meal of comfort foods while a “football” or rugby match plays on the televisions. I meet a cute local, but I forget his name and start calling him Patrick or Paddy - he does not like this. I ask him, drunkenly, if he can chase all the snakes away from Canada.

Dublin

Night: I’m in Tokyo, Japan. It’s busy and chaotic - but wonderful. The city lights are spectacular. Nothing makes sense, but it’s okay. I dance with young Japanese boys, and won’t learn a single name. I’ll disappear into the night and wake up in my bed in Ontario - I’ll look out my window and see snow and wonder where all the polar bears are.

Tokyo

But sadly due to time differences, money, and the fact that I'm not adventurous, I am stuck in this for a few more months:

Photo by me.

So this gal, from the Great White North, is signing off till next Monday. So enjoy my fantasy world guys!

Oh!! Canada

See ya Tom - Thanks for the sweet topic idea!