Hard Times

I was reading one of my favorite blogs this morning. She wrote an article about date night. You can read the article here http://nashvillecitypaper.com/news.php?viewStory=65722. It was funny and well written. If you have not gone there yet check her out here http://suburbanturmoil.blogspot.com/ Suburban Turmoil. My friend Mel turned me on to her.

In any event. Poor Lindsay caught hell from someone about her story going out on the "town" and paying $7 for drinks when the women herself was struggling to pay for food and gas. It really pissed me off. The last time I checked this is still America, the land of the free, the home of the brave where we can pursue our own happiness. I agree that times are hard for most of us. Thank god there are some that can go out and get a drink! I am happy for the establishment, for the bartender (who has to pay for gas somehow too), for the bus boy and anyone else who would benefit from that $7 drink.

Before the recession we used to go to dinner every Friday Night. At first it was just Chris and I then we added Jett into the fun, then Owen. Since the recession, it has been knocked down to once a month. Last night we went to our favorite sushi joint. We have not been in awhile. We did notice that the prices went up but not too bad. We had a nice dinner for 4 (Owen holds his own even though he is only 17mo). It cost a whopping $50! Here is how I look at it. For $50 someone waited on us as a family, made our food, brought it to our table, made sure that our drinks were filled, cleaned up the aftermath and wished us a nice evening. Chris and I were able to talk to each other, the boys were able to talk to us (without me having to say "wait just a minute" like I do at home while getting everyone their food). We were able to eat all at once instead of shifts like at home because I am waiting on everyone. It was a wonderful family night that was pretty cheap when you think about all that we got for that price. I am glad that our favorite sushi joint was full with merriment and every table had a customer. The gals who wait tables at Pink Godzilla are a great group of gals. Most of them have been working there for as long as we have been going there (9 years) some of those gals are single moms. I am more then happy to go there spend a little of our hard earned money so that they can make a living too. Can we drop $50 every Friday for dinners out? No. Were we ever able to that? Um, no. Can we do it once in a while? Yes. Is that bad? Not in my book. I actually read a great financial plan about these hard times and the economist included dinners out and entertainment in the budget plan. She said even in tough times you have to treat yourself or your family, it just needs to be tailored to your budget. And that would be in any economy.

I am really taking a page from my years living in an eastern block communist country where people made very little but they were always at the pubs having a drink with a commrade, or the movies. They always wore a beautiful hat or scarf. The difference is they only had one beautiful scarf or hat not 1/2 dozen. So they are able to go get a cup of coffee with feeling guilty.

In any event, I know we are feeling the pinch in these tough times. I am just learning how to be content with less "stuff" and be happy with what I have and still be able to take our family out to dinner once in a while with out feeling guilty.