Overheard San Francisco Made Ridiculous Sense of Money in a 23-Word Instagram Post
Sometimes budgeting, spending, and saving isn’t all that complicated
The idea of buying a house in an expensive city such as San Francisco (where I used to live) or Los Angeles (where I currently live) scares the hell out of me.
You can’t touch anything you’d want to call home in either city with less than a six-figure down payment.
Just think about saving, say, $150,000, then writing a check for that amount only to win the right to pay something like $5,000 a month to a bank for the next 30 years of your life. The thought actually triggers a slight bit of physical sickness.
Say goodbye to planning that trip to Seoul (my latest obsession) or blowing off a week or so to drive the coast from LA to SF (same). That’s at least how it would be for me. I’d be too focused on generating an intimidating amount of monthly cash flow, cutting the fucking grass, or paying someone way less than they’re worth to mow the lawn for me.
Screw that.
Your mileage may vary. (I really wish that phrase was still popular). I know where I stand. The thought of buying a home does nothing for me. I get fired up thinking of all the other things I’m going to do with people I love and care about.
Like Springsteen said so well:
Well I got some beer and the highway’s free And I got you, and baby you’ve got me. — Bruce Springsteen, Sherry Darling
I can get with that.
A couple years ago, it dawned on me. You can’t get there without the right money mindset. Where you want to be and where you’re gonna go.
If you’re on the less ripe end of Generation X like me, there’s a chance your parents did a number on you. No matter your age, this is a thing. To their credit, my parents didn’t. While they would have loved for me to set up shop behind a white picket fence in my hometown, they’re equally as happy I got out when I was young.
If your parents were cool with expectations (as in, they had none or only reasonable, minor ones like don’t get arrested, don’t get anybody pregnant, and we want you to be happy), society definitely messed with you a little bit. It had to. Baby boomers assign so much value to the American dream. They weren’t listening to Springsteen in 1975 when he cited the “runaway American dream” in the iconic Born to Run.
But here’s the thing about that. When Bruce wrote those words, he did so from a place of relative desolation. His characters chased the American dream, but circumstance and deep-rooted economic issues prevented them from attaining it. So they made choices. Sometimes not the best ones. This led to a constant search for a better life and redemption.
Today, we operate on our own terms. We have control. Thanks to technology and the redefinition of work — when, how, and why we do it — we craft our own dreams. And it’s not American. It’s a dream we invite anyone from anywhere to chase alongside one another, even if we have different customs, goals, and desires.
For as advanced as the world around us has become, we lead simpler lives. At least I think we do. Some of us. Without the pressure of financing the American dream, we can focus on more attainable goals.
Enter the 23-word post from the overheardsanfrancisco Instagram account I saw the other day:
Short and sweet, but oh so complete.
What an amazing position to be in with money. I hope the person who said that realizes how lucky they are. I hope they embrace their money problem with optimism, not aspiration to their friend’s outdated notion of wealth.
If you have to sort your online shopping excursions by “price: low to high,” you’re so much closer to being in a good position with money than the person struggling to save an out-sized down payment only to saddle themselves with an absurd monthly payment to service a mortgage.
When you break it down to such a basic level, everything comes into view.
In fact, if you want that house (which is cool, if it works for you), you’re probably gonna get there faster and with less stress, if you sort out the “low to high” thing first. You might always sort from “low to high” — I usually do — but you’ll do it by choice, not out of necessity.
Bite-size chunks, y’all.
I’m not where I want to be. It’s part of why I do what I do for a living. Writing about this stuff helps me focus, set realistic goals, and hold myself accountable.
It helps me respect the process, enjoy the journey, and appreciate the company I choose to keep along the way.
You do yourself a disservice if you make anything other than this and related thoughts the overarching goal. You set yourself up to ruminate, fail, then ruminate some more. A vicious cycle of anxiety that ultimately can lead to financial insecurity and impotence.
When you adopt a simple life/small goals mindset — people and experiences over things — the pesky elements of money that can stress you out somehow have a way of falling into place.
This article is for informational and entertainment purposes only. It should not be considered Financial or Legal Advice. Not all information will be accurate. Consult a financial professional before making any significant financial decisions.